Royal Ascot day four tips
- Venetian Sun (Ascot, 15.05) – 4pts win @ 6/4 (Bet365)
- Insanity (Ascot, 15.40) – 1pt each-way @ 33/1 (Ladbrokes)
- Balantina (Ascot, 16.20) – 1pt each-way @ 16/1 (William Hill)
- Simplify (Ascot, 18.10) – 1pt each-way @ 18/1 (BetMGM)
It’s Commonwealth Cup and Coronation Stakes day at Royal Ascot 2026 and our horse racing correspondent Jonathan Doidge has a tip for those races plus others on a superb day’s action using the best odds from betting sites.
Commonwealth Cup (Group 1) (15.05, Ascot)
A classy big field sprint in which it is hard to oppose VENETIAN SUN. Admittedly, she is very short odds to get the job done but she’s unbeaten over 6f, has the best form on offer in this field, is perfectly happy on fast ground and was a C&D winner of the Group 3 Albany Stakes at this meeting last year. She also gets the fillies’ allowance and has a double-figure draw, so she has a great deal in her favour.
Her latest, decisive, win came in the Group 2 Temple Stakes at Haydock, which saw her bounce back after she appeared not to stay in the 1,000 Guineas, which is the only serious blemish on her CV.
I can understand anyone not wanting to risk their ‘hard earned’ on a 6/4 shot in a big field sprint and if you are looking for something to play each-way in opposition, I think Coppull is overpriced at 14/1. He has plenty to find with the favourite at the weights but Clive Cox has a habit of getting his sprinters right for this meeting and his representative won a Group 3 over C&D last time. If you want to play each-way at bigger odds on horse racing betting sites I wouldn’t put you off.
Royal Ascot day four tip 1: Venetian Sun (Ascot, 15.05) – 4pts win @ 6/4 (Bet365)
Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap) (15.40, Ascot)
Another race that takes some assessing and it’s just about right that the Wathnan Racing pair Hopewell Rock and Opportunity are jointly heading the ante-post market at the time of writing.
We could be here all day giving plenty some sort of a chance but cutting to the chase, I think one of those at a big price is the Alan King-trained INSANITY.
I reckon he’s as big as he is because winning this from his current BHA mark of 99 will not be easy and also because he’s been beaten from the same mark in two of his last three races.
However, the pluses about his chances are that Alan King’s string is in decent nick, he has a handy draw (which could enable the excellent Rossa Ryan to get him in the position he wants him in early doors), he is a C&D winner and although he trainer thinks he might be at his best on slower ground, he has shown he acts on good to firm.
His latest effort, over Pontefract’s stiff 1m2f came after a break and he should be spot on for this. I think 33/1 on betting apps looks a price worth taking and should give us a decent run for our money with four places up for grabs.
Royal Ascot day four tip 2: Insanity (Ascot, 15.40) – 1pt each-way @ 33/1 (Ladbrokes)
Coronation Stakes (Group 1) (16.20, Ascot)
If she’s able to perform close to her best then Precise is my idea of the winner here. Here defeat of stablemate True Love in the Irish 1,000 Guineas set the record straight after the latter had drawn first blood at Newmarket.
It really ought to be all about those two fillies and, although I am not averse to backing an odds-on shot, there could be more profit to be made by finding one to make the frame.
I like the look of BALANTINA to do that. I accept that her CV does not look as good as the aforementioned pair but she’s unexposed over a mile, having only had one attempt and a successful one at that when landing the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf at Del Mar (1m, firm) last October.
She’s not been seen since then and should have strengthened up in the interim. We may only be playing for what turns out to be one place but I think at 16/1 it’s worth a small stakes play and if one or both of the big two misfire for any reason, she could mop up.
Royal Ascot day four tip three: Balantina (Ascot, 16.20) – 1pt each-way @ 16/1 (William Hill)
Palace Of Holyroodhouse (Handicap) (18.10, Ascot)
Another maximum field looks set to line up for this big sprint, with Richard Spencer-trained Gold Digger being the one the bookies want to keep onside from the head of the market.
She’s a filly making her handicap debut and has looked a very good one, particularly her most recent success at Windsor, when I felt she had more in hand than the official margin suggested.
However, there are many chances, with Stateside raider Bacio another who looks capable of going close, as well as Andrew Balding-trained SIMPLIFY.
She finished behind one of today’s opponents, Dickensian, at York last time but it represented a decent improvement from the daughter of Profitable. She represents a yard among the winners and is drawn 18, which is no bad thing either.
It’s clearly a tricky contest to be dogmatic about but I think she looks capable of being bang there come the business end and at a price.
Royal Ascot day four tip four: Simplify (Ascot, 18.10) – 1pt each-way @ 18/1 (BetMGM)
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