Royal Ascot 2019 betting guide: Tips, runners, riders, favourites and best bets for King's Stand Stakes on day one

A betting guide to the first day of Royal Ascot

Almost £1,000,000 is on offer in prize money on the first day of Royal Ascot 2019 and as much will change hands in the betting rings trackside and around the world.

The feature races, the Queen Anne Stakes and St James's Palace Stakes, make up a large part of that purse and both races will be closely fought,

There's no stand-out favourites throughout the five races, suggesting it could be a good opening day for the bookmakers.

2:30 Queen Anne Stakes

The Royal Ascot curtain raiser is a very tightly contest race between four evenly matched front-runners. Le Brivido, Mustashry Barney Roy and Laurens are the likely winners in the 16-strong field.

It will be a good day for bookmakers without a clear favourite to back (Getty)

Winning the Lockinge at Newbury in the run-up to this race is usually a good indicator as to who will win, and that points to a Mustashry victory, who beat Laurens (second) and Le Brivido (fifth) one months ago.

Barney Roy won this race in 2017 in fine style but struggled to build on that the following season. The Charlie Appleby-trained horse has however shown recently signs of improvement at Ascot and Longchamp, France, in his preparation so should be given serious consideration.

3:05 Coventry Stakes

Threat had its sights immediately set on this race after winning on the Guinees weekend at Newmarket in May. Arizona and Guildsman can also very well build on their previous wins in a race that is likely to come down to a jockey performance.

3:40 King's Stand Stakes

Blue Point and Battash, first and second in this race last year, lead the betting 12 months on. Mabs Cross, who came third in 2018, always pushes front runners and there’s an unknown quantity in the field today.

Imprimis is making his British debut after impressive stateside. The speed and clock times that the five-year-old records is what makes this an interesting choice, winning his last race over five and a half furlongs in a time that would be competitive in this one over five

4:20 St James's Palace Stakes

Market leaders Too Darn Hot and Phoenix of Spain will take some stopping in one of the day’s stand-out races. Too Darn Hot ended 2018 as one of the best two-year-olds after getting the better of Phoenix of Spain, but was beaten by the Charles Hill-trained rival.

King of Comedy is another entry to keep a close eye on, however Frankie Dettori choosing to ride Too Darn Hot instead tells you all you need to know about where he thinks this race is going.

5:00 Ascot Stakes

The final race of the day is where the big National Hunt trainers weigh in at Ascot with Willie Mullins, Jonjo O’Neill, Nicky Henderson and Martin Pipe all enjoying success.

Mullins has won four of the last seven and is looking for a third straight win, so Buildmeupbuttercup is worth keeping an eye on, although you feel that it would have much higher odds if it was trained by anyone else.

A high-odds each-way bet may be the way to go in this one.

5:35 Wolferton Stakes

Star of Bengal may have slightly more favourable odds had it not been handed such a tricky draw (8) to negotiate its way through. Expect Addeybb and Elarqam will also do well.