It’s Day 5 at Royal Ascot, and the final day brings down the curtain on another high-class week of horseracing.
The day’s highlight is the Gr1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (16h45), worth £567,100 to winning connections. A competitive field of 14 runners line up at the six-furlong start, and its 5/1 the field.
Royal Ascot Racecourse – it’s been a week to remember (Pic – Royal Ascot)
Course and distance winner Kinross and the William Buick ridden recent Group 2 York winner Mill Stream head the market, with Mitbaahy, Shartash and four-year-old filly Believing all at 6/1.
The winner should come from the quintet. Shartash has been revitalised since joining Archie Watson, winning both stable starts this season in the Wathnan Racing colours. James Doyle rides, and the stiff six furlongs looks ideal.
Kinross would prefer an extra furlong but is not out of it alongside the improving Mill Stream, but Mitbaahy is the narrow selection.
Charlie Hills and Jamie Spencer teamed up in the Fitri Hay silks to win this last year with Khaadem, and Mitbaahy could provide a memorable double. He was a taking winner of the Gr2 Greenland Stakes at the Curragh last month when quickening up in eye-catching fashion to get up late.
On the course at Royal Ascot (Pic – Royal Ascot)
The runner-up, Regional was narrowly denied by the Australian raider Asfoora in the King Stand on Tuesday and Spencer could time his run to perfection again up the Ascot straight.
Haatem and River Tiber will have plenty of supporters in the Gr3 Jersey Stakes (17h25), with preference for the latter.
Both finished behind impressive St James’s Palace scorer Rosallion in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, with Haatem coming home a head behind the winner but a length and a quarter in front of River Tiber.
However, that was River Tiber’s first start for 238 days while Haatem had the benefit of two previous runs, so Aidan O’Brien’s runner should improve for the outing and looks the more likely of the two to benefit from a drop back to seven furlongs.
Earlier on the card (16h05), Middle Earth trained by the Gosdens looks the type to upset the O’Brien favourite Continuous in the Gr2 Hardwicke Stakes.
Oisin Murphy rides the son of Roaring Lion who didn’t get home in the Leger last season.
This shorter trip and the fast ground are both positives for this unexposed sort who has showed a great turn of foot to win his two starts.
The going for day five of Royal Ascot today is ‘Good to Firm’.
Going Stick readings at 08h00:
Stands’ side: 8.6
Centre: 8.8
Far side: 8.5
Round: 7.7
Stalls:
Straight Course: centre
Round Course: inside
Weather:
Dry overnight. 1.4mm rain recorded over the past 7 days. Today is forecast to be generally dry with sunny spells, a light shower is possible.
Watering:
Watered Straight Course with 4mm and Round Course with 3mm after racing on Friday.
