It’s Day 5 of Royal Ascot on Saturday afternoon and we finish the Flat showpiece with another superb seven race card. However, we focus on the first six races and the Tote Placepot, as we look to find six horses to make the frame and win a possible bumper payout on what should be a fabulous finale at the Berkshire racecourse…
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Leg 1: 2.30pm – Chesham Stakes
Leg 1 Selections: (14) Bedtime Story
Aidan O’Brien has six wins in the Chesham Stakes, which kicks off the final day of Royal Ascot, and the master of Ballydoyle can make it a magnificent seven on Saturday with BEDTIME STORY claiming the Listed event. The daughter of Frankel and Mecca’s Angel was mightily impressive when winning a Leopardstown maiden a few weeks ago and she could shape into a top class performer.
She was given a fine ride that day as she quickened under hands and heels to get her head in front and with that positive experience sure to bring improvement then she can get the better of Charlie Appleby’s Age Of Gold, who looks the main danger.
Leg 2: 3.05pm – Hardwicke Stakes
Leg 2 Selections: (6) Goliath
It’s a pretty mediocre renewal of the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at 3:05pm and while the likes of Continuous and Middle Earth are decent performers at their best they certainly aren’t top class horses, so this could be a race worth taking a chance with a big-priced runner.
Francis-Henri Graffard’s GOLIATH is a big price for France, but two starts ago he was a winner of a Group 3 event at Longchamp, while he was fourth in a decent Group 2 contest last time out. He will have to contend with the quickest going he’s raced on yet, but that could bring on some improvement, so take a plunge on him putting up a career best here.
Leg 3: 3.45pm – Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes
Leg 3 Selections: (6) Mitbaahy
It’s a tough renewal of the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes to decipher, but the one to side with is the Charles Hills-trained MITBAAHY, who can build on a fine Group 2 victory at the Curragh last month and claim victory in this contest.
A smart 9/1 winner of the Greenlands Stakes in May, the five-year-old appears to be a better horse than when he finished eighth in last season’s King’s Stand Stakes and with last year’s winning jockey Jamie Spencer in the saddle he’s sure to be played late and can storm home to claim the win for Hills, who saddled Khaadem to victory 12 months ago.
Leg 4: 4.25pm – Jersey Stakes
Leg 4 Selections: (14) River Tiber
There’s a monster clash between the Aidan O’Brien-trained RIVER TIBER and the Richard Hannon-trained Haatem in a quality renewal of the Jersey Stakes at 4:25pm, but it’s the former that can prevail and land a second Royal Ascot success for the Ballydoyle team.
A neck winner of the Coventry Stakes last year, River Tiber has failed to kick on from that success and was last seen finishing third in Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh, where he was just behind Haatem. However, his rival that day was race fit having been on the track this season, and the drop back to seven furlongs for the Jersey should see him in a much better light and he can bounce back to winning ways for favourite backers.
Leg 5: 5.05pm – Wokingham Stakes
Leg 5 Selections: (7) Saint Lawrence, (11) Cover Up
Rohaan showed in 2021 and 2022 that a horse can win back-to-back Wokinghams and in 2024 the Archie Watson-trained SAINT LAWRENCE can emulate that star sprinter by winning the race for the second time. A winner of this event 12 months by a length, Saint Lawrence has failed to fire since, but this has seen his mark drop to 103, which is only 3lbs higher than last season.
The six-year-old failed to figure at Newmarket on his last outing, but he’s been dropped by 2lbs and a return to Ascot and a big field should see him at his best and he looks a solid option. In such a competitive race it’s worth putting two selections in the Tote Placepot perm and one at a big price that could make the frame is COVER UP, who’s been performing well on the all-weather.
Leg 6: 5.40pm – Golden Gates Stakes
Leg 6 Selections: (1) Cambridge
Aidan O’Brien can bookend the Placepot on day five of Royal Ascot as he will unleash a fascinating runner in the Golden Gates Stakes in the shape of CAMBRIDGE, who was last seen finishing fourth to the top class Economics in the Dante Stakes at York. Thought to be a Group performer at the start of the season, the son of Dubawi has finished both fourth in the Dante and in the Craven, so is eye-catching dropping into handicaps.
He will have the burden of top weight, but his sole victory came on good ground at Salisbury, so a return to a quicker surface for this contest could be the making of him and with an Irish Derby entry he’s certainly still held in high regard and he could simply outclass his rivals here.
Placepot Selections For Day Five of Royal Ascot On Saturday 22nd June
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