Royal Ascot: Easy-to-play Omni/Swinger bet for the Queen Anne

The prestigious Royal Ascot meet in England kicks off on Tuesday with the running of the Queen Anne S. (G1), a one-mile turf test that serves as a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1).

The Queen Anne draws a strong field each year, and 2022 is no exception. If you want to dip your toes into wagering on Royal Ascot, we recommend starting with an Omni/Swinger bet on the Queen Anne.

What is an Omni/Swinger?

The Omni/Swinger is one of the easiest exotic wagers to hit. It’s a lot like an exacta, in that you must select at least two horses. But whereas an exacta requires you to select the top two finishers in the correct order, the Omni/Swinger simply requires your two horses to finish in the top three—the order is unimportant. You win if they run 1-2, 1-3, or 2-3.

You can also use more than two horses in the Omni/Swinger, further increasing your chances of winning.

How to bet the Omni/Swinger in the Queen Anne

A field of seven has entered the Queen Anne, and overall the race looks straightforward to handicap. After all, #2 Baaeed is a standout favorite for trainer William Haggas. The rapidly improving four-year-old is undefeated in seven starts and enters off three consecutive Group 1 wins. He nabbed the Queen Elizabeth II S. (G1) racing one mile at Ascot last year and kicked off 2022 with an authoritative 3 1/4-length romp over #5 Real World in the Lockinge S. (G1) at Newbury.

Real World is back in the entries and is a logical choice to complete the Queen Anne exacta, though for the purpose of the Omni/Swinger, we’ll opt to use a higher-priced entrant as our second runner. 2020 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winner #4 Order of Australia put up a good fight behind Baaeed in the 2021 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (G1), finishing second by just 1 1/4 lengths. If Order of Australia brings his A-game to his first run of the season, he can crack the Queen Anne top three at a nice price.

• $20 Omni/Swinger: 2 with 4

Good luck!