Thursday’s Royal Ascot tipsEnceladus (Ascot, 15.05) – 1pt each-way @ 11/1Legacy Link (Ascot, 15.40) – 2pts win @ 13/8Caballo De Mar (Ascot, 16.15) – 1pt each-way @ 10/1Royal Velvet (Ascot, 18.10) – 1pt each-way @ 12/1It’s Ladies Day at Royal Ascot, including the centrepiece of the week, the Gold Cup, a race that can trace its legacy back to 1807. My Royal Ascot tips feature a runner in the big race of the day, one of three double-figure fancies for Thursday.King George V Stakes (Heritage Handicap) A very tricky-looking big field handicap over 1m4f and, with 11 favourites or joint favourites having obliged from 49 previous runnings of the race, plus Charlie Appleby’s recent struggles at the meeting, it looks worth taking on Into The Light, the ante-post ‘jolly’ on betting sites.This return to 1m4f should suit him but that can be said of plenty in the field and there are numerous others with potential at larger odds. Perhaps Joseph O’Brien holds the key to the contest, with four handicap newcomers involved.The trainer’s string has begun this meeting in good form. The shortest price of his quartet is Cannes, who looks to be the first choice of Dylan Browne McGonagle. The Sea The Stars colt cost €500,000 as a yearling. He won a Leopardstown maiden (1m4f, good) last month and that race is working out well and he should improve.The same can be said of ENCELADUS, who is a really interesting runner for whom Ryan Moore has been booked for the first time. He ran creditably to finish third in both juvenile starts, before reappearing with a win when showing a great attitude at Cork (1m2½f, good to yielding), beating the same horse that subsequently finished second behind Cannes. Pedigree suggests that he could find plenty more now going up to this trip and he looks a sporting each-way play at a double-figure price on horse racing betting sites. Ascot tip 1: Enceladus – 1pt each-way @ 11/1Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2)LEGACY LINK had a tough enough race when second in the Oaks on slow ground. She preceded that with a Musidora win and she is upwards of 7lb better than her opponents.She has the form on the board and the only significant concern that could prevent her from adding this to her CV would be that this comes too soon after Epsom and she therefore runs flat.I don’t think the Gosdens would be running her if they weren’t happy that she can do herself justice and, although she may not be quite at her peak for it, she will still take some beating.Ascot tip 2: Legacy Link – 2pts win @ 13/8Gold Cup (Group 1)Don’t we just love these staying races? So do the winners too, with almost £400,000 going to the winner of this stamina sapping 2m4f contest.Scandinavia is a worthy favourite and, as you know, I am not averse to taking a short price if I think it’s the right horse. He’s around 13/8 at the time of writing and although he beat Rahiebb fair and square a couple of times last season, it wasn’t by much.If you have decided you fancy one or the other of those, I’d not be one for telling you that’s a daft idea, as I think both have claims. Trawlerman is very much a favourite of mine but he’s now eight and the Gosdens not managed to get a run into him. He’s now also developed an issue with his eye, making him sensitive to sunlight.However, for me, the each-way play in this race looks to be CABALLO DE MAR. He’s 10/1 at the time of writing. George Scott’s five-year-old came on a bundle last season, finishing second in a handicap at this meeting, and picking up a couple of Group races later in the season.He stays 2m4f, acts on both soft and fast ground and he will run right through the line. His official mark of 115 means he will need one or two to either run below par or further improvement himself and you can’t be confident that neither will happen. Basically, we need one of the front three in the betting to underperform and we probably have a profit. If he improves, then who knows?!Ascot tip 3: Caballo De Mar – 1pt each-way @ 10/1Buckingham Palace Stakes (Handicap)I’ve looked, looked and looked again through the Britannia, but there are far too many imponderables to throw a selection your way in that race, but I think we’ve got more chance of a return in this 7f sprint on the straight course.This field is more exposed and there are obviously numerous runners who can have cases made. The one I’d like to do that for is ROYAL VELVET. Trained by William Knight, this five-year-old filly has her favoured fast ground and has an impressive CV.She’s got a heck of a good strike rate, having won 9-21 starts; six of those wins coming over 7f and her pilot William Buick has won four times from five rides on her. She comes here on the back of two wins and has a very solid profile for a 12/1 chance. She looks like an each-way bet that will give us an interest in the closing stages.Ascot tip 4: Royal Velvet – 1pt each-way @ 12/1Free bets for Royal AscotBetfred are offering new customers £50 in free bets right now, with the entire bonus available for wagering on racing. A lot of betting sites place restrictions on which sports free bets can be used, but Betfred don’t limit a punter’s choice. Sign up using the link below, complete the registration process and then make a first deposit of at least £10. Next, wager £10 or more on any event at the Betfred sportsbook at odds of evens or greater. Once the bet is settled, punters will receive the £50 in free bets, which is split into 5 x £10 free bet tokens. £30 of the welcome bonus can be used on any sport, while the other £20 can only be used on accumulators. Find more Royal Ascot free bet offers on our dedicated page.Gamble responsiblyIf you’re having a bet on Royal Ascot, it’s vital to practice responsible gambling.Betting can be addictive, and it’s important to stay in control of your gambling, whether you’re using online bookmakers, casino sites, slot sites, bingo sites or any other gambling platform. Never treat gambling as a way to make money, never bet more than you can afford and when the fun stops, stop.Gambling sites offer punters tools, like deposit limits, profit and loss trackers and self-exclusion options, to help you stay in control.But if you ever feel like you need help or advice on gambling addiction, don’t hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below.NHS HelpGamCareGamblers AnonymousWe may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.