Day two of Royal Ascot was seen as generally honours even between punters and bookmakers, despite a number of well-backed winners.
Carrying on where they left off on Tuesday, punters hit the ground running in the opening Jersey Stakes, as 9-2 joint-favourites Mustajeeb and Muwaary filled the first two places, trained by Dermot Weld and John Gosden respectively.
It was then the turn of the well-touted Anthem Alexander as she justified 9-4 favouritism in the Queen Mary Stakes just 35 minutes later.
However, welcome respite came for the bookmakers with the reverse of red-hot market leader Treve in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, as the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine could only finish third to The Fugue as an 8-13 chance.
It was not long before another favourite went in as Ryan Moore recorded a stylish success on Integral (9-4) in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes, but Abseil being sunk in the Hunt Cup as 20-1 chance Field Of Dream took top honours saw a big sigh of relief for the betting fraternity.
Victory for Mark Johnston’s Muteela (9-2) in the closing Sandringham Handicap made it eight winning favourites from the 12 races over the first two days.
Coral’s David Stevens said: “Day one was one of the worst Royal Ascot days in recent memory, and when the joint-favourites fought out the finish of the Jersey, followed by Anthem Alexander winning the second, we feared more of the same.
“However, Treve’s third place stopped the rot, and Integral’s victory was soon forgotten once Abseil finished out of the frame in the Hunt Cup, as victory for that one would have cost the industry millions.
“After two days it’s all square, now bring on the Gold Cup and England v Uruguay!”
Paddy Power said: “Treve and Abseil getting chinned were stormers for the bookies and we’ve come out ahead on Wednesday. But the opening day was absolute carnage and the layers still have a steep hill to climb to come out on top.”
Rory Jiwani for StanJames.com said: “We were braced for another battering as Treve was well backed and sent off the 8-13 favourite, but she appeared to struggle to pick up in the quick ground.
“Anthem Alexander in the Queen Mary was actually a good result for us as we had laid runner-up Tiggy Winky and American raider Spanish Pipedream who didn’t get home.”
Betfred spokesman Andrew Griffiths said: “It’s been another bruising afternoon, but we just about came out on top.
“The day hinged on the results of the feature races. The Fugue was good, but Field Of Dream was heaven-sent and has keeps us in it going into day three.”
David Williams of Ladbrokes cautioned: “It wasn’t as bad as the opening day but it’s still been hard work. We thought our luck had changed when Treve went down but it wasn’t to last.
“Anthem Alexander, Integral, Mustajeeb and Muteala were all stinkers and we’re heading into Ladies’ Day on the ropes.”