Whilst many weeks see the ITV crew spread across the length and breadth of the British Isles, things are a little different this coming Saturday, with the cameras centred exclusively on a spectacular patch of land in Berkshire. There is, of course, good reason for that, as Saturday marks the fifth and final day of the magnificent Royal Ascot Festival. In a real treat for armchair racing fans, the full seven-race card will be beaming gloriously into your homes, meaning a first-class feast of top-drawer racing action.
The Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes takes centre stage, as a field of international sprinters lay it all on the line, with the Wokingham Handicap, Chesham Stakes for the youngsters, and the always-excellent Jersey Stakes featuring prominently on a stacked undercard. Here we pick out our best bets in each of the seven races on offer in this week’s Royal Ascot Saturday Racing Tips.
2:30 Chesham Stakes
Listed, 7f
With four wins in the space of the past seven years, Aidan O’Brien is a man to be feared in the opener, making his duo of Pears And Rubies, and Content musts for the shortlist. Pearls And Rubies is the choice of Ryan Moore and duly heads the betting at around the 5/2 mark. It would be no surprise to see her go and win, but that looks like a short enough price for a filly stepping up 2f in trip from her narrow debut success.
Content is marginally more appealing at the much bigger price of 13/2, but with the majority of firms offering additional places on the race, we can’t resist a small each-way punt on the Richard Hannon-trained Carolina Reaper at massive odds. Nicely bred for this task, being by Too Darn Hot and out of a mare in Dark Promise who won at Listed level over a mile, this filly really caught our eye on debut. Losing all chance when rearing as the stalls opened, she then looked all at sea around the bends of Beverley. However, the penny began to drop in the straight as she stayed on best of all to hit the line full of running in fourth. Likely to take a big step forward with that experience under her belt, she looks overpriced to hit the frame given how badly she started last time out.
3:05 Jersey Stakes
Group 3, 7f
We stick to the 7f trip in the second race on the card but move up in class and age in this event for the three-year-olds. John Gosden’s Covey has made his way to the head of the betting and can’t be dismissed, with that man Frankie Dettori in the saddle for one of his last ever rides at this iconic meeting. Whilst visually impressive last time out at Haydock, Covey was allowed a very easy time of things up front and is unlikely to be afforded such a luxury. At the prices, we will look elsewhere.
Roger Varian’s Enfjaar has done nothing wrong in winning both starts to date and seems likely to prove popular, whilst Aidan O’Brien’s The Antarctic arrives on the back of a Group 3 success over 6f, but being by Dark Angel, may not be suited by this step up in trip. Charlie Appleby has taken the past two editions of this, making his Mysterious Night of interest at double-figure odds.
However, the one for us is the James Ferguson runner, Zoology. Ignore this one’s run last time out in the Greenham Stakes, as he simply didn’t handle the bottomless ground that day, and focus, instead, on his comeback outing at Southwell two starts back. He stayed on strongly to score by a neck that day, with the horse in second being none other than Covey. Zoology was conceding 7lbs to Covey that day, but the pair race off the same weight here. With Covey priced at 9/4 and Zoology at 20/1, an each-way punt on the latter looks like a more solid investment.
3:40 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes
Group 1, 6f
One of the biggest sprint contests of the year provides the day’s headline act and looks set to be a cracker. Highfield Princess leads the charge for the home team following a rock-solid effort in the King’s Stand on the opening day, and seems likely to go well. Each way possibles include Al Suhail, who goes for Charlie Appleby and remains unexposed over this trip, and Rohaan, who loves it at this track and can make a bold bid for David Evans.
However, we fancy the one they all have to beat is Aussie raider, Artorius. Twice a Group 1 winner over this trip, he arrives in very good form, having just missed out in a Group 1 over 7½f at Rosehill. Third in this race 12 months ago, he may well have won that day had he not been forced to switch around runners in the closing stages. He will need a little bit of luck, but that is true for all, and he looks like the best horse in the field. Available at odds that look too big to us, we think this is a cracking bet.
4:20 Hardwicke Stakes
Group 2, 1m4f
The Owen Burrows-trained Hukum heads the betting in this mile-and-a-half event for the older horses and commands plenty of respect, having won the Coronation Cup last season and mastered 2022 Epsom Derby hero Desert Crown in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes last time out. Deauville Legend looks the most interesting of the each way candidates, having won over this trip and put in a fine effort when fourth in the Melbourne Cup. If fit and well following a break, he can go well.
Whilst Hukum is feared, we suspect he may just come up short attempting to concede 3lbs to the only mare in the field, Free Wind. Going for team Gosden, this daughter of Galileo arrives on a four-race winning streak. Posting a cosy success over Rogue Millennium last time out, that form received a boost when Rogue Millennium landed the Duke of Cambridge Stakes earlier in the week. This step up from 1m2½f seems sure to suit, and she can bag yet another win for Frankie Dettori.
5:00 Wokingham Stakes
Class 2, 6f
We have a real cavalry charge of a sprint up next, with a maximum field of 28 set to line up for this year’s Wokingham. The hattrick-seeking Orazio heads the betting for Charles Hills following an easy enough success over course and distance last time out. He remains unexposed, but those two recent wins have come on soft and good to soft ground, and he is likely to face significantly quicker conditions here. Albasheer and Spirit of Light catch the eye at big each-way prices, with the booking of Jamie Spencer aboard the former certainly of note.
The most solid option overall is an each-way punt on the William Haggas-trained, Khanjar, who boasts form figures of 312 over this trip on good to firm ground. Staying on well into second at Hamilton last time out, the strong pace of this ought to suit ideally, and he can get on top late in the first-time cheekpieces.
5:35 Golden Gates Stakes
Class 2, 1m2f
We have a middle-distance handicap for the three-year-olds serves as the penultimate act, with a whole host of intriguing candidates on show. Canute heads the betting for Aidan O’Brien and is a typically beautifully bred sort from the Ballydoyle operation. Taking a big step forward with a first career success at Navan last time out, she shouldn’t be far away. Ziryab is another for the shortlist but is only the first reserve at present, so may not get a run.
All in all it’s an each-way punt for us here, and the one to be on is the top weight, Local Dynasty. Rounding off last season with back-to-back wins at Sandown and Pontefract, he was sent straight to the Listed Dee Stakes for his first start of the current campaign. This Dubawi colt appeared to hate the track that day but still hit the line well in third. Dropping in class and returning to a more conventional circuit, he can at least hit the frame under William Buick.
6:10 Queen Alexandra Stakes
Class 2, 2m5½f
The Gold Cup may be the most famous staying contest of the week but is not the longest race of the meeting. That honour belongs to this concluding event held over a truly stamina-sapping 2m5½f. Given the demands of the race, this contest regularly attracts contenders from the top National Hunt yards, and things are no different in 2023.
Heading the betting is the admirable 10-year-old Stratum, who bids to land this prize for a third year in succession. A winner over hurdles, fences, and on the level, this Tony Bloom-owned runner is a credit to connections and would rate a hugely popular winner. We fancy him to go close, but he may just have to give best to Run For Oscar.
Hailing from the yard of Charles Byrnes, this one boasts form figures of 131 in flat contests at 2m+ and, whilst this will be his first crack over quite so far as this, the manner in which he readily drew clear over 2m2f in the Cesarewitch suggests it may well suit. With Jim Crowley in the saddle, he looks worth backing to wrest the prize from Stratum’s grip and help us end five days of Ascot punting with a very handsome win indeed.