Royal Ascot NAPs from the Racing Post tipsters

Racing Post tipsters Graeme Rodway, Keith Melrose and Phill Anderson have provided their NAPs for Royal Ascot.

Check out our dedicated Horse Racing tips page for more of the best bets.

Royal Ascot NAPs

Tipster	Race	Selection
Graeme Rodway	St James's Palace Stakes Tuesday 17th June - 4:20	Henri Matisse - 7/2
Keith Melrose	Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes Saturday 21st June - 3:40	Flora Of Bermuda - 10/1
Phill Anderson	King Charles III Stakes Tuesday 17th June - 3:40	Believing - 9/2

Graeme Rodway's Royal Ascot NAP - Henri Matisse (St James's Palace Stakes)

Field Of Gold is going to be a warm order for the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and is evidently the one to beat after his impressive victory in the Irish 2,000 Guineas. However, that form doesn’t look miles better than Henri Matisse’s French 2,000 Guineas victory at Longchamp last month.

Henri Matisse has a remarkably good turn of foot and showed that when reeling in Jonquil at Longchamp. He came from a long way off the pace that day and cut down the winner in the style of a top-class miler.

That race was won in a stunning time and the form is working out well. The third-placed Camille Pisarro landed the French Derby at Chantilly and sixth home Detain was third in that same Classic. Henri Matisse pulled a length and a quarter clear of Camille Pisarro and was well on top of a top-class field at the finish.

This will be his toughest test yet, but he looks to have more natural pace than Field Of Gold, and Ruling Court was set to run in the Derby at Epsom over a mile and a half until the rain hit. A mile around a bend at Ascot will put the emphasis on speed and that is where Henri Matisse can make his advantage count.

Keith Melrose's Royal Ascot NAP - Flora Of Bermuda (Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes)

Now that we know Flora Of Bermuda has not been declared for the King Charles III on Tuesday, the path is clear for her to put up a bold show in Saturday's Group 1 sprint, the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.

This filly just took off last summer, starting with a Group 3 win at York against her own sex. She followed that with a fourth in the Maurice de Gheest, a luckless fifth in the Sprint Cup and, finally in 2024, a half-length third in the Champions Sprint over this course and distance.

There may have been concerns that she just had a purple patch and that 2025 would be a reversion to the mean. Flora Of Bermuda exploded that in the Duke Of York Stakes on her reappearance, shaping best and going down narrowly to Inisherin. She will meet that rival on similar terms here, but is three times the price.

It is likely that Flora Of Bermuda has a bit more to come - that is part of the reason Wathnan Racing have forked out to buy her since York. She represents a smashing each-way bet in a race over her optimum trip.

Phill Anderson's Royal Ascot NAP - Believing (King Charles III Stakes)

George Boughey’s mare, Believing, was highly progressive last season after finishing fourth in this contest and there are a few reasons to think that she’s capable of going a few places better this time around.

The daughter of Mehmas was drawn on the wrong side last season and has drawn stall one again but she will have Night Raider (an exuberant front-runner) to tow her into the race this time. She also has the services of Ryan Moore who rides the straight track at Ascot as well as anyone and was on board for her breakthrough Group 2 success last season.

After several narrow defeats in Group 1s later in the season (often had bad luck in running and/or with the draw), she deservedly got her head in front at the top level in the Al Quoz sprint at Meydan on her return, a career-best effort.

She has to turn last year’s Royal Ascot form around with the mare, Asfoora, but that rival finished behind Believing in the Nunthorpe and the Australian raider hasn’t had the benefit of a UK prep run this time.

It’s also worth noting that the yard has really hit form in recent weeks and Believing is in foal, often a source of improvement for mares in the early stages of their pregnancy.

Read more Ascot horse racing news on site.

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.