Royal Ascot Follow The Money: Return to flat set to suit Big Easy

Will the FTM team get a winner at Royal Ascot today?

The markets have been extremely busy on day one of Royal Ascot, and the Follow The Money team have picked these three out as somoe of the biggest movers...

We start off in the Kings Stand Stakes at 15.05, a race that has seen a negative move in the shape of Mick de Kock's Shea Shea who is now trading at 4.03/1 from an initial 3.39/4. The six-year-old is in great form having won his last two races over five furlongs at Meydan, that said he was beaten by Medicean Man last year. He looks to have a decent draw in stall five but I suppose it also depends on where the pace in the race comes from and whether he can get enough cover. It's clear why punters and bookmakers alike were keen to take him on around the 3.55/2 mark in such a big field sprint.

In the St James Palace Stakes at 15:45 the lightly raced Mars has been backed in to 14.5n/a from 19.018/1. This Aidan O'Brien inmate was Derby favourite last year before he had even made the racecourse, this goes to show how highly thought of he is by connections. When making his debut at Dundalk he was a runaway winner, coasting home on the bridle to win at odds on. He went straight to the Guineas, where it appeared everything was happening too quickly for him, and he would eventually need a step up in trip to be seen at his best. That step up in trip came in only his third and last run in the Derby where he was an eye-catching sixth. He never got a run that day, getting in all sorts of trouble, eventually seeing daylight all too late. At the prices today it's clear that his followers think he has improvement still in him even if he is stepping back down in trip.

The big meetings all come alike to Big Easy who has been supported in to 12.5n/a from 19.018/1 in the 17.00. Philip Hobbs' six-year-old has not been seen on the flat for 779 days, his last run being at Saint Cloud. He had some decent form on the flat in France before joining the Hobbs yard and has been running well over hurdles. He has numerous pieces of good form with his best probably being two runs back when sixth in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham, before running again at that course when winning a big race handicap. It's clear big fields suit him, he is sure to appreciate the two and a half mile trip, and with the useful Willy Twiston Davies claiming five pounds, a big run looks assured.

Recommended Bets

Lay Shea Shea @ 4.03/1 Ascot 15:05
Back Mars @ 14.5n/a Ascot 15:45
Back Big Easy @ 12.5n/a Ascot 17:00