There is something for everyone on Saturday, with nine meetings taking place across Britain and Ireland, including the final day of Royal Ascot.
There is something for every horse racing fan on Saturday, with nine meetings taking place across Britain and Ireland.
Without doubt the central attraction is at Royal Ascot, but Flat racing also goes ahead at Newmarket, Redcar, Ayr, Haydock, Lingfield, Limerick and Down Royal, while jumps enthusiasts have Bangor-on-Dee to look forward to.
Saturday’s tips
15:40 Ascot – Inisherin @ 7/2
17:00 Ascot – More Thunder @ 7/2
14:30 Ascot – Moments Of Joy @ 11/8
15:40 Ascot – Inisherin
The day’s sole Group 1 race concerns the older horse sprinters and it looks like a cracking renewal of the Queen Elizabethe II Jubilee Stakes.
Some of the best sprinters from around the world have assembled for this 6f sprint, but it could pay to side with one trained at home in the shape of Kevin Ryan’s Inisherin.
Inisherin took his chance in Newmarket’s 2000 Guineas only to fade into sixth over the 1m trip, but looked to have the world at his feet when dropped to sprint trips and taking the Commonwealth Cup in fine style at last year’s Royal meeting.
Things didn’t go to plan after for this son of Shamardal as he suffered reverses when the market leader in both Newmarket’s July Cup and Haydock’s Sprint Cup.
But Inisherin looked the force of old when resuming with a most stylish success in the Duke Of York Stakes at York’s Dante meeting and it was clear that the breathing surgery undertaken had proved a great success.
Japanese raider Satono Reve, along with the French trio Lazzat, Topgear and Sajir add real spice to this contest and it promises to be one of the races of the whole meeting.
17:00 Ascot – More Thunder
William Haggas has made a habit of capturing top-class handicaps over the years and in the shape of More Thunder he has another most likely sort for Ascot’s big 6f handicap.
More Thunder looked anything but a sprinter when campaigned at around 1m2f for Sir Michael Stoute in 2024.
However, the move to Haggas has seen him reinvented as a sprinter and he comes here unbeaten in two runs for his new handler after bagging a pair of 6f Newmarket handicaps.
He has also looked an excellent prospect on both occasions and, with Ascot’s uphill finish a likely plus for this son of Night Of Thunder given his strong-finishing style, he is fancied to go 3-3 before tackling group company later in the season.
14:30 Ascot – Moments Of Joy
Who could forget Bedtime Story’s spectacular success in last year’s Chesham?
Trainer Aidan O’Brien himself has farmed this listed event in recent years and in Moments Of Joy he has a most exciting filly bidding to give him a remarkable sixth victory in the last 10 years.
This Justify filly didn’t appear to be O’Brien’s first choice when she made her debut in a 7f Leopardstown maiden at the start of the month, but she ran out an emphatic winner and always looked to have the race in control after a fast start.
Stable jockey Ryan Moore opted for the odds-on favourite Minerva, who came in third that day, but he is aboard Moments Of Joy now as he looks to provide O’Brien with another juvenile scorer this week.
Charlie Appleby fields a fascinating contender in the shape of Treamor, who won his debut at Newmarket in the style of a top-class colt.
However, history tells us O’Brien usually wins the day here and Moments Of Joy can emerge on top.
