FREE HORSE RACING TIPS: 2010 QUEEN ELIZABETH II STAKES AT ASCOT

We’ve got a very challening Group 1 fixture at Ascot this weekend and the market has been made even more interesting thanks to the withdrawal of Canford Cliffs (Tagula) this morning. The talented colt was not declared 100% fit for this one and his connections decided that he is simply not worth risking here. Rightly so, you’d figure, but plenty of antepost punters must be ruing their bad luck.
The heavy betting favourite is the 2000 Guineas winner Makfi (Dubawi), and he’s priced at odds-on across the board with a 4/5 price after the withdrawal of Cliffs- who bested Makfi over course and distance in the Group 1 St James Palace Stakes. Makfi comes in with a very solid reference, having defeated one of Europe’s top horses, Goldikova (Anabaa), his last time out at Deauville. This contender has never gone off as the favourite and it will be interesting to see how it pans out for the Delzangles-trained bay.
Rip Van Winkle (Galileo) has been an ever-present on the Group 1 circuit this year and the beaten Breeders Cup Classic favourite chalked up a Group 1 victory when conquering Twice Over (Observatory) in the Juddmonte International at York. He’s well-settled, great at the distance and has Murtagh aboard for the trip once again. Rip is definitely the biggest threat based on his versatility and ability to dictate a race. With so much class in this one, it could come down to who deploys the tactical speed best and if Rip is in form then it’s tough to best against AP O’Brien’s charge. You can back him at 5/2.
Godolphin’s Poet’s Voice (Dubawi) is still searching for that elusive Group 1 score and comes in off a victory in the Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood, but that was against a tiny field of 4 runners. He will need to progress heavily and get a great trip if he expects to beat out older colts. He’s the third favourite at a 7/1 listing.
The other contenders here include a few more underwhelming sorts like Hearts of Fire (Firebreak) and he really needs to step it up if he’s going to pull off a score here- you can back him at 14/1. Beethoven (Oratorio) looks a decent bet for the place-only but there is simply so much more class here. You can grab a win-only bet on Beethoven at around 25/1. Red Jazz (Johannesburg) trades at 40/1 with Bushman (Maria’s Mon) at 66/1 and Air Chief Marshal (Danehill Dancer) at a massive 150/1 with Ladbrokes.
PREDICTION:

Rip Van Winkle
Makfi
Hearts of Fire