Royal Runner has Bookies on Red Alert at Ascot

Punters eye Aidan O’Brien Milestone at Royal meeting

A royal success story could be on the cards at Ascot on Tuesday, with King and Queen-owned Reaching High installed as favourite to hand Willie Mullins a memorable winner on the opening day of the prestigious meeting.

Trained by the Closutton maestro and set to be ridden by Ryan Moore, Reaching High tops the betting at 9/4 with BOYLE Sports for the Ascot Stakes as punters look to latch onto a feel-good story at the Berkshire track.

Day one of the Royal meeting boasts three Group 1 contests, with the action getting underway in style in the Queen Anne Stakes where BOYLE Sports Lockinge Stakes winner Notable Speech heads the market at 7/4 for Charlie Appleby in the curtain-raiser.

Australian raider Overpass is a 3/1 favourite to strike on British soil in the King Charles III Stakes, while the St James’s Palace Stakes promises a mouthwatering rematch between the first two home in the 2000 Guineas, with Bow Echo odds-on at 8/11 to assert authority over Gstaad, who is priced at 11/4 for Aidan O’Brien.

A major milestone is within reach for the Ballydoyle maestro, who needs four winners this week to bring up a century of Royal Ascot victories.

"There’s plenty of intrigue heading into day one at Royal Ascot and the prospect of a royal winner is high on punters’ wish lists. It looks like a tough card for Aidan O’Brien on Tuesday, but with an historic landmark so close, it’s no surprise that the Ballydoyle battalion is in favour over the course of the week."

Royal Ascot Tuesday

Queen Anne Stakes

7/4        Notable Speech

7/2        Opera Ballo

4/1        More Thunder

13/2      Docklands

9/1        Zeus Olympios

14/1 bar

King Charles III Stakes

3/1        Overpass

7/1        Rayevka

7/1        Night Raider

15/2      American Affair

8/1 bar

St James’s Palace Stakes

8/11       Bow Echo

11/4       Gstaad

9/2        Talk Of New York

10/1 bar

Ascot Stakes

9/4        Reaching High

6/1        Puturhandstogether

12/1      Bunting

12/1      Beylerbeyi

12/1      Westminster Moon

12/1      Galileo Dame

14/1 bar

*Prices are subject to fluctuation

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