Horsebetting.com experts say the consistent Berkshire Royal is worth a bet in their 2018 Lavazza Stakes betting tips from Ascot. Midi is a unexposed improver for the Sir Michael Stoute yard, so is feared in the big 1m 4f Heritage Handicap on Saturday, 8 September. Ghostwatch posted a career-best effort when scoring last time out, so appeals each-way. For full details, read our in-depth 2018 Lavazza Stakes betting tips preview.Berkshire Royal the bet in Lavazza StakesTrainer Andrew Balding continues to be in red-hot form, so Berkshire Royal looks worth a bet to provide him with another winner in the 1m 4f Lavazza Stakes at Ascot on Saturday (15:55). This three-year-old is a tough and consistent sort who is thriving this season.
He was won three of his seven starts and finished runner-up on the four other occasions. In the last of those successes, the son of Epsom Derby winner Sir Percy stayed on strongly to get up close home and score by a neck at Chester.
Berkshire Royal got put up 4lb for that victory, yet then ran a cracker off his revised rating of 82 when a two length runner-up to Cross Counter over this course and distance. After being held-up, he made good headway to chase the leaders two from home and stuck to the task well to be nearest at the finish in a race which has thrown-up plenty of subsequent winners.
Cross Counter went on to bolt up next time out in a course record time when landing the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at Goodwood by 4 1/2 lengths and then went down by just a head to stablemate Old Persian in a Group 2 at York. The third home Elegiac also scored next time up, as did Gossip Column who finished a well-beaten fourth, and the sixth home Desert Path.
It gives the form a rock solid look and, although now 3lb higher in the weights, Berkshire Royal has since run well to finish runner-up again at Chester and is clearly right at the top of his game at present. He looks the type that should have even more to offer, while another plus is he has the services of the in-form Jason Watson in the saddle who is terrific value for his 3lb claim.
Taking it into account, Berkshire Royal is running off the same rating as when chasing home Cross Counter; so, at the odds on offer, he looks great value and is thus our main selection in these 2018 Lavazza Stakes betting tips for this Heritage Handicap.Stoute’s unexposed Midi feared mostNewmarket handler Sir Michael Stoute also has his team in fine form at present, so his Midi is a fascinating contender on handicap debut and feared most. This son of Frankel has only had three starts, winning both this season.
After undergoing wind surgery, he overcame a lengthy absence to make all and readily land a nine-runner maiden at Windsor last month by 1 1/4 lengths. Stoute then turned him out quickly in a 1m 2f allowance contest at Newcastle where he stayed on gamely to beat the highly-regarded Spanish Archer, who had bolted up on his previous start, by a head.
Midi needed to win the latter in order for him to get a handicap mark and be eligible for this, so it looks as if his handler has had this firmly as his target. An opening mark of 88 is no gimme, but the three-year-old is bred to be better than it.
It could well be that Midi is a potential pattern performer in the making, while he’s the least exposed in the line-up and open to any amount of improvement. The step up to 1m 4f also promises to suit, so there is nothing not to like about his chances in this.
Midi has more going for him than most and looks sure to make a bold bid to land the hat-trick. For these reasons, he is another to consider backing among our 2018 Lavazza Stakes betting tips from Ascot.Top weight Ghostwatch holds each-way claimsGhostwatch posted a career-best effort when scoring in terrific last time out; so, despite having to shoulder top-weight, looks a leading contender and massive each-way player. That success came in the valuable 16-runner Melrose Handicap over 1m 6f at York, where he travelled ominously well throughout and only had to be ridden out to beat Supernova by half-a-length.
This three-year-old son of Dubawi scored with more in hand than the winning margin suggests. A 6lb rise in the weights since for that looks fair, given that authoritative manner in which he got the job done in the hands of William Buick.
Buick gets a great tune out of Ghostwatch, on whom he was won twice and been placed twice in four starts. The gelding has won three of his six starts this season and is clearly going the right way and also has winning form over the 1m 4f trip of this
Ghostwatch hails from the yard of Charlie Appleby, who can do little wrong at present for his masters Godolphin. He is operating at a strike rate of just under 44 per cent with his runners in the past 14 days at the time of writing; so, taking everything into account, Ghostwatch had to feature as the each-way selection in our 2018 Lavazza Stakes betting tips.Your Next Bet
