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- Royal Ascot Day Five: Insights into key Irish horses
Royal Ascot Day Five: Insights into key Irish horses
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© Healy Racing Photos
Royal Ascot concludes with Saturday’s Day five card and the main event is the £1,000,000 Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. There are numerous Irish-trained runners so we’ve picked out four of the most interesting.
Aidan O’Brien and Willie Mullins are both represented and the former has a runner in the big race of the day, who is expected to take a massive step forward from his first start of the season.
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Moments Of Joy - Ascot, Chesham Stakes
Aidan O’Brien’s two-year-olds have been in fine form this week and he has won this race three times in the last five years. He’s represented by Moments Of Joy, a daughter of Justify who managed to get off the mark at the first time of asking a couple of weeks ago.
She raced prominently under Wayne Lordan at Leopardstown and saw the extended 7f trip out well. O’Brien’s juveniles always take a huge step forward from their debuts and if this filly follows suit, she could prove hard to beat.
2.306f. 17 Declared.
Albany Stakes (Fillies' Group 3) (Class 1 ) of £125,000.00 2-y-o
- Formscan
- Race Info
1st - €70,888.00 2nd - €26,875.00 3rd - €13,450.00 4th - €6,700.00 5th - €3,362.00 6th - €1,688.00 Going - Good to Firm.
Formscan - Aidan O'Brien has taken two of the last three renewals and Signora is his contender this year. The daughter of Frankel showed enough to work with when third on her debut in a Group 3 at Naas and it would be no surprise to see her take a big leap forward. Fitzella progressed from her introduction to make a deep impression when victorious at Haydock and is one to watch closely, but a chance can be taken on FAIRY OAK. The daughter of A'Ali outran her odds of 25/1 to finish second on her first start at Navan. With the booking of Colin Keane catching the eye, she could spring a surprise.
Odds Shortening 
Odds Lengthening | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
1411 | 9th | Signora | 6/4  2/1 | 7/4 |
78 | 13th | Green Sense | 10/1  5/1 | 9/2 |
513 | 4th | Fitzella | 9/2 | |
171 | 1st | Venetian Sun | 10/1 13/2 | 11/2 |
614 | 6th | Gold Digger | 9/1 7/1 | 8/1 |
917 | 11th | Ipanema Queen | 11/1 15/2 | 11/1 |
169 | 17th | Tahalel | 16/1 25/1 | 28/1 |
24 | 3rd | Balantina | 14/1 25/1 | 33/1 |
13 | 2nd | Awaken | 50/1 | |
410 | 5th | Fairy Oak | 66/1 | |
112 | 7th | Nandita | 14/1 33/1 | 80/1 |
812 | 15th | Indigo Dawn | 100/1 | |
125 | 16th | Oh Cecelia | 25/1 50/1 | 100/1 |
36 | 8th | Bibi Dahl | 100/1 | |
1016 | 14th | Magny Cours | 100/1 40/1 | 125/1 |
157 | 12th | Spinning Lizzie | 33/1 100/1 | 125/1 |
1315 | 10th | Senorita Vega | 150/1 | |
| Betting Percentage | 124% | |||
| Each-Way Terms | 4 1/5 | |||
7/4
Al Riffa - Ascot, Hardwicke Stakes
International performer Al Riffa drops into a Group 2 company here and you wouldn’t want to rule out a return to winning ways. Joseph O’Brien’s five-year-old has produced two solid displays over shorter trips this season, but the return to 1m4f will surely be in his favour.
The son of Wootton Bassett was an impressive winner of the Grosser Preis von Berlin on his first attempt over this trip last season and he was far too good for them, pulling five lengths clear of the runner-up.
Only a length separated him and City Of Troy in the Eclipse last season and reproduction of that form would make him very hard to beat.
3.056f. 21 Declared.
Commonwealth Cup (Group 1) (Class 1 ) of £725,750.00 3-y-o
- Formscan
- Race Info
1st - €411,573.00 2nd - €156,036.00 3rd - €78,091.00 4th - €38,900.00 5th - €19,523.00 6th - €9,798.00 Going - Good to Firm.
Formscan - Last year's winner Inisherin proved that dropping back in trip after tasting defeat in the 2000 Guineas can open new doors for a progressive horse and it is highly noteworthy SHADOW OF LIGHT follows suit after his gallant third-placed finish in the Classic at Newmarket. Having won the Middle Park and Dewhurst on his way to claiming champion juvenile honours last year, the son of Lope De Vega is expected to excel as a sprinter. Babouche has already accounted for Whistlejacket in two high-profile races in Ireland so must be regarded as a serious player in receipt of 3lb from the boys. Ides Of March, Jonquil and Big Mojo all hold solid chances of gaining some prize money.
Odds Shortening Odds Lengthening | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
919 | 5th | Shadow Of Light | 13/8 2/1 | 13/8 |
815 | 13th | Jonquil | 6/1 7/2 | 9/2 |
| 1418 | 20th | Babouche | 4/1 6/1 | 13/2 |
202 | 15th | Shisospicy | 16/1 15/2 | 8/1 |
1211 | 6th | Whistlejacket | 12/1 | |
512 | 7th | Big Mojo | 11/1 16/1 | 14/1 |
722 | 16th | Ides Of March | 16/1 | |
1810 | 3rd | Rayevka | 25/1 18/1 | 22/1 |
221 | 1st | Time For Sandals | 50/1 18/1 | 25/1 |
320 | 2nd | Arizona Blaze | 25/1 | |
216 | 8th | Sky Majesty | 33/1 | |
1617 | 18th | Lady With The Lamp | 40/1 | |
| 63 | 21st | Diablo Rojo | 50/1 | |
15 | 9th | Ain't Nobody | 50/1 | |
134 | 12th | Arabian Dusk | 50/1 | |
197 | 4th | Sayidah Dariyan | 66/1 | |
119 | 11th | Strong Warrior | 33/1 66/1 | 80/1 |
413 | 14th | Berkshire Whisper | 40/1 150/1 | 100/1 |
1516 | 17th | Carla Ridge | 125/1 | |
108 | 19th | Soldier's Heart | 150/1 | |
| 214 | 10th | Arabie | 200/1 | |
1721 | n.r. | Leovanni | 25/1 | |
| Betting Percentage | 130% | |||
| Each-Way Terms | 4 1/5 | |||
Storm Boy - Ascot, Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes
© Healy Racing Photos
Storm Boy arrived from Australia with a big reputation and plenty of expectation, so most people were disappointed with his very flat display in the Greenlands Stakes on his first start for Aidan O’Brien earlier this month. We’re going to need to see a lot more if he’s to get anywhere close to winning this Group 1 contest.
His trainer reported that he hadn’t done a lot with the four-year-old beforehand, so it’s no surprise that Storm Boy was nowhere near fit enough.
Apparently everything has gone well since however and connections are convinced that we’re going to see a completely different horse this time around.
3.401m. 3f. 211yds. 18 Declared.
Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) (Class 2 ) of £110,000.00 3-y-o plus
- Formscan
- Race Info
1st - €56,694.00 2nd - €26,587.00 3rd - €13,299.00 4th - €6,644.00 5th - €3,322.00 6th - €1,661.00 Going - Good to Firm.
Formscan - An Irish raider has taken this valuable prize in the last two years and Ethical Diamond is likely to mount a bold bid in an attempt to improve on that trend. Willie Mullins' five-year-old was fourth when sent off favourite for last year's renewal and returns off 2lb higher, while Almosh'her has an appealing profile after making it two from two in handicaps at York and he may have plenty more in the locker, but HAND OF GOD gets the nod. Harry Charlton's charge came through the field to land the Golden Gates over 1m2f at the 2024 Royal meeting and ran too badly to be true last month at Newmarket on his first start since. The son of Churchill potentially remains on a lenient rating and could bounce back.
Odds Shortening Odds Lengthening | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
187 | 1st | Ethical Diamond | 10/3 | |
| 1215 | 8th | French Duke | 9/2 | |
710 | 6th | Hand Of God | 11/2 | |
| 1422 | 12th | Almosh'her | 11/2 | |
918 | 15th | Stressfree | 8/1 | |
58 | 2nd | Mutaawid | 9/1 | |
817 | 5th | Mount Atlas | 12/1 | |
1312 | 7th | War Rooms | 12/1 | |
1113 | 4th | Siege Of Troy | 16/1 | |
173 | 14th | Blue Lemons | 22/1 | |
611 | 3rd | Naqeeb | 28/1 | |
154 | 10th | Auld Toon Loon | 33/1 | |
206 | 18th | Hms President | 40/1 | |
1019 | 9th | Max Mayhem | 50/1 | |
192 | 17th | Satin | 50/1 | |
221 | 13th | Flight Leader | 66/1 | |
114 | 11th | Teumessias Fox | 80/1 | |
169 | 16th | Brodure | 100/1 | |
416 | n.r. | Caviar Heights | 14/1 | |
35 | n.r. | See Hector | 80/1 | |
| Betting Percentage | 135% | |||
| Each-Way Terms | 5 1/5 | |||
Sober - Ascot, Queen Alexandra Stakes
Willie Mullins is always dangerous and National Hunt racing’s dominant force is set to run Sober in the final race of Royal Ascot 2025.
The six-year-old was last seen winning a Killarney novice hurdle over 2m4f on his first start in that sphere, so the marathon trip here isn’t expected to be a problem.
Very smart on the Flat for Andre Fabre in his native France, he won two Group 2s over just shy of two miles, which makes him the potential class act in this field.
Ryan Moore has been booked to take the ride and provided he doesn’t experience the traffic problems that Reaching High did earlier on in the week, he could prove very hard to beat.
6.105f. 24 Declared.
Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2 ) of £110,000.00 3-y-o
- Formscan
- Race Info
1st - €56,694.00 2nd - €26,587.00 3rd - €13,299.00 4th - €6,644.00 5th - €3,322.00 6th - €1,661.00 Going - Good to Firm.
Formscan - Stormy Impact, Lexington Blitz and the speedy Ruby's Profit were the first three home in that order in the 3YO Dash at Epsom and all have solid claims once again. The same comment applies to Realign, who is another pace angle based on his dominant return in a maiden at Yarmouth, where he made every yard of the running to establish himself as a prime contender to cope with a step up in class. However, fellow confirmed front-runner REDORANGE shades preference. Having exploited a handy draw to win at Chester, the son of Mehmas could be even more potent with this wider course allowing him more room to maneuver.
Odds Shortening Odds Lengthening | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 129 | 9th | Realign | 7/2 | |
117 | 2nd | Hammer The Hammer | 4/1 | |
2631 | 24th | Brighton Boy | 7/1 | |
2324 | 1st | Adrestia | 10/1 | |
94 | 3rd | Redorange | 11/1 | |
1927 | 13th | Dark Cloud Rising | 11/1 | |
229 | 16th | Mr Lightside | 12/1 | |
718 | 4th | Zayer | 14/1 | |
86 | 10th | Stormy Impact | 16/1 | |
1321 | 7th | Ruby's Profit | 18/1 | |
526 | 18th | Miss Lamai | 20/1 | |
| 63 | 15th | Maw Lam | 22/1 | |
1011 | 23rd | Bodhi Bear | 22/1 | |
2416 | 5th | Jorge Alvares | 25/1 | |
272 | 12th | Lexington Blitz | 28/1 | |
2522 | 11th | Brosay | 33/1 | |
225 | 14th | King Of Bears | 40/1 | |
| 415 | 20th | Candy | 40/1 | |
178 | 21st | Englemere | 50/1 | |
2113 | 19th | King Of Light | 66/1 | |
147 | 22nd | Enola Holmes | 80/1 | |
1125 | 8th | King's Call | 100/1 | |
201 | 17th | Suhail Star | 100/1 | |
| 2812 | 6th | Mearall | 125/1 | |
1828 | n.r. | Red Sand | 14/1 | |
320 | n.r. | Jungle Drums | 40/1 | |
| 1630 | n.r. | Vingegaard | 50/1 | |
1519 | n.r. | Arctic Voyage | 66/1 | |
| Betting Percentage | 142% | |||
| Each-Way Terms | 6 1/5 | |||
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