The winner may well come from that pair, but at odds-on for Rip and something similarly short and silly for Delegator, there’s no value in either.

Where the cunning punter could strike is further down the odds, where Sir Michael Stoute and champion jockey Ryan Moore team up onboard Zacinto – currently 16/1 at Coral.

While the Stewards Cup (won by Rip Van Winkle) and the Celebration Mile (won by Delegator with Zacinto second), both at Goodwood, have a good record of providing the winners of this race, it’s frequently won by a horse that’s raced within the last 35 days. Rip hasn’t run since the Stewards Cup on 29th July.

As a racehorse, it’s a bit like an Alfa Romeo: looks good, has plenty of speed, but with all the reliability of a “F**ked In A Tick” Fiat. It’s let punters down repeatedly before the Goodwood race, and I don’t trust it not to do so again now, especially given Aidan O’Brien’s relatively poor performance in the race over the years.

Delegator has beaten it twice, including in this year’s 2,000 Guineas, but is marginally more exposed and the gamble on Rip is that he’s open to further improvement. That may well be the case, but I’ll pass on this occasion.

If we’re talking about unexposed progressive types then Zacinto could fit the bill perfectly. By the time of the QE2 its last race will have been 32 days ago. And if it was your horse you couldn’t ask for a better trainer/jockey combination than Sir Michael Stoute and Ryan Moore to get the best out of it this time.

I’m discounting the rest of the field on the grounds that the horses are either four years old (three-year-olds have a great record in the race), fillies (who have a terrible record) or, in the case of Set Sail, a pacemaker.

Third – behind the Godolphin/Ballyboyle pair – is well within Zacinto’s grasp, on the other hand, and, on the day, he could do better. Which makes two points each-way at Corals’ 16/1 look a great bet – especially as new customers get a £10 free bet and there’s 10% cashback for all customers. Bet now.

Queen Elizabeth II Stakes betting tip
2 points each way Zacinto (16/1, Coral) to win the QE2 Stakes at Ascot

Compared to the 1/3 or shorter jollies racing this week, the 5/2 about Kingsgate Native looks huge. He’s the standout horse in the field and is well worth a few quid.

My only concern about Sir Michael Stoute’s runner is that he won this sprint in 2007, and you’d naturally – if superstitiously – suspect that lightning can’t strike twice.

But, unbelievably, the horse was only a two-year-old at the time. He was third behind Borderlescott in 2008, when the race was run at Newmarket (arguably making Kingsgate Native the real reigning champion) and, at four years old, he looks to be going from strength to strength.

He comes into this race of the back of a win in the Audi Stakes at Goodwood and most of his contenders have little or no decent form to speak of. Odds of 5/2 are available at Coral and look simply huge – well worth four points of anyone’s money. Grab it now!

These tips should give you plenty of each-way value in the 20-runner heritage handicap, and they’re based on solid historical trends.

The trends in question relate to the age, weight and form of the runners. To cut a long story short, we’re looking for a four-year-old horse, carrying no more than 8 stone 11 pounds, that isn’t the favourite, was placed first or second in one of their last two runs, raced in a Class 2 or better race last time out and has won over a minimum distance of one mile and six furlongs.

First off we’ll point out Wells Lyrical, the mount of Tom Eaves. It meets all the above criteria and is as shorts as 8/1 with a lot of online bookmakers. But 10/1 is available at Coral, where it’s worth a couple of points each-way.

The second horse that takes my fancy is Sir Michael Stoute’s runner, Meethaq. It ticks all the same boxes as Wells Lyrical, although I think it may struggle to make the two-mile trip – and its high draw could mean it has even further to run. On the plus side it’s had two runs this season to Wells Lyrical’s one, is carrying a low weight and I think 14/1 at BlueSquare makes it worth a point each-way.

Northumberland Plate betting tips

• 2 points each-way Wells Lyrical (10/1, Coral) to win Northumberland Plate
• 1 point each-way Meethaq (14/1, BlueSquare) to win Northumberland Plate

(The pressure is clearly on after a poor run of results on day one!)

Royal Hunt Cup betting tip
The trends over the years narrow the field down to four horses: Docofthebay, Dunn’o, Military Power and Huzzah, based on age, official rating, draw and trainer form in the race.

I’m going to pass over Dunn’o based on doubts over his stamina, while Huzzah’s best performances have come on softer ground. Docofthebay would have work to do to beat Huzzah based on the two’s performances in the Lincoln Handicap earlier this year, which leaves us with Godolphin’s Military Power.

Provided there’s no significant rain the horse should handle the ground and has good experience of big-field handicaps. Odds of 28/1 are available at William Hill, making Military Power look exceptional each-way value and my Royal Hunt Cup betting tip.

You don’t need to bet a lot at those odds and I’ll be having a point each-way on the Godolphin runner.

NB (17 June) Military Power is now a non-runner so it’s my next-best that gets the nod – and that’s Huzzah. 28/1 is available at Totesport and I’m on, one point each-way.

Prince of Wales Stakes betting tip
Wednesday’s Group 1 race at Royal Ascot is the Prince of Wales Stakes, and it looks a race made for Sir Michael Stoute’s Tartan Bearer.

The 10-furlong trip is the same as the Dante Stakes, which Tartan Bearer won in 2008, and the colt’s last trip out – another winning one – at Sandown in April.

Champion jockey Ryan Moore was on board for both those wins and teams up with the horse again tomorrow. You can get 2/1 at Coral which looks good value to break Sir Michael Stoute’s duck in the Prince of Wales Stakes. I’ll be staking four points on Tartan Bearer as my betting tip at Royal Ascot on Wednesday.

Selections

• 1 point each-way Huzzah (28/1, Totesport) to win the Royal Hunt Handicap (4.20 at Royal Ascot)
• 4 points win Tartan Bearer (2/1, Coral) to win the Prince of Wales Stakes(3.45 at Royal Ascot)

We were going to tip up Ask, Sir Michael Stoute’s Yorkshire Cup entry, which we felt was head and shoulders above the rest of the field including 2008 winner Geordieland and Italian dark horse Friulin.

As it was, Geordieland didn’t run, Friulin disappointed and Ask won by six lengths at 2/1 (Geordieland’s absence firming up Ask’s favouritism as the ground got softer and softer).

What did we get instead? A bitterly disappointing end to the Mighty White’s up-and-down season and a hangover.

Sorry about that, we promise that it almost certainly won’t happen again. For a while, anyway.