ROYAL Ascot is widely regarded as the greatest horse racing meeting anywhere in the world. Over £10 million in prize money; 35 races; royalty; pageantry; fashion; glamour..
.there simply is nothing else like it. World Pool, the globe’s largest commingled horse racing pools developed and run by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, will return to Royal Ascot for the sixth year, with punters from 28 countries betting into the enormous pools.
It offers punters incredible value, with World Pool dividends beating SP in 29 of the 35 races at last year’s Royal Ascot, and I will certainly be placing plenty of World Pool bets via Tote.co.uk and with Bet With Ascot at the track this week.
The opening Queen Anne Stakes (2.30pm) looks like the perfect World Pool race. Ante-post favourite Inspiral has been re-routed to tomorrow’s Prince Of Wales’s Stakes and I’m not convinced that Charyn, Facteur Cheval or Big Rock deserve to be as short as they are.
This race has produced some shocks over the years, not least 12 months ago when Triple Time won for Kevin Ryan and Neil Callan at 33/1, the same price as 2018 victor Accidental Agent. Royal Ascot is a marathon not a sprint, so getting stung at short odds early on isn’t the best strategy. I would far rather play a few at big prices for small stakes in the hope that one sneaks into the frame or even better, causes a big shock.
It is also worth bearing in mind that outsiders often pay a decent bit more on World Pool than SP, so I’m going to t.
