Royal Ascot Live Blog – Day 4

9.21: Welcome to a windswept day 4 at Royal Ascot. The official going description is soft after a total of 4mm of rain fell on the course. We are still waiting for the Going Stick readings, but the times yesterday were markedly slower than on the opening two days, with the round course more testing than the straight track.

10.09: If you are looking for a bet at Royal Ascot you could do worse than follow our tipster who is in great form with 4 winners from 8 tips. His selections have generated 10 points profit from 11.5 points staked; that is an ROI of 87%.

Read his two selections for today’s racing here.

10.30: Latest Going Stick readings have just come through:

Stands side - 8.1
Centre - 8.1
Far side - 8.1
Round - 6.9

Historical readings suggest the straight track is riding just on the soft side of good, with the round course good to soft. This means the going might not be quite as bad as the official description of ‘soft’.

11.10: The most popular horse today amongst the newspaper tipsters is Newfangled (9/4 Sportingbet), the selection of 7 pundits. Gatewood (7/2 Bet365) and Mijhaar (4/1 Paddy Power) are both fancied in the 4.25.

12.15: These are the market movers at Royal Ascot today:

2.30 The Gold Cheongsam +2.25%
3.05 Astrology +3.79%
3.45 Cardigan +0.02%
4.25 Gatewood +3.85%
5.00 Estimate +5.08%
5.35 Global Village +1.16%

13.30: With over an hour to go until the start of racing Homecoming Queen (11/4 Bet365) is one of the biggest movers of the day in the 3.45 feature race, the Coronation Stakes. A wide margin winner of the 1,000 Guineas on soft ground, punters think conditions will suit her again.

14.08: Not long until the opening race and the betting is all about Newfangled (15/8 Bet365) who has been backed in from 3/1 this morning.

14.39: Newfangled absolutely bolts up in the first, nothing got near her.

14.41: Astrology (5/6 Bet365) looks difficult to beat in the 3.05 King Edward VII Stakes. If you want to oppose him take advantage of Bodog’s special offer - money back if your horse finishes second to the SP favourite. (£25 max.)

15.14: Thomas Chippendale wins the King Edward with Astrology disappointing in fourth.

Fascinating Coronation Stakes up next. Homecoming Queen (5/2 Bet365) has been backed to recapture her English Guineas form but our tipster likes Laugh Out Loud.

15.51: Guineas form made to look ordinary as Fallen For You wins with the English & Irish classic winners finishing unplaced.

16.09: The next puzzle looks difficult to solve. Gatewood is the 11/4 (Bet365) favourite but six of the top seven in the market are shorter than thier odds this morning.

16.36: William Buick is having a rather good day - Gatewood is his third winner on the card.

17.15: The Queen has a Royal Ascot winner in Diamond Jubilee year. Estimate wins and the Queen receives the trophy from the Duke of Edinburgh.