Commonwealth Cup betting tips from Royal Ascot 2018 at Horsebetting.com include Sioux Nation as Aidan O’Brien bids to win back-to-back runnings of this 6f Group 1 sprint for three-year-olds. Group 2 winner Sands Of Mali may be a big danger, while Invincible Army looks an each-way bet. Read all about it in our 2018 Commonwealth Cup betting tips.Sioux Nation can capture Commonwealth Cup Team Ballydoyle landed the spoils 12 months ago in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup, so Sioux Nation is a serious contender to follow-up on that success and his own Royal Ascot win from last year in this 6f cavalry charge (15:40). Trained by the awesome Aidan O’Brien, Sioux Nation captured the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes over the flying five furlongs at this meeting in 2017 when staying on and ridden out by Ryan Moore. The way he handled the 17-runner field then means the large number of horses in this should be no problem .
Sioux Nation followed up on her Royal Ascot victory with a Group 1 juvenile success in the valuable Phoenix Stakes. He held on well to deny Beckford by a half-a-length. Although then beaten on his final start of last season in the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket and on reappearance at Listed level at Navan, the the ground was softer than ideal on both occasions.
When returning to a sounder surface in a Group 3 at Naas last time out, Sioux Nation returned to winning ways when beating Fleet Review by 1 1/4 lengths. The way he holds on when striking for home is commendable and gutsy. He’s got ideal underfoot conditions to suit again, so on the pick of his form Sioux Nation has to be among 2018 Commonwealth Cup betting tips.Sands Of Mali top rated and dangerous up frontIf you love to back a front-running horse, then Richard Fahey’s Sands Of Mali fits the bill after adding a second Group 2 success to his CV when last in action. As a juvenile, he bravely made all to land the value Gimcrack Stakes at York’s Ebor Festival last August. Sands Of Mali then bombed out in the Middle Park when trailing in last of 12.
On that form, he has about six lengths to find on Sioux Nation but is now rated 2lb higher than that re-opposing rival and is on the highest official mark (116) in the Commonwealth Cup line-up. While stepping up to a mile at the Breeders’ Cup didn’t suit on his final start as a two-year-old, Sands Of Mali has demonstrated he’s trained on by winning both his starts this season.
After landing a Group 3 by a short-neck at Chantilly, he just edged a sustained duel to defeat the re-opposing Invincible Army by a nose in the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock. It is going to be fascinating to see how the Commonwealth Cup is run, because the rivals of Sands Of Mali cannot afford to let him dictate matters from the front. He is just as gutsy as Sioux Nation at the head of affairs and, if running up to his mark, may have the beating of him.Invincible Army has each-way claimsThe aforementioned Invincible Army is a course and distance winner and, on his form behind Sands Of Mali, has considerable claims of making the frame. Trained by James Tate, Invincible Army has won three of his nine career starts and placed in five others – including when runner-up in the Gimcrack and Sandy Lane. Those defeats – and another narrow one in the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes at Newmarket on his final juvenile start – suggest he has been very unlucky.
Invincible Army has landed a Group 3 on the all-weather as a two-year-old and again on reappearance at Ascot when he drew readily away from Eqtidaar, who is another that re-opposes. The agonising nature of his nose defeat by Sands Of Mali last time out suggests he is worth a crack at this level off a mark of 112. With some bookmakers offering four places on each-way bets for the Commonwealth Cup, Invincible Army has to be considered.
James Doyle is booked to ride him again which suggest connections mean business. Invincible Army was beaten a short-head by subsequent 2018 Epsom Derby winner Masar on debut at Goodwood, so a big race success may lie within him given that horse has achieved.Your Next Bet