Royal Ascot 2025: Selections for Wednesday

The highlight of day two of Royal Ascot, Wednesday’s Prince of Wales’s (G1), serves as a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1). The Duke of Cambridge (G2) has Filly & Mare Turf (G1) implications, with early favorite Cinderella’s Dream eyeing another trip to Del Mar.

If you’re playing the Royal Ascot Challenge Series on TwinSpires.com, the 25-filly Queen Mary (G2), and an open-looking Queen’s Vase (G2) for aspiring stayers, present no shortage of value options. 

Race 1, 9:30 a.m. ET: Queen Mary (G2)

Top four:

#25 Zelaina
#21 Spicy Marg
#11 Lennilu
#23 True Love

It’s surely a failure of imagination to back the favorite in a race bursting at the seams with sharp juvenile fillies, but #25 Zelaina (9-5) stamped herself as potentially special. Wathnan Racing bought her for $861K at the Goffs UK breeze-up sale at Doncaster that’s known for showcasing Royal Ascot hopefuls. Zelaina reinforced the “Donny” angle when she debuted in the same Nottingham race that launched trainer Karl Burke’s 2024 Queen Mary heroine, Leovanni, and his 2023 third-placer Beautiful Diamond. Zelaina flew out of the gate like a Quarter Horse and never looked back. 

Burke revealed that she’d missed a fair bit of training time ahead of that race, so the Mehmas filly stands to improve. The one possible caveat is that she can get excitable. If she keeps her cool in the preliminaries, she can justify her short price. 

Unbeaten U.S. shipper #11 Lennilu (5-1) has the high speed and tractability to go well here, and Aidan O’Brien’s stakes-placed maiden #23 True Love (6-1) warrants an upgrade after the colt who just beat her, Gstaad, bolted up in Tuesday’s Coventry (G2). True Love was previously runner-up in her First Flier S. debut to Lady Iman, who would have been the Queen Mary favorite. On the other hand, True Love’s sister, Truly Enchanting, was 13th in last year’s Queen Mary, and she might likewise prefer six furlongs. 

But you can make a case for several British-based contenders at double-digit odds. 

#21 Spicy Marg (12-1) created a fine impression in her lone start at Newmarket for Michael Bell, who also trained her dam, the precocious sprinter Main Desire. Spicy Marg hoped to emulate Main Desire by capturing the Marygate S. at York, but she missed that prep with a dirty scope. My suspicion is that she would have gone close there, and her absence from York has ensured a better price in the Queen Mary. 

Note that Spicy Marg’s win gives her collateral form with #9 Harry’s Girl (15-1), who went on to place second in the Marygate to maiden-breaking upsetter #16 Secret Hideaway (20-1). Those two arguably capitalized on being covered up early while front-running #12 Love Olivia (20-1) had to endure the headwind, and that may have contributed to her tiring to third at York. 

Love Olivia, a stablemate of Zelaina’s, gives Burke a shot at the exacta. In her unveiling on the Wolverhampton all-weather, Love Olivia went wire-to-wire by 7 1/2 lengths. The daughter of Havana Grey comes from the further family of the 2017 Queen Mary winner, Heartache.

Another Havana Grey filly, #22 Staya (10-1), caught the eye with a smooth premiere at Yarmouth. The $519K Tattersalls Craven Breeze-up purchase drafted just behind the speed before cruising through the gap, and trainer George Scott has praised her placid temperament. 

Green debut winner #15 Revival Power (15-1) is a full sister to Group 1 dazzler Winter Power for the same King Power connections. Revival Power looked clueless early at Thirsk before lurching violently forward, as though trying to coordinate her legs at speed for the first time. She won tidily enough in the end, but she can’t afford similar greenness here. Trainer Tim Easterby was adamant that she’d improve a ton. 

Stakes-placed maiden #5 Eskimo Pie (30-1) has shown something in both starts for Jane Chapple-Hyam. The Kodi Bear filly hails from the family of Royal Ascot-winning juvenile Chipotle and champion Attraction, the 2003 Queen Mary winner. 

Race 2, 10:05 a.m. ET: Queen’s Vase (G2)

Top three:

#4 Devil’s Advocate
#2 Asmarani 
#10 Shackleton

An eclectic group of three-year-olds will try about 1 3/4 miles for the first time, and the new distance could unlock improvement from several of them. Although my preference is for contenders who already have Group form in the book, past winners of this race have come from a variety of backgrounds.

#4 Devil’s Advocate (5-1) is appealing on both pedigree and form. Trained by John and Thady Gosden for Godolphin, the Too Darn Hot colt is out of the redoubtable stayer Precious Ramotswe. Devil’s Advocate has taken more after his dam than his sire. He needed 1 1/4 miles to break his maiden at Chelmsford, where he tracked early and powered home in a romp. 

After a sixth in the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom, his connections interestingly persevered on the classic trail and pitched him into the Dante (G2). Responding to first-time cheekpieces, Devil’s Advocate led early, got swamped in the stretch, but boxed on dourly for fourth. He’s exactly the type for the staying ranks.

French shipper #2 Asmarani (10-1) will be racing on the quickest ground he’s seen so far, but connections believe that it’s no deterrent. From the red-hot yard of Francis-Henri Graffard, the Aga Khan Studs homebred likely has the stamina along with a useful turn of foot. Asmarani stayed on strongly for second in the Prix Hocquart (G3) to Rafale Design, who just came back to land Sunday’s Prix du Lys (G3). The son and grandson of Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) champions, as a Sottsass colt out of a Sea the Stars mare, Asmarani hails from the family of Azamour and The Autumn Sun. 

O’Brien is double-handed in pursuit of his ninth Queen’s Vase, and #10 Shackleton (5-2) is preferred to recent maiden winner #9 Scandinavia (4-1). Shackleton bumped into a couple of above-average rivals in his first two races as a juvenile, finishing runner-up to Hill Road at Leopardstown and to future Group 1 winner Tennessee Stud at Tipperary. Graduating himself at the Curragh, Shackleton plugged on for third in the 1 1/4-mile Zetland (G3) at Newmarket last October. The Camelot colt again shaped like a stayer when fourth in his reappearance in the Gallinule (G3), and he’ll improve substantially. 

#8 Rahiebb (12-1) has endured a bout of seconditis in handicaps, but the well-bred son of Frankel has been shouldering big weights in good company. Well regarded by trainer Roger Varian, he comes from the family of notable stayers Ispolini and Dubai Future, and he has a bright future in this division. If it weren’t for my arbitrary sticking point about Group form, he’d merit inclusion in the top three.

#3 Carmers (5-1) brings a 2-for-2 record for high-percentage Paddy Twomey, although I’m hesitant about the literal value of his form. Otherwise he looks the part. #7 Pinhole (15-1) and #5 Furthur (20-1) were a distant fourth and fifth in the Chester Vase (G3), a result strengthened by the fact that the top two, Lambourn and Lazy Griff, also served up the Epsom Derby (G1) exacta.

Race 3, 10:40 a.m. ET: Duke of Cambridge (G2)

Top three:

#1 Cinderella’s Dream
#5 One Look
#7 Soprano

If you’re aiming to beat favored #1 Cinderella’s Dream (2-1), the Godolphin filly is carrying an extra three pounds while shortening up to a mile for the first time in more than a year. Even so, those factors aren’t quite enough to put me off her. Cinderella’s Dream has spectacular acceleration on this type of ground, as she illustrated once again in the 1 1/8-mile Dahlia (G2) at Newmarket. Charlie Appleby’s runners were out of luck on day one of the meeting, but she has the credentials to right the ship. All roads lead to back to the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar, where Cinderella’s Dream was an unlucky second in last year’s Filly & Mare Turf.

The likeliest upset candidate is #5 One Look (5-1), who will also relish the quick ground. Another crossing the Irish Sea for Twomey, the Gleneagles filly arrives in peak form as the runner-up in the Lanwades Stud (G2). The winner of that race, multiple Group 1 heroine Porta Fortuna, was slated to take on males in Tuesday’s Queen Anne (G1) before encountering a setback. One Look has been highly rated ever since her blistering career debut in the Goffs Million, and this could be her year.  

#7 Soprano (10-1), written up in advance as my longshot of the day, has “each-way” potential. She also has key form, through her third-place effort to Porta Fortuna and #4 Fallen Angel (5-2) in last fall’s Matron (G1). Soprano’s proficiency at Ascot, and her taste for these conditions, arguably enable her to reverse form with Fallen Angel, whose Group 1 coups have come on good-to-yielding at the Curragh. 

The ground is the only theoretical quibble for Fallen Angel and #3 Elmalka (8-1), who in every other respect make perfect sense. Defending champion #6 Running Lion (7-1) might not find it so easy to clear the field as she did a year ago, given the tactical speed of Soprano and Fallen Angel (who adds cheekpieces).

Race 4, 11:20 a.m. ET: Prince of Wales’s (G1), WAYI for Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1)

Top three:

#9 See the Fire
#6 Map of Stars
#5 Los Angeles

This 1 1/4-mile test promises to be one of the greatest clashes of the entire week, pitting up-and-comers against established stars. O’Brien’s early favorite #5 Los Angeles (2-1) will have the services of a pacemaker, and given his aptitude for 1 1/2 miles, a genuine (maybe even fierce) end-to-end gallop is in the forecast. The Ballydoyle plot will cater to his stamina while leaving no hiding places for the rest, and Los Angeles’ admirable determination could see them off.

Still, there could be one or two able to cope with a strongly-run affair, and find a bit more finishing speed at a trip that is a touch short of his ideal.

#9 See the Fire (6-1) was supplemented for this race after her 12-length annihilation of the Middleton (G2) at York. The daughter of Sea the Stars and Arabian Queen, who famously floored Golden Horn in the 2015 Juddmonte International (G1), was a progressive sophomore throughout last season. 

In her 2024 finale in the Champion (G1) on soft going here, she was a solid fifth in a messy race won by #1 Anmaat (3-1). French ace Calandagan was a troubled runner-up, and See the Fire edged another well-backed male, Economics, who would have been a main player on Wednesday. Trained by the in-form Andrew Balding, See the Fire has clearly improved since last fall, and that might be enough to produce a Group 1 breakthrough.

#6 Map of Stars (9-2) arrives on a similarly upward trajectory for Graffard. In another commonality with See the Fire, he too is by Sea the Stars and out of a Group 1-winning Dubawi mare in Bateel. Map of Stars extended his winning streak to three in the Prix d’Harcourt (G2), and nearly made it four when coming up a neck shy of early Arc favorite Sosie in the Prix Ganay (G1). Map of Stars had to wait for room at a decisive juncture that day, or else he could have sprung the upset. If it weren’t for my longtime boosting of See the Fire, Map of Stars might well have been the top pick. 

Los Angeles is a world-class performer as last year’s Irish Derby (G1) hero and third-placer in the Arc. The son of Camelot has been campaigned in the vicinity of this trip so far this campaign, turning the Mooresbridge (G2)/Tattersalls Gold Cup (G1) double at the Curragh. But Los Angeles needed to call upon his battling qualities to prevail each time, reinforcing the idea that he’s best suited to 1 1/2 miles. His program for the second half of the year will presumably reflect that preference. 

Anmaat almost got the better of Los Angeles in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, traveling like a dream before his lack of race-fitness told. If their Prince of Wales’s rematch came on easier ground, Anmaat would get the nod. But trainer Owen Burrows has cautioned that they won’t risk him on firm, and it won’t be a shock if he’s scratched.

#7 Ombudsman (5-1) is another of the up-and-comers with a chance, and he captured last fall’s Prix du Prince d’Orange (G3) when Map of Stars experienced a rare blip. The Gosden pupil might have preferred a less robust pace scenario for his Group 1 debut, but he’ll appreciate the ground. Once in a while #8 Royal Champion (60-1) resembles his lofty name, and he does sport a course-and-distance win in the 2023 Wolferton S. But the Burke trainee would excel himself if he snares a placing. 

Good luck on another superb day of racing at Royal Ascot!