Punters Looking For Magic Touch From O'brien & Moore

Wednesday, 19 June 2019: Punters could be singing Barry Manilow's famous hit "Could It Be Magic" if the Aidan O'Brien-trained Magical captures today's £750,000 G1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes, the headline act of a thrilling second day of action at Royal Ascot 2019.

Bookmakers won the battle on day one with just one winning favourite (Arizona, 15/8f, G2 Coventry Stakes) over the six races. The defeats of Battaash (2/1f, King's Stand Stakes) and Too Darn Hot (2/1f, G1 St James's Palace Stakes), the best-backed horse of the day, were bitter pills for punters to swallow.


Magical 
Magical 
In the opening race this afternoon, the five-furlong £110,000 G2 Queen Mary Stakes (2.30pm), Lambeth Walk has been the one for each-way money. Trained by Archie Watson, a dab hand with two-year-olds, the daughter of Charm Spirit is unbeaten in two starts and is an 11/1 shot from 14/1 with Betfred, official bookmaker at Ascot. Godolphin's Divine Spirit, an impressive winner at Windsor on her debut last month, is an 8/1 chance from 10/1 with Betfred.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained Norway bids to emulate stable companion Kew Gardens, who won the £225,000 G2 Queen's Vase (3.05pm) last season after running in the Investec Derby at Epsom Downs. The three-year-old son of Galileo was eighth behind stable companion Anthony Van Dyck in Britain's premier Classic on June 1, but is the solid 3/1 market leader from 7/2 with Betfred for today's 14-furlong contest. Andrew Balding's Dashing Willoughby finished third in the Chester Vase on the Roodee in May, but has attracted each-way support in the G2 Queen's Vase, constricting in price to 9/1 from 12/1. Similarly, Nate The Great, third to Anthony Van Dyck in the Lingfield Derby Trial for Archie Watson, is 12/1 from 14/1 with the firm.


I Can Fly 
I Can Fly 
In today's feature race, the £750,000 G1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes, Magical bids to provide Aidan O'Brien with a fourth victory in the 10-furlong contest. Unbeaten this term following three decisive victories, the four-year-old daughter of Galileo has been strong in the market all morning and heads the betting at 13/8 from 7/4 with Betfred, which has been helped by concerns that her chief market rival, Sea Of Class (4/1), may not run for trainer William Haggas on account of the going. The ultra-consistent Crystal Ocean, an easy winner of the 2018 G2 Hardwicke Stakes at the Royal Meeting, has also attracted support for trainer Sir Michael Stoute at 4/1 from 9/2 with Betfred.

O'Brien also saddles the favourite in the £175,000 G2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (4.20pm), four-year-old I Can Fly  . The daughter of Fastnet Rock was a beaten favourite in G2 company at the Curragh last month, but has been backed to return to the winner's enclosure this afternoon at 7/2 from 9/2 with Betfred. The William Haggas-trained Move Swiftly, second in Listed company on her final start last term, has been the one for each-way money at 12/1 from 14/1 with Betfred.

The £175,000 Royal Hunt Cup is one of the biggest betting races of the week with a field of 30 for punters to decipher. However, the James Tate-trained and Frankie Dettori-ridden New Graduate has been the subject of a major gamble in the build-up to this year's renewal of the mile contest and remains Betfred's 6/1 favourite. Market movers this morning in the ultra-competitive handicap include Jamie Osborne's Raising Sand, a 7/1 shot from 8/1 with Betfred, the David Barron-trained Kynren (10/1 from 14/1) and Keith Dalgliesh's What's The Story, who is 12/1 from 16/1.


Norway 
Norway 
In the concluding, Listed Windsor Castle Stakes (5.00pm), Richard Hannon's unbeaten two-year-old Temple Of Heaven is the notable market mover. The son of Iffraaj, successful at Nottingham and Newbury respectively this term, is a 5/1 shot from 6/1 with Betfred for the five-furlong contest. Andrew Balding's Symbolize was a ready winner at Salisbury on his debut and the son of Starspangledbanner is a 13/2 chance from 10/1 with Betfred, whilst Aidan O'Brien's Southern Hills, a narrow second at Navan earlier this month, is 15/2 from 9/1 with the same firm.

Betfred representative Matt Hulmes said: "Following yesterday's double for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore, punters have put their faith in the duo once again on Day Two. Norway , Magical , I Can Fly and Southern Hills are all positives in the morning markets and a Moore masterclass this afternoon will spell trouble for the layers."

Betfred have suspended betting on the colour of Her Majesty The Queen's hat after pink was backed into Evens from 9/4.

[b]Betfred Market Movers:[/b]

2.30pm G2 Queen Mary Stakes - Lambeth Walk (11/1 from 14/1) & Divine Spirit (8/1 from 10/1)
3.05pm G2 Queen's Vase - Norway (3/1 from 7/2), Dashing Willoughby (9/1 from 12/1) & Nate The Great (12/1 from 14/1)
3.40pm G1 King's Stand Stakes - Magical (13/8 from 7/4) & Crystal Ocean (4/1 from 9/2)
4.20pm G2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes - I Can Fly (7/2 from 9/2) & Move Swiftly (12/1 from 14/1)
5.00pm Royal Hunt Cup - Raising Sand (7/1 from 8/1) , Kynren (10/1 from 14/1) & What's The Story (12/1 from 16/1)
5.35pm Windsor Castle Stakes - Temple Of Heaven (5/1 from 6/1), Symbolize (13/2 from 10/1) & Southern Hills (15/2 from 9/1).





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