Royal Ascot 2025 Preview
Day 4
Friday 20th June 2025
2.30: Albany Stakes: Starting things off for us on Friday will be the Group 3 Albany Stakes, contested over a distance of six furlongs. Hugo Palmer sends FITZELLA to take her place here under Oisin Murphy, and she looks a potentially exciting filly for connections. She’s already got course experience as she finished a neck second to Military Code on her racecourse debut here over five furlongs last month. Following that run, she was upped to six furlongs and showed significant improvement when winning at Haydock by three and a half lengths, getting the better of a well-fancied newcomer in Tahalel on that occasion. If she comes on again from that run, she has to enter the calculations here.
Aidan O’Brien’s Signora is a very interesting challenger here, who’s the mount of Ryan Moore. She was third on debut in Listed company at Naas behind Lady Iman, and was only two and a half lengths behind the winner that day. She should improve significantly on her second start here, and that makes her a significant player. That form also brings Green Sense into the equation for Joseph O’Brien and Dylan Brown McMonagle, as she was ahead of the O’Brien charge and just three-quarters of a length behind Lady Iman, and that’s possibly the best form on offer in the race. One at a big price who could outrun her odds here is Indigo Dawn for Richard Hannon and Pat Dobbs. She won on racecourse debut over today’s distance at Goodwood last month, and she still looked green in the closing stages. She should come on for that run here, and that could see her being involved.
Shortlist: Fitzella, Signora, Green Sense, Indigo Dawn
3.05: Commonwealth Cup: We move up in grade at 3.05 with the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup taking centre-stage over a distance of six furlongs. I think that SHADOW OF LIGHT will take a lot of beating for the team of Charlie Appleby and William Buick. He was a dual Group winner as a two-year-old when winning the Middle Park Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes, and showed that he trained on over the winter when finishing an impressive length third of eleven in the 2000 Guineas behind stablemate Ruling Court. He drops down significantly in trip here down to six furlongs; however, this shouldn’t be an issue given his form over this trip, and I think he should post a very bold bid.
The obvious second addition to the shortlist comes in the form of Babouche for Ger Lyons and Colin Keane. She’s a Group 1 winner herself as a two-year-old, having defeated Whistlejacket in the Phoenix Stakes last term, and she solidified the form over that rival last time out when getting the better of the O’Brien charge once more in the Group 3 Lacken Stakes last month. She also gets the fillies allowance here and should go well. One at a bigger price who could go well is Ides Of March for Aidan O’Brien, he was a Group 3 winner at two and has gone close in a couple of Listed events this term, most recently when sent off at even money for the Carnavon Stakes at Newbury last month. He was on the wrong side of the track that day, yet still finished a keeping on length and three-quarters behind the progressive Symbol Of Honour. I think he could go well at a price.
Shortlist: Shadow Of Light, Babouche, Ides Of March
3.40: Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes: The third race of the afternoon is the 3.40, and this is our first handicap of the day in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes, which is a Class 2 event that’s contested over a mile and four furlongs. Ethical Diamond will be a warm order at the top of the betting here for Willie Mullins and Ryan Moore. He finished fourth in the race last year and was just two and three-quarters of a length behind the eventual winner in Crystal Black. He’ll contest this year’s renewal off just a two-pound higher mark, and he looks fairly solid for his powerhouse connections.
ALMOSH’HER looks a very interesting runner for the team of Karl Burke and Clifford Lee. He’s been looking like a highly progressive four-year-old for connections, winning both of his starts within handicap company to date, with his most recent success coming in Class 2 company at York last month, where he kept on gamely to win by a head over today’s distance. He’s up five pounds, but he could well be firmly on the upgrade. The William Haggas trained Caviar Heights makes his seasonal reappearance here under Tom Marquand; he drops into handicap company here, having contested pattern class races throughout last season. If he’s race fit, he could have a class edge over his rivals here.
Elsewhere, one at a big price is Mutaawid for John & Thady Gosden, who’s the mount of Jim Crowley, he bolted up at Newmarket on his penultimate start by the best part of six lengths, and wasn’t totally disgraced when fifth at Epsom last time on softer ground. He could bounce back to form on a sounder surface here.
Shortlist: Almosh’her, Ethichal Diamond, Caviar Heights, Mutaawid
4.20: Coronation Stakes: It’s more Grade 1 action at 4.20 with the Coronation Stakes, which is set to be contested over a distance of a mile on the round course. It could pay to take a chance on KON TIKI for the Jane Chapple-Hyam yard, who’s the mount of William Buick. She comes into the race boasting a perfect record of three wins from three starts, with her most recent success coming within Listed company at the Dante Meeting at York last month. That success came on fast ground, so the surface here will be no issue, and she looks highly progressive in her own right; she could represent some value within an eleven-runner field.
The two big battalions at the top of the betting have to enter calculations, firstly, Falakeyah for Owen Burrows and Jim Crowley. She looked very exciting when bolting up in the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket last time, showing a lot of gears to burn her rivals off halfway through that particular contest. If she comes on again from that run, she could prove tough to beat. Francis-Henri Graffard sends Zarigana here, who’s the mount of Mickael Barzalona. She’s already a Group 1 winner, having been awarded the race in the stewards’ room last time out from She’s Perfect, she’s also got a couple of Group 3s to her name as well as a neck second in the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac. If handling a faster surface than she’s used to here, she’s an obvious big threat to all.
Shortlist: Kon Tiki, Falakeyah, Zarigana
5.00: Sandringham Stakes: The fifth race of the afternoon is the 5.00 and this is the Sandringham Stakes, which is a Class 2 fillies’ handicap that’s contested over the straight mile. This is another extremely competitive affair, Supermodel currently heads the betting at the time of writing for William Haggas and Tom Marquand, and she has an obvious chance on the back of her handicap success at Nottingham last time out, in what was her seasonal & handicap debut. She’s won by two and a quarter lengths on that occasion and is up seven pounds as a result, it’s likely that she’s still on the upgrade though and looks a big player here.
BOUNTIFUL could be the one to beat, who represents the team of George Boughey and Billy Loughnane. She won back-to-back races within maiden and novice company last season, before finishing fourth of eleven and just a length and a half behind the useful Arabian Dusk in the Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket last July. She had a lengthy time off the track following that run, but returned to the track in the Listed Spring Cup at Lingfield last time out when running a perfectly respectable race when finishing third of seven. She almost certainly needed the run on that occasion, and should be a lot sharper here and can take advantage of being dropped into handicap company.
Emma Lavelle’s Silver Ghost comes into the race in fine form, having won back-to-back handicaps on her last two outings, most recently taking a Class 2 event at Goodwood by two and a half lengths. She’s up in the weights as a result of her recent form, but she may not have finished her purple patch yet. Elsewhere, Saariselka could go well at a big price for Ed Walker, who’s the mount of Mickael Barzalona. She’s gone close in both of her starts to date this term since going handicapping, with her most recent run coming at Newmarket last month, where she finished a head second of eight to Ryka. She’s up four pounds for that run; however, she should still have further progression to come.
Shortlist: Bountiful, Supermodel, Silver Ghost, Saariselka
5.35: King Edward VII Stakes: The penultimate race on Friday is the 5.35, which is the King Edward VII Stakes, and this is a Group 2 affair that’s ridden over a mile and four furlongs. The unbeaten Amiloc will likely go off a short-priced favourite here for Ralph Beckett and Rossa Ryan. He has to enter calculations on the back of his assertive four-length victory in the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood last month, and it remains to be seen where his ceiling is. This requires further progress, but he could well be up for the challenge for his shrewd yard.
It may be worth giving a chance to WIMBELDON HAWKEYE here, who represents James Owen and is the mount of Silvestre De Sousa. He got the better of Puppet Master in the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes last season by the tune of three and a quarter lengths, and he’s a bigger price than that rival currently. He was only three and a half lengths behind Field Of Gold in second in the Craven Stakes on his seasonal reappearance and was a very solid third in the Dante Stakes behind Pride Of Arras last time out. I think he has the best form on offer in the race, and as he’s currently trading at 17/2, he looks a cracking each-way play.
Johnny Murtagh’s Zahraan is somewhat of an unknown entity here and could prove to be highly-progressive, he was a seven-length winner of a maiden on his seasonal reappearance at Cork in May, and followed with a two and a quarter length victory in a Listed event at Leopardstown earlier this month. He’ll likely progress further following that run, and that makes him a player here with Ben Coen on board.
Shortlist: Wimbledon Hawkeye, Amiloc, Zahraan
6.10: Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes: Concluding the action on Friday will be the Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes, which is a Class 2 handicap over five furlongs. This is more of the same in terms of its competitive nature, with the majority of the field holding some form of chance. Michael Appleby sends MR LIGHTSIDE to take his chance here under Kevin Stott, and at his current price of 16/1, he could represent a bit of value. He’s been operating at a higher level than this as of late, with his most recent run coming in Listed company at York last month, where he was only a length and three-quarters behind the useful Tropical Storm. A repeat of that level of form could be enough to see him go close here within handicap company.
Simon & Ed Crisford’s Adrestia is another who makes the shortlist for me here, who’s the mount of Oisin Murphy. She was the winner of a Sandown handicap last summer and posted her best effort since that victory last time out when finishing third of ten in a Class 2 event at Windsor earlier this month, just a length behind eventual winner Regal Envoy. She’ll contest this off the same mark as that Windsor run, and I think that makes her a player.
Looking closer to the top of the market, the unexposed Realign has an obvious chance on his handicap debut for William Haggas and James Doyle. He was an impressive maiden winner at Salisbury last time, and his owners are having a great week. Redorange is up nine pounds for his Chester win; however, the form of that success is strong, and if he continues to progress, he could have enough in the locker to go well again here for Clive Cox and Rossa Ryan.
Shortlist: Mr Lightside, Adrestia, Realign, Redorange
