One of the showpiece racedays of the summer looks set to live up to its billing with star quality sprinkled throughout the afternoon. The highlight is the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, a global showdown with horses from Britain, Ireland, France and Japan convening at Ascot to battle it out.
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Dentakay EBF Crocker Bulteel ‘Confined’ Maiden Stakes
The opening race at Ascot on Saturday is the Dentakay EBF Crocker Bulteel ‘Confined’ Maiden Stakes (1.10pm) which is normally an informative contest. Five of the nine runners arrive with experience and Never Enough looks the pick of those having finished second at Windsor. He could be hard to beat but of the newcomers Perfect Strike was an expensive breeze up purchase so he should know his job while Eve Johnson Houghton has won this race twice in the last five years and her runner Crazee In Havana is worth a market check.
Group 3 Princess Margaret Japan Cup Stakes
Our first Pattern race of the afternoon is the Group 3 Princess Margaret Japan Cup Stakes (1.45pm) where several of the Royal Ascot juvenile form lines are represented.
Dark Issue was fourth in the Albany Stakes and Dee’s Funny Girl was two places behind her and that race is working out well. The Queen Mary form is represented by Alta Regina who was sixth at the Royal Meeting and the second Senorita Bonita franked that nicely when winning a Group 2 at Newmarket. Moonrise and Harlequin Sky were second and third in the Windsor Castle and will appreciate this step up in trip while Glorious Game is the unknown quantity, winning her first two starts.
Group 3 Longines Valiant Stakes
Touleen will be a warm order for the Group 3 Longines Valiant Stakes (2.20pm) on the back of her fast-finishing second over this course and distance in the Coronation Stakes.
The winner, Precise, has been beaten since though and Touleen has to take on some battle-hardened older horses here which might not be as easy as the market suggests. Kon Tiki is the obvious alternative having run Blue Bolt close twice this season. She has Ryan Moore on board and it’s hard to see her out of the frame.
The Moet & Chandon International Handicap
The big betting race of the day is the Moet & Chandon International Handicap (2.55pm) where 17 go to post in a hugely competitive affair. Many will expect the three-year-old Extremely Zain to make a mockery of this field and he may well do with better things expected of him following three facile wins from three starts so far.
But things don’t always work out like that and there are plenty here that arrive in good form. Mezcala is top of that list after victory in the Buckingham Palace Stakes while Aalto and Back In Black were 1-2 in the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket. Amazing Journey is another to have won his most recent start at our last meeting and he could still be ahead of the handicapper. Stellar Sunrise represents the Royal Ascot Racing Club and resumes after a short break. The form of his Newmarket third in May is working out well and he can give a good account of himself under Oisin Murphy.
The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes
The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (3.35pm) itself is one of the most eagerly anticipated renewals in years. There are seven Group 1 winners among the field of nine with the two best horses in the world last year – Calandagan from France and Masquerade Ball from Japan – taking on Benvenuto Cellini from the Classic generation and a host of other top-class contenders.
Those tuning in from across Japan in the middle of the night will be hoping that Masquerade Ball can reverse the form from the Japan Cup with Calandagan where the French horse was just a head in front at the line. Masquerade Ball has since been second over an inadequate trip in Hong Kong and this stiff mile-and-a-half should bring out further improvement in him. Calandagan loves it at Ascot though and showed he was back to his best in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud last time out. His customary long, late acceleration can be expected to bring him into the race strongly. The 2024 winner Goliath can’t be discounted either while last year’s second Kalpana has shown she’s every bit as good this year so far.
The other Japanese raider, Wurttemberg, is a winner over this trip but has his best form over two miles having run Croix Du Nord close in the Group 1 Tenno Sho (Spring) in May. He should stay well if he can lay up with the early pace and the track is expected to suit. Irish Derby winner Benvenuto Cellini is the pick of Ryan Moore from Aidan O’Brien’s four but it would be no surprise to see Minnie Hauk go close as well. She’s a top-class filly having been second in the Arc and the Prince of Wales’s Stakes last month. Lambourn, himself a Derby winner last year, and Action are expected to force the pace. A truly mouthwatering race is in prospect.
Three competitive handicaps round out the card starting with the Ascot Shop Handicap (4.10pm) where Taritino is looking for a hat-trick after wins at Salisbury and Chester. Masterinthewoods was behind a subsequent winner at Goodwood when last seen and could easily resume progress here while Ohara is another to consider with Oisin Murphy booked having returned to form at Chepstow when second.
The Royal Hunt Cup second Blue Rc looks the obvious starting point in the Betfred Handicap (4.45pm) and James Tate’s colt has gone up just 4lb for that excellent run. Ascot favourite Hickory can never be discounted here and although he hasn’t shown much this season a falling mark means he’s in the mix along with Asmen Warrior who is highly progressive.
Rounding out the weekend is the five-furlong Whispering Angel Handicap (5.20pm) which looks a tricky puzzle to unpick. Rhythm N Hooves and Pilgrim are both previous winners of the Palace Of Holyrood House Stakes at Royal Ascot and Pilgrim has not been back to Ascot since that day in 2024. He can get in the mix along with Rocking Ends who won at Newmarket recently and Desert Cop who should be suited by this drop in distance.
