Royal Ascot day three: Toast the Duke of Marmalade!

The Duke of York

The story starts, I suppose, assuming that it does indeed have a start, although it must if I am to begin the story by proudly announcing that it began at some point specific, with the fact, which cannot be true, that I feel like the only man in Ascot recording consecutive profits – which isn’t a point in time at all, so I have been misleading, if only I could decipher where.

Consecutive profits leads to cockiness, a swing and swagger more suited to this place than any other. That part, point, fact and consequence was concomitant with Duke of Marmalade’s ability to run as efficiently as I imagine a knife would run through butter warmed, in spite of the chill breeze. Can I start spreading the puns now? I already have, so tough.

O’Brien’s dominance in not only Group races, not only Group 1s, but the most respected and sought after Group 1s, shows producing champions is food and drink to the little Irishman. His bread and butter is maturing potential champions into the highest valued Stallions. Coolmore must surely conserve this little champion, while for now he remains the preserve of the punters.

The credit crunch hasn't been holding many punters back here, but when Bankable duly crashed in the Royal Hunt Cup so did much of the common punter’s hard earned. Not our dough though, I hear you cry, for we opposed the hotpot! A valiant second will suffice for today, as the column sliced another thick cut of profit for it’s magnificent readership.

Spending so much time in this company cannot benefit my health, I cannot even be sure I remain totally compos mentis. See? The top hat which once felt awkward and clumsy is now bespoke, sewn to my crown, as if somehow invigorating parts of my otherwise lifeless brain into actions, thoughts, words, accents, references and pomposity hitherto quiescent.

In this clammy suit of megalomania I began to refer to myself as ‘the Duke’, in honour of my new hero. The Duke of tipping? – not yet. The Duke of Royal Ascot? – certainly not. The Duke of York? – undeniably! We shall not cease our mental fight, nor shall my ‘dukes’ be retired, this self dubbed tipster has many more punches to throw!

I must be careful though, as I said in my very first diary entry, Royal Ascot is an entity in itself. I introduced myself as ‘the Duke of York’ way away from the track, only to hear as I left the bar a muffled cockey accent whisper, “did that twat just call himself a fork?”

Thursday's good things

More winners for the Duke of York, whose figures now stand at an impressive £47.75 profit.

Norfolk Stakes

• 2pts win Baycat - currently trading at 18s on Betfair
• 1pt place Baycat - currently trading at 5.2 on Betfair

Having backed Baycat on debut at 33/1 I am in no rush to stop supporting this tough speedy colt. Portman is handy with his 2yr olds (backing all his 2yr old runners to £1 this season returning a £47.75 profit) and 14/1 with Ladbrokes seems a touch generous. He has done nothing wrong, winning his maiden handily, before taking a useful conditions event over this course and distance under a penalty. All the fuss revolves around South Central, a 13 length winner of his only race. He clearly has talent, but who knows what he was beating that day. He fits the profile of recent short priced winners of this event, but I cannot escape the inclination that his margin of victory on debut flatters him, rather than marks him out as a superstar. We’ll see.

Baycat is a much more backable type as he’s been given plenty of time to improve since his last win. The main worry for the selection might prove to be the firmer summer ground, again, we’ll see, but 14/1 is a cracking price to be on when we find out.

Gold Cup

• 3pts win Yeats – 7/5 with Paddy Power

So far this meeting there have been only two winning favourites, Henrythenavigator and the aforementioned Duke. You don’t need a first to spot the common denominator here. When O’Brien has a ‘banker’, a cliché more prevalent in this meeting more than any other, in the biggest race of the day, it wins. Such presumed prescience suggests that the best price 7/5 offered again by Paddy Power (will the fools ever learn?) requires punting off the boards!

So Yeats is now 7, and you don’t see many 7 year olds win this, but you don't see many of the calibre of Yeats. So he now has a genuine rival in Coastal Path, but this French raider has so much to prove, the ground and the distance are not only doubts, but he must improve for these new variables. Yeats will be back on familiar turf, a below par run first time this year can be forgiven as all of O’Brien’s horses were running below form then, but they sure are flying now.

Throughout the week The Yorker will be publishing George's profit and loss for the week, at the recommended £10 per point. Only bet what you can afford to lose.

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