Race 1 2.30 Queen Anne Stakes
A race largely covered in our Ante Post report and bet on Sardinian Warrior at 12/1.
Thankfully the make up of the race has not changed since I wrote this up on the 25th May 2025. Sardinian Warrior has shortenend into around 7/1 and Lake Forest is available at 14/1 or bigger. Some of the possible doubts about the race being ran at a decent pace has been removed with the declaration of the 100/1 outsider Cairo and the supplementing of American raider Carl Sparkler who both want to be in the front rank.
Sardinian Warrior will be prominent with Dancing Gemini and Lead Artist and get first run on Rosallion, and Notable Speech, last to strike will be Lake Forest. We will quickly find out if my opinion on last years 3 yo milers being over rated is correct. But i am more than hopeful that the master rider Christophe Soumillion will deliver Sardinian Warrior at the right time and in the right place to give us a great start to the meeting.
Recommended Bet Sardinian Warrior 12/1 1pt win (advised Ante Post)
Add 0.5pt Saver Lake Forest 14/1
Race 2 3.05 Coventry Stakes
A race where the gloss has been removed with the set back and non appearance of Albert Einstein who is potentially already the best 2yo of this generation.
However , often the key to the race is whether the Irish or English trained juveniles are the more forward at this time of the year. The early markets were totally turned upside with the setback to Albert Einstein and they have had another shake up with Ryan Moore choosing to ride Gstaad.
Military Code brings the most solid Uk form into the race with his win here at Ascot boosted by nearly every horse he beat that day. Form on the straight course here is always beneficial. However he was workmanlike rather than exhilarating and it wouldn’t surprise me if something improved past him.
It is a race i want to spend more time on and will come back to it in the noon update on Tuesday.
Race 3 3.40 King Charles 111 stakes
There is a guaranteed strong pace here across the full width of the track with Bucanero Fuerta in stall 2 Night Raider in 7 and Frost At Dawn in 15 all set to ensure this is ran at an end to end gallop. I expect Night Raider will be at the head of the field for the first 4 furlongs, which should be in favour of Believing in stall 1 and last years winner Asfoora in 10.
However traditionally high numbers are best on the straight course and Regional in 17 and American Affair in 16 could get a good lead from Frost at Dawn. Had Regional been drawn closer to Night Raider he would be my selection but 17 means he is going to use up valuable petrol getting close to the Burke horse and he may get run out of it close home. this is another race where i will be confirming bets or not at 12 noon Tuesday.
Race 4 4.20 St James Palace Stakes
This race has also been covered in our report in early May
We recommended Field of Gold as a 3pt bet and outstanding value at 5/2. He is likely to go off at around 4/7. Hopefully, irrespective as to what happens to Sardinian Warrior in the Queen Anne providing he gets the job done we will show a profit on our Ante Post book, despite the fact that Ruling Court our 2pt Derby bet Realign our 0.5 point ew Commonwealth Cup Bet and our 20/1 1pt Acc never made it to post.
Nothing more to add on the St James Palace Stakes except to say Field of Gold should of course have landed our 4pt max bet in the 2000 Guineas and should prove himself probably the best miler in the world by winning here and replicating the career of his father Kingman.
Recommended Bet 3pt win Field Of Gold 4.20 Ascot ( Advised Ante Post)
Race 5 5.00 Ascot Stakes.
The rest of the day 1 Ascot card has the feel of the Cheltenham festival.
The Ascot stakes features handicap plots organised up Joseph O’Brien with Willie Mullins throwing in a supposed good thing except for Paul Townsend read Ryan Moore.
Throw in a Tony Martin plot job plus a Henry De Bromhead runner together with the Triumph Hurdle winner Poniros and placed East India Dock and this race really should be run at Prestbury Park.
To makes things even more difficult it looks like they will go a steady gallop. This is not a race for me – good luck if you want to get involved.
Race 6 5.35 Wolferton Stakes
The money has come for the Roger Varian trained Enfjaar and it does look a though this is his main target for the season given the eye catching run in the Brigadier Gerard stakes at Sandown and the fact that the hood is back on here.
Since his win in last years John Smiths Magnet Cup he has flattered to deceive but the Sandown run was very eyecatching and he must go close here if he improves for that run. However he was disappointing in his only previous run at Ascot and no horse in recent years has won from a stall number lower than 5 and he is in stall 2.
The two that took my eye are the ultra tough Haatem who is trying this trip for the first time having looked like he will benefit from it despite being a Jersey Stakes winner and Ecureuil Secret who was so impressive at Epsom on his first start for Richard Fahey looking every inch a Group race winner in waiting.
This race normally requires a 10f specialist which would favour Ecureuil Secret, although Galen may take him on for the lead and it could turn into a pace duel which would very much favour the class angle Haatem and if he is ridden forward just off the pace as though he stays 10f and not held up to get the trip i think he will win.
The race often is won by the class angle and that is Haatem. I will watch the markets and decide on whether the 4yo merits a bet around 12 noon Tuesday.
Race 7 6.10 Copper Horse Stakes
Only 5 runnings of this race but Willie Mullins and Ryan Moore have won two of them. The pair combine with the current second favourite Charlus who was very disappointing in the Triumph Hurdle and doesn’t look as well handicapped as the lat two winners Belloccio and Vauban who was thrown in and won as the Even money favourite. Charlus looks poorly drawn in stall 1
John and Thady Gosden won this in 2021 with an unconsidered 33/1 outsider but that won’t be the case this year and they are represented by French Master ideally drawn in stall 7 and ridden by James Doyle for Wathnan Racing.
Last time out at Goodwood Rab Havlin almost managed to get beaten but the 4yo has a touch of class and got his rider out of trouble winning by a neck. He is fitted with blinkers here and with Doyle now in the saddle and running off a strong pace i expect him to improve by at least 8lb and make light of the 4lb rise he got for that Goodwood win which saw him put up to a mark of 100 from 96.
He is very well drawn in stall 7 ( so important in races over the round course at Ascot ) and I am confident French Master can round off a magical day for the John and Thady Gosden yard by taking out the finale with a bit to spare. I expect him to be very well backed and go off around 7/4 in what in reality is a race more akin to Class 3 handicap at Southwell.
Recommended Bets on Royal Ascot Day1 -‘In John and Thady we trust.’
Already Advised 1pt win Sardinian Warrior 12/1 2.30 Royal Ascot
Already Advised 3pt win Field of Gold 5/2 4.20 Royal Ascot
0.5pt win Lake Forest 14/1 2.30 Royal Ascot
3pt win French Master 5/2 6.10 Royal Ascot
Further update noon Tuesday.
Chrysalis Consortium 
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