2022 Royal Ascot Tips - Four huge value bets in the Group Ones

Betting is now open for the major races and it's no surprise to see Baaeed and Coroebus dominating the markets for the Queen Anne and St James's Palace Stakes respectively. Barring those two races and the Coronation Stakes, where ultra-impressive Irish 1000 Guineas winner Homeless Songs leads the way, the other Group One races at Royal Ascot 2022 are looking decidedly open.

Today, I've cast my eye through the Group One entries for Royal Ascot and highlighted four outsiders worth considering at huge prices.

Henry Candy's only Royal Ascot success came in 2016, when Twilight Son won the Diamond Jubilee Stakes. It would be fitting, therefore, if TWILIGHT CALLS - by that aforementioned Royal winner - were to challenge in the King's Stand Stakes.

Following an easy handicap win on his reappearance, Twilight Calls ran a cracker from a horrible wide draw to finish a very close fifth behind Khadeem in the Palace House Stakes. Adam Kirby's mount then tracked King's Lynn into the Temple Stakes, but was forced to maneuver between runners at a crucial stage and lost out to The Queen's runner by a head.

Twilight Calls will go into the King's Stand on the back of a career-best effort and Candy's budding star looks to have plenty more improvement left in his locker.

With the field likely to cut up a fair bit, now might be the best time to back TASHKHAN in the Ascot Gold Cup, as he's certainly been overlooked by the bookmakers.

Brian Ellison's charge has been seen twice this season, losing out by three lengths in both the Sagaro Stakes and the Yorkshire Cup. On his reappearance at Ascot, Tashkhan was ridden prominently behind a rapid pace and couldn't maintain the gallop. At York, Tashkhan was very slowly away, but plugged on well down the rail to place third behind Stradivarius.

Last season, Tashkhan stayed on powerfully to finish a close second to Trueshan in the Long Distance Cup here at Ascot and this excessive test of stamina should be right up his street. 33/1 is far too big a price.

Clive Cox is no stranger to success in the Commonwealth Cup, having saddled the winner in 2020 and the runner-up three years previous. I doubt whether WINGS OF WAR is in the class of a Golden Horde or a Harry Angel just yet, but he's certainly going in the right direction.

Cox's colt progressed nicely last year, rounding off a consistent juvenile campaign with a hard-fought triumph in the Mill Reef Stakes. After looking a little flat on his reappearance in the Commonwealth Cup Trial here at Ascot, Wings Of War bounced back to form with a cracking effort in the Sandy Lane Stakes, staying on for third after hitting traffic problems on a couple of occasions.

Wings Of War improved with each of his runs at two and there was a clear improvement between his first couple of outings this season. If Cox's improver has taken another step forward, then I see no reason why he can't get involved.

Like the King's Stand Stakes, there's a strong international presence at the head of the betting for the Platinum Jubilee Stakes. One home challenger who's certainly been overlooked is Richard Hannon's filly, HAPPY ROMANCE.

Sean Levey's mount beat Diligent Harry in the Hackwood Stakes last season, and was then only beaten a length when fourth in the Sprint Cup at Haydock. This year, Happy Romance has run twice out in the UAE, losing out by just half-a-length in the seven-furlong Turf Sprint in Saudi, before another excellent run to finish second behind A Case Of You in the lucrative Al Quoz Sprint.

Being a two-time Group Three winner, and now dual Group One placed, Hannon and the owners, The McMurray Family could have retired Happy Romance to stud. The fact that she remains in training for 2022 suggests the team feels a Group One win could be within Happy Romance's reach. Who's to say that won't come on day five of Royal Ascot?