Gold Digger and West can take my money June 18, 2026 ONE of my biggest fancies of the week comes in the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes (6:10pm). Many will see this 28-runner five-furlong handicap as a bookies’ benefit, but I think it’s time to roll up the sleeves and have a proper go. GOLD DIGGER, who I really fancied in the Albany last year, is back [...]
Venetian to Havana day in the Ascot Sun June 18, 2026 FRIDAY’s first Group One contest is the Commonwealth Cup (3.05pm), a speed test for three-year-olds over Ascot’s straight six furlongs. Course form at Ascot is always valuable and VENETIAN SUN has some of the best, having won the Albany over this trip at last’s year’s Royal meeting. Karl Burke’s filly went on to win the [...]
Take Gosdens’ Seet to Repel Sandringham rivals June 18, 2026 LIKE with every Royal Ascot handicap, I find myself looking for those with plenty in hand ahead of the handicapper, and that’s no different in Friday’s Sandringham (5.00pm). Searching for the proverbial ‘Group horse in a handicap’ is a tricky business, but I think SEET fits that bill here and should prove just that in [...]
Concern as gambling black market set for £40m Royal Ascot boost June 18, 2026 Illicit Royal Ascot betting could boost the gambling black market industry by £40m as punters get drawn in by unregulated operators. The horse racing spectacle is underway in Berkshire with 300,000 fans expected across five days of Royal Ascot racing. But many punters across the racing diaspora are turning to black market betting, with regulations [...]
Play Riffa and Mar to leave Scandinavia out in gold June 17, 2026 ROYAL Ascot rises to a crescendo on Thursday with the centrepiece of the five days being the Group One Gold Cup (4.15pm). This is the ultimate test for stayers, run over a punishing two-and-a-half miles of Ascot, where only the toughest horses rise to the top. Trawlerman has already proven he has all the attributes [...]
Legacy can crack exotic Code in the Ribblesdale June 17, 2026 BACKING up from Epsom’s Derby meeting to Royal Ascot is not easy but it can be done. Ten Bob Tony showed that with his shock 50/1 victory in the Queen Anne on Tuesday after winning the Tattenham Corner Stakes, and I fancy one who ran a blinder in the Oaks to go one better on [...]
O’Brien’s King George runners Cannes trouble the judge June 17, 2026 AS AIDAN O’Brien strides towards a century of Royal Ascot wins, son Joseph is doing a good job of establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with on the big days. Still just 33, Joseph saddled a second British Classic winner in the Oaks at Epsom two weeks ago and had winners at Ascot [...]
Italy to Mount a winning challenge in the Hampton Court June 17, 2026 COOLMORE dominate the betting for the Group Three Hampton Court Stakes (5.35pm), with ENDORSEMENT and ITALY both well found in the market. Ryan Moore prefers Endorsement, but as shown with Great Barrier Reef already this week, there can be value in backing the supposed second strings and I’m going with Italy this time. Campaigned over [...]
Back Bolt and Catalina to be in Ascot mixer June 16, 2026 WHILE the Prince of Wales’s Stakes is the headline event on Wednesday at Royal Ascot, there are a host of other quality contests for punters to get stuck into, particularly with World Pool in operation. In the Group Two Duke of Cambridge Stakes (3.40pm), it’s the turn of the fillies and mares over Ascot’s round [...]
Don’t Miss Alobayyah in competitive Kensington Palace June 16, 2026 THERE are several fiercely competitive handicaps on Wednesday’s Ascot card, with the Kensington Palace Stakes (5.35pm), a mile-long 25 runner contest for fillies and mares, being one. I’m throwing two darts at this, with the strongest fancy being ALOBAYYAH for the William Haggas stable, who are in rude health of late. She was a massive [...]