The horse racing broadcaster provides his five selections for Saturday's racing at Ascot and York.
A terrific looking King George is the finale to seven races on ITV this Saturday. Featuring horses from four different nations, it puts the form of some of the major races from around the globe under the spotlight.
CALANDAGAN 6/4 (15:35 Ascot) deserves to be favourite. He overcame giving Kalpana first run in the race last year and returned later on in the season to lower the colours of Ombudsman in the Champion Stakes. Arguably his greatest achievement took place at the end of November when he beat Masquerade Ball in his own backyard when winning the Japan Cup. Masquerade Ball reopposes here but it will be much tougher for him away from his native homeland, and even though ground conditions will be right this looks a tougher assignment. Currently I am taking a position against the classic generation in all areas bar the 2000 Guineas form of Bow Echo and Gstaad. That therefore includes Benvenuto Cellini who technically didn’t run in the Derby at Epsom but did go on and win the Irish version. I am also not sure Ascot’s short straight will suit him as well as Calandagan, who looks to have the superior turn of foot. With continued concerns about the form of the Aidan O’Brien yard, the chief dangers could be Goliath and Kalpana with the latter looking as if she may have improved this season. She got to the front a bit soon in the Hardwicke, whilst in the same race Goliath’s rider Christophe Soumillon lost an iron in the closing stages ending his chances. Both can make the frame, but Calandagan looks to have a touch of class and can make it back to back King George wins.
Earlier at Ascot DARK ISSUE 11/4 (13:45) looks to have sold claims in the Princess Margaret. She made the usual Dark Angel improvement from first to second run when following her debut Goodwood victory with fourth in the Albany to Libertango. The Albany has thrown up five next time out winners, admittedly at short prices, and Dark Issue shaped well in fourth that day having to change course at one stage before keeping on.
Touleen and Extremely Zain both hold obvious claims in the 14:20 and 14:55 but both are too short to warrant supporting and instead the better opportunities look to be at York, starting with LETHAL NYMPH 5/1 (13:30 York) in the Jump Jockeys Nunthorpe. A point and shoot horse is ideal in this race and trainer Paul Midgley has won the race three times in recent seasons. Lethal Nymph has dropped to a good mark and has performed well at the track, and it is his first run in 0-80 since winning at Doncaster last September.
Old warhorse APOLLO ONE 12/1 (14:00 York) could have been too easily forsaken by the market in the Dash. He always runs with credit in these big handicaps and can be forgiven for his Wokingham run where the race developed away from him. Perhaps feeling old age may be wearying him, the handicapper eased him a generous 3lbs to 94 which is 11lb lower than the mark on which he ended 2025. There is not masses of pace in the race so his forward runs style suits both the tempo and the way York sprints tend to favour forward placed runners.
Finally opposing the Derby form again means taking on Item in the York Stakes with ROYAL CHAMPION 9/4 (14:35 York). He put up a career best when a decisive winner of the race last season and proved that to be no fluke when embarking on a globe-trotting campaign that saw him win in Qatar and Saudi, before a creditable fourth to Romantic Warrior in Hong Kong two places behind Masquerade Ball. That is top class from and even though he carries a 5lb penalty he will be very hard to beat.
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