The top tipster names his 1-2-3 for every race at Royal Ascot in an in-depth analysis of the seven races, from day one of the five day royal meeting
Racing stages the biggest event of the Flat racing calendar with the start of the five-day Royal Ascot meeting on Tuesday. The best horses, trainers and jockeys from Europe and others from around the world descend on the Berkshire track for the renowned occasion.
Over five days there are a host of big races, including the £1 million Prince of Wales’s Stakes, the Gold Cup and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. Tuesday starts with a bang with the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes, one of the most competitive races over 1m of the year so far.
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Newsboy provides a detailed breakdown of every race and predicts the 1-2-3
2.30 Queen Anne Stakes
SARDINIAN WARRIOR is going places at a rate of knots and has the ideal conditions to bag a first Group 1 victory.
Second in a Kempton Park novice stakes on his only start at two, the John and Thady Gosden-trained son of Saxon Warrior was unbeaten in three starts as a three-year-old in 2024, adding a handicap score at Southwell to two successes in novice stakes at the Rolleston course earlier in the campaign.
Making his comeback in the Listed Paradise Stakes over course and distance at the end of April, Sardinian Warrior accounted for solid yardstick Docklands by half a length.
And my selection ran a cracker in defeat in the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan over nine furlongs at Longchamp last month, travelling strongly before being sent to the front entering the final quarter mile.
The last 100 yards proved a step too far as Christophe Soumillon’s mount was outlasted by Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe favourite Sosie but, back at a mile on summer ground, Sardinian Warrior can show to the fore.
Lead Artist led home Dancing Gemini , Rosallion and Notable Speech in the top-level Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, and each of the quartet enters calculations.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 SARDINIAN WARRIOR, 2 ROSALLION, 3 DANCING GEMINI
3.05 Coventry Stakes
WARSAW belied market expectations for an impressive debut victory 10 days ago at Navan and is the selection to give Aidan O’Brien a record-extending 11th Coventry Stakes win.
Three juveniles represented Ballydoyle in a five-furlong maiden in Co Meath on Derby day – 8-11 favourite Kansas, 11-1 chance Stock Market and Warsaw.
The paper forecast put Warsaw, partnered by 5lb claimer Jack Cleary, in at 7-1 but he drifted out to 18-1, in part no doubt because his pedigree – he’s by Wootton Bassett out of unraced sister to 2018 Oaks heroine Forever Together – dictated he would would need further to be seen at his best.
But Warsaw had the speed to get his career off to the perfect start, leading on the run to the final furlong and putting two and three-quarter lengths between himself and Fairy Oak.
Given his bloodline, it must be that Warsaw will find an additional furlong to his advantage and, with any amount of improvement to come, a good run is on the cards.
Ryan Moore has opted to ride Gstaad and the putative Ballydoyle first string is respected, along with Postmodern and, at bigger odds, Ballistic Missile.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 WARSAW, 2 POSTMODERN, 3 BALLISTIC MISSILE
3.40 King Charles III Stakes
MGHEERA has taken her form to a new level since joining Ed Walker from France and still has more to offer.
The five-year-old daughter of Zoustar, a four-time winner – including a win at Listed level – for Manon Scandella-Lacaille, crossed the English Channel after going under the hammer at the Arqana sales in December.
Although she had done the bulk of her racing over further, Mgheera started out for her new connections in Group 3 Prix de Saint-Georges over five furlongs at Longchamp on May 11 and hit the ground running with a length-and-a-half beating of Ciao Pa’.
Walker then sent my selection for the Group 2 Temple Stakes, again over the minimum trip, at Haydock Park 13 days later.
Sent off at 10-1 and ridden as today by William Buick, Mgheera came home with gusto to overhaul She’s Quality and score by half a length with five of today’s rivals in arrears.
It will be a surprise if Walker can’t tease out further progress and Ascot’s uphill finish looks just the ticket.
Despite a draw on the wing in stall one, Believing rates a threat to all, with last year’s winner Asfoora and Night Raider others to throw into the mix.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 MGHEERA, 2 BELIEVING, 3 ASFOORA
4.20 St James’s Palace Stakes
FIELD OF GOLD is expected to trace the prints of his sire Kingman to victory in the St James’s Palace Stakes.
The similarities between father and son, both representatives of the Juddmonte racing and breeding enterprise and the Clarehaven Stables presided over by John and Thady Gosden, are striking.
Like Kingman 11 years before him, Field Of Gold headed the market for the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket at the start of May and came within half a length of Classic glory, producing a storming run on the climb to the line but failing to reel in Ruling Court.
The defeat cost Kieran Shoemark his job as the Gosdens’ No 1 jockey and Colin Keane, subsequently appointed Juddmonte’s retained rider, was in the plate as the grey Field Of Gold, like his immediate forebear, sought redemption in the Irish version at the Curragh three weeks later.
The new partnership clicked at the first time of asking as Field Of Gold raced within himself on the outside of the nine-runner field before making headway to lead over a furlong from the finish.
Once given the office, my selection put three and a half lengths between himself and Cosmic Year, with Rashabar fourth, Officer seventh and Windlord in eighth.
That performance sets the new standard and Field Of Gold is poised for revenge on Ruling Court, leaving Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2,000 Guineas) winner Henri Matisse to claim the bronze medal.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 FIELD OF GOLD, 2 RULING COURT, 3 HENRI MATISSE
5.00 Ascot Stakes
MANXMAN has defied the British Horseracing Authority assessor time and again – and may do so once more.
The Simon and Ed Crisford-trained son of Cracksman began life in handicaps at Windsor in July 2023 and won from a rating of 46.
Since then, Manxman has had 12 outings in the sphere and he has won a further six, including when beating Mr Hampstead over two miles at Goodwood 25 days ago.
The five-year-old is arguably best known for role in the 2024 Cesarewitch farce – he was beaten a nose by Alphonse Le Grande, awarded the race by the Whip Review Committee and had it taken away on appeal.
This stamina test will aid Sean Dylan Bowen’s partner in his bid to overcome a 4lb rise for his Goodwood success, win – and hold on to – a cherished staying prize.
In a wide-open race, Reaching High, Alphonse Le Grande, East India Dock and Ascending are just four horses capable of getting involved.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 MANXMAN, 2 ALPHONSE LE GRANDE, 3 REACHING HIGH
5.35 Wolferton Stakes
ENFJAAR has strong claims of giving his trainer Roger Varian a third Wolferton Stakes success from the past six runnings.
To come home in front today, the five-year-old son of Lope De Vega must reverse recent running with two rivals from Sandown Park’s Brigadier Gerard Stakes 19 days ago.
Almaqam captured the Group 3 test, with Phantom Flight coming home in third, Military Order fourth and easy-to-back 7-1 chance Enfjaar returning fifth of the seven runners, just over seven lengths adrift of the winner.
But Jim Crowley wasn’t unduly hard on my selection and a sizeable step forward should be forthcoming this afternoon.
Enfjaar came within half a length of a Listed score when a half-length second to subsequent Group 3 winner Persica in the Doonside Cup at Ayr last September and makes plenty of appeal.Last year’s Jersey Stakes hero Haatem is untried at a mile and a quarter but is feared most, ahead of Haunted Dream and Sons And Lovers.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 ENFJAAR, 2 HAATEM, 3 HAUNTED DREAM
6.10 Copper Horse Stakes
AERONAUTIC didn’t shine on his reappearance but is still lightly raced and shouldn’t be written off.
Having marked his second start with a Dundalk maiden win last July, Joseph O’Brien’s son of Gleneagles followed up over a mile and five furlongs at Leopardstown later that month.
Aeronautic was gelded after a fourth in the Listed Vinnie Roe Stakes in Foxrock in August and couldn’t get involved after a 275-day lay-off with a 14th-of-19 comeback in a 10-furlong handicap at the Curragh on May 24.
Going back up in distance is a definite plus for Dylan Browne McMonagle’s mount, however, and he’s unlikely to be done with after five career outings.
In a Tuesday finale of myriad possible outcomes, Charlus, Caballo De Mar and My Mate Mozzie all merit a second look.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 AERONAUTIC, 2 MY MATE MOZZIE, 3 CABALLO DE MAR