Royal Ascot 2020: Hugh Taylor's selections for Wednesday

The second day of Royal Ascot on Wednesday sees Hugh Taylor with two advised bets, selections in the Silver Royal Hunt Cup and the Copper Horse Handicap.

AMBASSADORIAL produced his best-ever turf effort at Newmarket on his reappearance despite not seeming to be totally suited by the track, and given that race was run in a good time and that he’s only been put up a pound, he looks a bit overpriced in the Silver Royal Hunt Cup on day two at Royal Ascot (1.15).

He’s best known as an all-weather horse, and indeed is Listed class on that type of surface, which is interesting considering how well many horses with good all-weather form tend to go on the straight track at Ascot.

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Always prominent on his reappearance at Newmarket, he came through to dispute the lead 2f out, but didn’t handle the dip, becoming unbalanced, before finding his stride again on meeting the rising ground.

He was no match for Montatham, who is a leading fancy in the Hunt Cup itself later on the card off an 8lb higher mark, but he comfortably held off the remainder in a race where the first five pulled clear. A literal interpretation of Ambassadorial’s time would have seen him finish sixth in the 2000 Guineas run 35 minutes earlier over the same course and distance, and it’s clear that off his current mark he’s well up to winning races on turf.

It’s perhaps a concern that he has a history of going well fresh and not necessarily building on that first run back, but if he’s in the same form as at Newmarket he’ll run a big race and he’s a big enough price for the risk to be worth taking.

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RANCH HAND has unfinished business in good staying handicaps and he might be the one to be on in the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot (4.40).

Having always shaped as if a test of stamina would suit, he took a big step forward when winning a competitive 1m6f event on his handicap debut at Haydock, and that form worked out well.

He wasn’t the first 3yo to disappoint in the Cesarewitch on his only subsequent start, a bit keen and seeing plenty of daylight in the early stages, that race probably a tough assignment in hindsight for a horse who made his racecourse debut only six months earlier.

There’s every chance there is more to come from him after just six career starts, his stable has been in really good form since the resumption of racing and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him run a big race here on his 4yo debut.

HUGH'S BEST BETS (SCALE 1-5 POINTS)

1.15 ROYAL ASCOT, WEDNESDAY - SILVER ROYAL HUNT CUP
1pt win AMBASSADORIAL (20-1 bet365, Sky Bet, 18-1 Betfair Sportsbook, Betfred, Paddy Power, William Hill)

4.40 ROYAL ASCOT, WEDNESDAY - COPPER HORSE HANDICAP
1pt win RANCH HAND (7-1 bet365, 6-1 Coral, Ladbrokes, Sky Bet, 11-2 general)