The Buckingham Palace Handicap will kick off proceedings at the 2020 Royal Ascot. The Queen won’t be in attendance at the meeting, there’s no Royal parade, but the racing action goes on.
It’s behind closed doors because of safety reasons due to the Covid-19 outbreak. This curtain raiser is a Class 2 handicap at a 7f distance.
It’s for 3 year olds plus and it’s an exciting big field with 24 declared for the contest.
Ascot Buckingham Palace Handicap Odds
Daarik 4/1
Kaeso 13/2
Mutamaasik 8/1
Motakhayyel 12/1
Cliffs Of Capri 14/1
Keyser Soze 14/1
Greenside 16/1
Glen Shiel 16/1
First COntact 20/1
Firmament 20/1
Blown By Wind 20/1
Ebury 16/1
Shelir 22/1
Flaming Spear 18/1
War GLory 28/1
30/1 bar
* (betting odds taken from Paddy Power at 21:57 GMT on Monday, June 15th 2020)
Horse Racing Betting at Paddy Power
Table of Contents
Daarik heads the market for festival opener
DAARIK comes in highly rated for this contest and after a recent score at Newcastle, he is expected to go well again. The John Gosden-trained 4 year old has now scored three wins in four attempts on the all-weather after winning a 7f effort at Gosforth Park 10 days ago.
He opened his racetrack career on turf and finished last in that effort back in the summer of 2018. He’s come a long way since then and has been so lightly raced that he is a massive threat at 4/1* (betting odds taken from Paddy Power at 21:57 GMT on Monday, June 15th 2020).
He looks to be settled after some injury setbacks in 2019 and is likely to be well in the picture.
KAESO
KAESO will have some appeal at a current 13/2 or better* (betting odds taken from Paddy Power at 21:57 GMT on Monday, June 15th 2020). On his last run he finished well down the field at Newcastle. That was just back on June 6th. But that 7th of 12 in a race won by Daarik, can be excused.
That is because Kaeso is setting on much better terms for this effort, 7lb better in fact. He has placed on his last three trips at Ascot as well, the most recent of those being a second place finish at last year’s Royal Ascot meeting in the Heritage Handicap. He has big claims.
MOTAKHAYYEL
It is almost a year since MOTAKHAYYEL has been in racetrack action. In fact, it was in the Porsche Handicap at Ascot last year that he was last seen. He was sixth of seven in that, not living up to proceeding form.
This will be just his sixth career appearances, scoring three wins in his previous five. From a current 12/1 mark he is definitely one to keep on side in this wide-open contest* (betting odds taken from Paddy Power at 21:57 GMT on Monday, June 15th 2020).
MUTAMAASIK
The ever-improving MUTAMAASIK is another with some big appeal for this Ascot opener. Since his debut in which he was second of 13 at Kempton last year, he showed a really classy progressive turn winning all four of his subsequent efforts.
The last two were on turf at Newmarket and September last year. It’s a 278 day break that he comes back from as is lining up currently at 8/1 in the market* (betting odds taken from Paddy Power at 21:57 GMT on Monday, June 15th 2020). He is an attractive entrant.
GLEN SHIEL
A second place finish in a field of eleven at Newcastle in early June, sees GLEN SHIEL bring some nice appeal to the table as well. He is missing the winning form perhaps of others in this field.
However, you look back to last year’s Balmoral at Ascot and Glen Shiel took a good fourth in that contest.
This will only be his fourth time out on the turf, but a couple of good tests on the a/w this year could see him come in sharp as a 16/1 e/w option* (betting odds taken from Paddy Power at 21:57 GMT on Monday, June 15th 2020).
Others to note
A long shot will be SHELIR who could defy 22/1 odds* (betting odds taken from Paddy Power at 21:57 GMT on Monday, June 15th 2020). The market was moving in a positive direction for him late on Monday evening. He needed a run out just over a week ago, so could come back stronger with his new yard too.
DOCUMENTING had a good time of things on the all-weather and back in March claimed second in the listed company at Wolverhampton. He was in the International Stakes at last year’s Royal Ascot over course and distance and was down the field. Will he better 12 months on as he hits the Ascot turf again?
Going for a yard which is bang in form is BLOWN BY WIND. He scored in a 7f Newmarket handicap 10 day ago. He’s paid a price there with a 4lb hike which puts near the top of the weights for this Ascot opener. Good form and not to be dismissed.
Predictions & Tips
What a contest this should be. There are so many claims flying around in this one, even when you start digging down the field. So who is going to get the nod?
That will be MUTAMAASIK because we just can’t overlook how progressive he has been since his debut. He looks to be right on the money and he has a 4lb favour over outright favourite Daarik.
As for a couple of other picks that we would be interested in, KAESO is a very interesting entry without question, and could be one to take on the favourite with.
The other is GLEN SHIEL who just took at Newcastle on a return from break, which will only sharpen him up further. After a great effort at the International Stakes last year, he could show up in this.
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