Royal Ascot 2012 - Day two

2012 Royal Ascot Day Two - June 20th

The second day of the Royal Ascot meeting begins with a Group 3 race for three-year olds. The Jersey Stakes, a race in which Sir Michael Stoute has a fine record in, is run over the straight 7 furlongs. 

We are up in both distance and class in the second race of the day, as the older fillies and mares meet in the Group 2 Windsor Forest Stakes. Unlike many of the races at Royal Ascot, this particular heat is not steeped in history, having been first run in 2004.

The highlight of day though, is the Group 1 Prince of Wales Stakes. Run over 1 1/4 miles and attracting the top echelon of older middle distance performers, it is one of the most coveted and lucrative contests of the week. French raiders Manduro, Vision d'Etat and Byword have won the race three of the past four years. Victory was capture by the home challenge last year for the first time since 2006, courtesy of Rewilding.

Run at one mile, and attracting a maximum field of 30 top handicappers, The Royal Hunt Cup is one of the trickiest puzzles to solve at the Royal Ascot meeting, but also one of the most popular races. The race may lack the class of many of the week's other races, but the prize is particularly sought after, as it is only one of three contests in which the trophy is presented by the Queen herself.

The next race sees the turn of the juvenile fillies, as some of the most precocious two-year old sprinters take their chance in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes. The race had been of Group 3 status, but was upgraded in 2004 and has enjoyed a burgeoning reputation since then. It's thrown up some useful winners, with Attraction being the most high profile.

Another relatively new race, the Listed Sandringham handicap, rounds off the card on day two. It is another race over the mile, but this time, restricted to three-year old fillies.

Royal Ascot Handicapping

Brisnet.com is bringing the Ultimate to this year's Royal Ascot meeting with the Ultimate Royal Ascot Handicapping Package!

Get everything you need to handicap all five days of the meeting - June 19th to June 23rd - for $20, that's just $4/day!

• A meet preview courtesy At The Races
•  International Past Performances
• Mark Johnson's Spotlight Selections
• Brisnet.com Daily Selections 
• Timeform Ratings and analysis

Royal Ascot 2012 Horse Racing Event Schedule:

Day 1     Day 2     Day 3     Day 4     Day 5