Royal Ascot Placepot tips: Paul Kealy's perm for the £250,000 guaranteed pool on day one

Royal Ascot provides one of the most competitive day one cards in living memory, and with no banker in sight it will be a sizeable perm to small stakes.

Docklands is fancied to outrun his odds in the opener (2.30), but I'd better add one of the more fancied ones with the consistent Charyn the pick even if he has a bit to prove if the ground is very fast.

The Coventry (3.05) is a nightmare to unravel but my three would be Camille Pissarro, who is an obvious candidate given his stable's record in this, Yah Mo Be There and Catalyse.

It will be three in the next (3.45) as well with impressive recent winners Kerdos and Believing joining outside fancy Diligent Harry in what looks another wide-open heat. 

It might be worth taking on Notable Speech in the St James's Palace (4.25) as he tends to be held up out the back, and with little pace on there could be plenty of trouble.

I'd have backed River Tiber in this if he'd been declared but Aidan O'Brien clearly thinks Henry Longfellow is the better miler, so that will do for me. I wouldn't be keen to rule many out of what is a deep contest, though, and Darlinghurst, who comfortably saw off subsequent Prix du Jockey Club runner-up First Look last time, could go well at a price and be largely ignored in the pools considering he's a French-trained outsider. 

The Willie Mullins-trained My Lyka is going to carry plenty of support in the fifth (5.05), but it was hardly a great hurdle race he got beat in last month (five-length third rated just 112), so I can leave him alone.

Pied Piper makes more appeal among the Irish contingent, but Tritonic is the main fancy given his Ascot record, while Kyle Of Lochalsh is improving and can go well if he gets the trip.

Israr could prove the class act in the closing leg (5.40), but I'll also be throwing in outsider Cemhaan, who has a much better chance than his odds suggest.

Royal Ascot day one Placepot perm

2.30
5 Charyn
6 Docklands

3.05
5 Camille Pissarro
6 Catalyse
22 Yah Mo Be There

3.45
1 Diligent Harry
4 Kerdos
9 Believing

4.25
3 Darlinghurst
4 Henry Longfellow

5.05
1 Pied Piper
7 Tritonic
8 Kyle Of Lochalsh

5.40
6 Cemhaan
9 Israr

2x3x3x2x3x2 = 216 lines

Tote World Pool

The Tote World Pool is back in operation on the opening day of Royal Ascot and that means there will be some huge pools. That is particularly true for the Tote Swinger, which is always popular with overseas backers and requires you to find two of the first three home.

The King Charles III Stakes (3.45) makes plenty of appeal for an opening day Tote Swinger as I fancy a couple of big-priced runners. 

Rogue Lightning was a rapid improver last season who was unlucky when fifth in a Group 1 at Longchamp in October and can improve further.

Put him in alongside Crimson Advocate, who won last year’s Queen Mary over course and distance and could have more to offer now she has joined John and Thady Gosden from the US.
Graeme Rodway

3.45 Royal Ascot 

6 Rogue Lightning
17 Crimson Advocate

1pt Tote Swinger

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