Timeform Radio Tip: Chances of success anything but Remote

David has three bets on ladies' day

David Cleary pores over day three of Royal Ascot.

The two-and-a-half-mile Gold Cup (15:45) has been the centrepiece of Royal Ascot for 200 years but rarely can it have presented punters with such a puzzle as today's renewal. A massive field of 18 are set to go to post, with most of the established stayers in the line-up all capable of beating one another on the day. Of those, Rite of Passage has the best form, but you need to go back to his win in the 2010 running to find that and he prevailed by only a neck when landing the Long Distance Cup here over two miles last autumn. He's not been seen since and it would be a tremendous feat of training to have this fragile sort back here again at his absolute peak. In the circumstances, the unexposed horses in the race look the ones to concentrate on, chiefly Estimate and Biographer. 

Estimate has had just the six runs and showed improvement when a ready winner of the Sagaro Stakes here in May. That form leaves her with little further progress to make this afternoon, and as the extra half-mile is likely to be all in the favour of this half-sister to the previous Gold Cup winner Enzeli, she looks the one to beat.

Biographer is worth backing as well. He has done nothing but progress in his seven races to date, and a lot of his form is really strong. That includes his listed win here last October and his fourth in a hot handicap at Newmarket on his reappearance. Biographer has yet to race beyond a mile and three quarters but everything about his style of racing and pedigree suggest he will relish today's test of stamina.   

The Tercentenary Stakes at 17:00 looks a strong race of its type but Remote, the horse with the best form, is also the one most open to improvement and has a superb pedigree to boot. Remote would seem to have been a late developer at home, but the penny has dropped in some style in his three runs this spring, impressive in winning both a maiden at Newbury on his second start (at 25/1!) and a Class 2 handicap at Doncaster last time. Both those races are working out and Remote should be able to take this step up in class in his stride. He's raced so far only on good to firm ground, so significant rain would temper enthusiasm just a little.

The Britannia Handicap at 16:25 is full of unexposed three-year-olds, few of which have had the chance to shine under circumstances like today's. Wentworth may well win but everyone saw how unlucky he was last time and he's priced accordingly. For an interest each way or win and place try Won Diamond and Machete Mark, who ran behind the third Irish challenger Roca Tumu in a competitive handicap at the Curragh last month. Roca Tumu had the run of things in front that day, while the well-supported Machete Mark (his maiden win at Dundalk had worked out well) travelled on the bridle for longest before lack of an outing told. Won Diamond was doing his best work at the finish that day and today's conditions will suit him much better than the two-furlong sprint at Navan in which he was just touched off last time. With just four runs each to their name, Won Diamond and Machete Mark are no more exposed than a lot of the others in this huge field.    

Recommendations:
All at Royal Ascot

Back Estimate @ 8.07/1 and Biographer @ 21.020/1 in the 15:45 

Back Remote @  4.216/5 in the 17:00 

Back Won Diamond @ 42.041/1 and Machete Mark @ 110.0109/1 win and place in the 16:25

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