Saturday 26th July 2025
King George Day Selections
1.10: Ascot
My first selection of the afternoon on Saturday comes within the 1.10 and this is a Class 2 maiden that’s contested over a distance of six furlongs. I’m strong on the chances of New Monarch here for the team of Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy. He ran a very encouraging race on his racecourse debut at Newbury last month, finishing a couple of lengths second to the progressive Moonfall, who was a well-backed favourite on the day. He looks almost certain to improve significantly following that effort, and he should go very close here.
NEW MONARCH – 5/1 (Each-Way)
2.00: York (Sky Bet Dash Handicap)
It’s over to York for my next selections, and the competitive Sky Bet Dash Handicap, which is a Class 2 event over six furlongs. I’ve had two plays within this particular affair. The first of which is Pocklington for Geoff Olroyd and P J McDonald. He went very close at Newcastle last time out, on his seasonal reappearance, finishing just a shoulder second of thirteen. He’s only a pound higher here and looks very solid on the back of his latest effort. My other selection is Strike Red for Richard Fahey and Billy Garritty. He’s a course and distance winner who’s generally consistent in these types of contests. He was only beaten by a couple of lengths in the Stewards Cup at Hamilton last time out, and he’s been dropped a further pound, meaning he’ll contest this off the same mark as his last winning one. That success also came at this track.
POCKLINGTON – 6/1 (Each-Way)
STRIKE RED – 11/1 (Each-Way)
2.20: Ascot (Valiant Stakes)
It’s back over to Ascot for my third selection of the afternoon, and this is the Group 3 Valiant Stakes for fillies & mares over a mile on the round course. I’ve come down on Cajole here for John & Thady Gosden, who’s set to be ridden by William Buick. She’s a progressive type and has already shown a very solid level of form in her short career. Most recently, she finished just a length behind the exciting Blue Bolt at Sandown in the Listed Coral Distaff, and before that, she was a length second in the highly competitive Sandringham Stakes over course and distance at the Royal Meeting. There should be a lot more to come from her, and I think she could go very close in this.
CAJOLE – 11/2 (Each-Way)
3.00: Ascot (Moet & Chandon International Handicap)
It’s more highly competitive action at 3.00 at Ascot with the International Handicap, which is a Heritage Handicap over seven furlongs. I’ve gone for two selections again here, with the first of those coming in the form of Billyjoh for Michael Appleby and Tom Marquand. He hasn’t won for a while; however, he has several very solid runs to his name in competitive handicaps, including most recently at Newmarket when third in the Bunbury Cup behind the progressive More Thunder. He didn’t get a clear run that day, so you could probably mark the run up further, and he can go well again here off the same mark. I’m also taking a chance on Oliver Show for George Boughey and Billy Loughnane. He was only denied by a nose in the Lincoln at Doncaster back in March, and wasn’t given a hard time at the Royal Meeting here on his following start. I think he could well bounce back to form here in the blinkers, and he’s only three pounds higher than his Doncaster effort.
BILLYJOH – 10/1 (Each-Way)
OLIVER SHOW – 18/1 (Each-Way)
3.35: Ascot
My penultimate pick on the day comes within the 3.35 at Ascot, and this is a Class 2 handicap that’s ridden over a mile on the straight course. I think that the William Haggas trained Bullet Point could prove tough to beat here under Tom Marquand. He won three handicaps in a row before finishing a close second of thirty in the Royal Hunt Cup, when just three-quarters of a length behind the equally progressive My Cloud. I think that the Haggas charge could prove another for the yard who’s a pattern class horse within a handicap, and he should have every chance here off just three pounds higher than his Royal Hunt Cup run.
BULLET POINT – 7/2 (Win) (NB)
4.10 Ascot: (King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes)
Concluding my Saturday blog will be the big one, which comes up at 4.10, and this is the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes over a mile and four furlongs. I’m strong on the French raider here in Calandagan for Francis-Henri Graffard and Mickael Barzalona. He finally got his Group 1 last time out following a string of second-placed efforts, when winning by three and a half lengths at Saint-Cloud. Despite his narrow defeat to Jan Brueghel at Epsom on his penultimate start in the Coronation Cup, I still believe that he’s the best horse in the race here, and with slightly different tactics here, I think he can turn that form around at a track that he should enjoy more. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a dominant success.
CALANDAGAN – 7/4 (Win) (NAP)
