Overpass makes swift return in Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes

Connections of Overpass are confident the Australian sprint star can thrive on his previous experience when running for the second time in five days at Royal Ascot.

Bjorn Baker’s seven-year-old made his British debut on Tuesday when finishing a length behind Mission Central in third during an absorbing King Charles III Stakes over the minimum trip.

He will return to his favoured six furlongs in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes on Saturday and assistant trainer Luke Hilton is excited by the Vancouver gelding’s prospects.

“He came out of the race on Tuesday really well, couldn’t be happier with him,” Hilton said.

“We went for a trot and a canter on Thursday morning and he seemed in really good order and looked just like he did before the race, so very happy with him.

“It was definitely in the back of our minds to run in both races, we wanted to see how we went on Tuesday and how he fared, and it was always a possibility to run on Saturday.

“Unfortunately he was run over by a couple of sharper horses over the 1000 metres so looking at Tuesday’s race, we are keen to get him out to the 1200m and while it’s still undulating and tough, there might not be as much pressure and they might not be as sharp.

“That was one of the main reasons Bjorn was keen on probably running him again and felt that the experience of all of it could really come in here, of the track and the starting gates as well.

“He has a barrier tenant with him all the time in Australia, they can stay with him until he leaves the gate whereas in the UK they can’t. So just going through that experience will help him – he wasn’t sharp out of the gates as he can be.”

Another Antipodean raider tops the market, Chris Waller’s Joliestar.

The five-year-old mare is unbeaten in 2026, winning a Group Two and two Group Ones in the process and could become Waller’s second Royal Ascot winner.

“Her form in Australia is rock-solid,” Waller’s assistant, Charlie Duckworth, said. “She has won her last three starts, including the TJ Smith Stakes against a really good field. She put them to bed quite well that day on a track that was probably softer than she likes, so I don’t think she has been in as good form.

“We are unsure how to marry that up against the opposition for Saturday, but we are going off the fact that Nature Strip won the TJ Smith Stakes and was good enough to come here and do us all proud.

“Joliestar won the Guineas over a mile as a three-year-old and, although we have dropped her back to sprinting subsequently, that gives us confidence that she can see out the stiff six furlongs.

“It is a huge thrill to be here again, especially for Cambridge Stud who selected Joliestar as a yearling. It has been a journey in terms of working out her best distance. I don’t think there are many who win a Guineas and then four Group One races over 1200m.”

The final-day showpiece also features more raiders from across the globe, with Japanese duo Satono Reve and Lugal, French pair Sajir and Stolen Kiss as well as Denmark’s Great Wish.

Closer to home, Wathnan Racing have two darts at glory with James Fanshawe’s Kind Of Blue and the Andrew Balding-trained Flora Of Bermuda.

“Nothing went to plan last year and it was always little niggle here, little niggle there and every time James rang me there was a little thing,” Wathnan’s racing adviser Richard Brown said of Kind Of Blue.

“It’s been completely smooth though all spring and I think he ran a very good comeback race at York.

“I’m sure he’ll come forward for that and William Haggas’ horse had the benefit of the run that day, whereas our lad will have needed it and will take a step forward we think.”

Speaking about Flora Of Bermuda, Brown added: “We dropped in class to win the Listed race at Newmarket and it was great to get her head in front for us.

“Andrew has been really bubbling about her work since and she always runs her race. She’s run high quality races in plenty of Group One sprints and I know she was a bit behind Lazzat and the Japanese runner when third in this last year but she was ahead of the rest of them.

“I’m sure she’ll put up her typical good showing.”

Among the 19 declared runners, Haggas has two entrants with Lake Forest and Almeraq, Aramram goes for Richard Hannon and the Clive Cox-trained Jasour is also in the field.

Khaadem aims to regain his crown he won in 2023 and 2024, last year’s Commonwealth Cup winner Time For Sandals also runs for second time this week for Harry Eustace, Regional starts for Ed Bethell, Sayidah Dariyan lines up for Richard Hughes and Richard and Peter Fahey’s Powerful Glory complete the home team.

There is just one Irish contender in the form of Comanche Brave, who was last seen securing the Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh.

“Everything has gone to plan with him and he goes there with a really good chance,” said trainer Donnacha O’Brien, for whom Pierre-Charles Boudot will be in the saddle.

“He likes fast ground and he has only run once at Ascot and he ran pretty well so I think the track and trip will suit him, but he’s in good form.”