Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
Saturday brings us the final day of this year’s Royal Ascot and we have a great day’s racing in prospect. The ITV cameras are of course concentrating on the action from the Berkshire course but after following it this week, I can’t say I am especially thrilled with some of the infill between races.
The ‘Social Stable’ leaves me unmoved, but there was an interview on Wednesday after the first race I found quite memorable. An American lady who had a connection with the first winner, Quick Suzy, was asked the circumstances of her coming to Royal Ascot, “Oh Ward (her partner?) just handed me an airline ticket”.
The interviewer continued to question her about how she had found being in quarantine after arriving in the UK “It’s not too bad if you’re staying in Claridges” she drawled. Oh, how the other half lives! So to try and get us all on that primrose path to riches, here are my thoughts on the best value for Saturday’s races and the day’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Royal Ascot Lucky Fifteen
4.20 Dream Of Dreams
5.00 Fresh
5.35 Irish Legend
6.10 Falcon Eight
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
I am looking at the last four races on the card at Ascot on Saturday to try and find some value so here we go starting with the 4.20- the Diamond Jubilee Stakes. Starman trained by Ed Walker is the obvious favourite after his win at York last month where he had several of these behind him but he only beat William Haggas’s Nahaar a neck in that thriller and I expect them to be pretty evenly matched once again.
Glen Shiel won here at Ascot on Champions Day for Archie Watson. He has had a prep run on the Curragh but will want soft ground.
An Irish raider is Pat Twoomey’s Sonaiyla who won at the Curragh earlier this month she also benefits from the mares allowance and may take a place at a nice price.
But surely the horse that deserves this is Sir Michael Stoute’s Dream Of Dreams who has been runner up in this race on the last two occasions. He will appreciate some give in the ground, something he has never had on his previous exploits, and with the rain that is promised that will be welcomed by his trainer. When he got the ground he wanted, he won the Sprint Cup at Haydock last season and won his prep run at Windsor last month. He can go one better this season in this prestigious contest.
At 5.00, it is the Wokingham Stakes Handicap and it looks like Andrew Balding’s King’s Lynn may go off the favourite in the Queen’s colours but he ran in the King’s Stand Stakes on Tuesday so I rule him out.
Balding also has Chil Chil who won at Newmarket at the beginning of May but he wants good going. Hey Jonesy runs for Kevin Ryan and he showed his best form for some time when finishing third at Chester last month. He may be placed again here.
Richard Fahey runs Mr Lupton who won at York five weeks ago, that is the best form he has shown for some time but he never seems to run well here at Ascot.
Down at the bottom of the handicap, James Fanshawe’s Fresh has snuck in. He won here at Ascot over this distance last month and he is another with claims at a nice price. But the horse who was second to him that day, Pendleton, franked that form when winning at York next time out for trainer Michael Dods and should go well but Fresh is 5lbs better off here and gets the vote.
The Golden Gates Stakes Handicap is at 5.35 and this looks like a very open contest. Roger Varian’s Alfaadhel looks to be the current favourite and is running in his handicap debut after a couple of wins, including one on the all-weather at Lingfield where he beat Richard Hannon’s Sir Rumi.
Hannon’s horse has since come out and won at Haydock but he will not want too much rain in the ground.
Without Revenge from Roger Charlton’s yard won well at Newmarket last time out but he’s been upped 10lbs by the handicapper and that may hold him back.
Irish Legend was an all-weather winner for trainer Hugo Palmer last month so continuing his consistent record. He was considered good enough to run in a Group 3 contest in April and although he was unsuccessful, if he can bring his 2-year-old form to this race, he may well have the ability to take it.
At 6.10, the final race of the meeting is also the longest in the whole of the flat season calendar, the Queen Alexandra Stakes run over just a tad short of 2m 6f. This race is always targeted by Irish trainers and there are several of their horses in the field.
One of the favourites is John Harrington’s Barbados but he has yet to win this season and he looks high enough in the weights.
Last year’s winner Who Dares Wins is in the lineup but he has been unsuccessful since that victory for trainer Kevin Ryan. He has 3lbs more than last year when he was a hot favourite.
Stratum won the 2019 Cesarewitch for trainer Willie Mullins, he won at Gowan Park in April then had a further prep run in May, he should go close.
Mick Channon has a young filly, Single, who has shown some good form this season in the field. She may well be placed at a very big price.
But the class horse here is undoubtedly Dermot Weld’s Falcon Eight who won the Chester Cup in May running down the field in the final furlong, could this be a stepping stone to the Melbourne Cup?
Saturday Royal Ascot Lucky Fifteen
4.20 Dream Of Dreams
5.00 Fresh
5.35 Irish Legend
6.10 Falcon Eight
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365