16:25 Royal Ascot – Ashva looks each-way value in the Britannia

Ashva may not be particularly well fancied to win the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot, but there are reasons to believe that she at least has the credentials to take home some each-way money.

Perhaps the most telling statistic in relation to the Britannia Stakes is that only two of the last ten winners have carried more than 9st, which potentially rules out nine of the 30 runners this year.

Sagramor is the 8/1 favourite in the Royal Ascot odds to win the Britannia Stakes and he showed some class to win at Haydock over 1m on his latest start.

This victory was more impressive given that he was forced to race wide from a high draw, while the way he battled on in the final furlong suggests that he should take a liking to climbing the Royal Ascot hill.

However, only one favourite has triumphed in the Britannia Stakes and his price is certainly short enough for such an open race that he is worth opposing.

Ektibaas owns a victory over Sagramor from earlier in the season at Warwick and re-opposes again on virtually identical terms.

With his pedigree indicating that he should take well to Royal Ascot, he should certainly enter each-way calculations at 14/1.

The one negative against Ektibaas is that he has a poor draw in the middle of the track and eight of the last 11 winners of the Britannia Stakes have either been drawn very high or very low.

This brings in Ashva, who will have the benefit of the running rail if wanted as he has snuck in at the foot of the weights and been positioned in stall one.

Ridden more patiently last time at York, Ashva ran with some credit behind Carlton House in the Dante Stakes over 1m2f.

Now dropped in trip and back in handicap company, Ashva could swoop with a late challenge if she can settle just off the pace and 33/1 looks decent value that she can at least run into the places.