By Tony Calvin - 19 July 2026
Ten runners in the King George at the moment then and all firms are betting 1/5 1,2,3.
They are playing fair there as I am not entirely sure we will get eight runners on the day (seven is the minimum sweet spot for the World Pool, and an onside Aidan O’Brien, who has four of the 10, will be aware of that and may declare accordingly).
In the past week or so everyone has been assuming his Minnie Hauk will be surplus to requirements but now everyone is not so sure (including the ante-post exchange market, which saw her matched at 27.0 on Monday morning), though she has the option of the Nassau next week and it seems Ballydoyle really don’t decide Group 1 runners until Wednesday at the earliest.
Apparently….
George Scott has been making noises that the ground will be too quick for Bay City Roller (though Ascot are watering plenty – see below) and of course we don’t know if O’Brien will run both of his presumed pacemakers Lambourn and Action, as sad as it is to see two such good horses (the former is a Derby winner ffs) sacrificed on the front end.
So maybe we are looking at seven, possibly eight, runners here?
Last year’s winner Calandagan is the best horse in the field and is a general [13/8] chance, though available at 3.1 to small money on Betfair as this race preview goes live, and then we have another five horses in single figures.
At best prices, Benvenuto Cellini at 3s, Masquerade Ball, one of the two Japanese entries, is 4s, Minnie Hauk 7s (I’d hold fire on backing her ante-post myself), last year’s runner-up Kalpana 8s, Goliath 9s and 33s bar.
Of those, I couldn’t have Benvenuto Cellini at 3s myself (and that is only in one place) – and the stable form would have to worry you there – and I’d probably side with Goliath, stablemate of the favourite, at 9s each-way if I was going to have a bet.
I am not sure if I am yet (I can’t access the 9s anyway, by fair means or foul), though the small sums at 13.5 about him (as at 10.29am on Tuesday) could tempt me in for a tenner or so.
That lean is maybe because he owes me after that hard-luck story in the Hardwicke last time when I had a very good go on him – I was convinced he was going to win at the time before that issue with the irons close home, though I am not as certain now on a further review – but, while he is ground-versatile, his record shows that 1m4f on quick ground at Ascot are near to his optimum conditions, as he showed when winning this race as a 25s poke in 2024.
Sure, he needs to step up if the bigger guns bring their A-game to the table – and I am assuming he is an intended runner – but 9s and those three places is a decent combo if you can access it.
I think we can quickly move on from the Jump Jockeys Nunthorpe, a grandiose title for a 0-80 5f handicap.
There are plenty of double entries for this race (see below) and I am surprised five outfits have priced this up.
I’ll be charitable and say this 6f Group 3 fillies’ contest is winnable, with Albany Stakes fourth Dark Issue the obvious standard-setter. And that is why she is the [11/4] favourite.
But a whole host of these don’t have to improve too much to reach her level, and Queen Mary sixth Alta Regina and Windsor Castle runner-up Moonrise are the likeliest lasses to do just that according to the betting, at [9/2] and [11/2] respectively.
Of the outsiders Paddy Twomey’s Velozee appeals most at 16s.
She was taken out of a 7f Group 3 at Leopardstown on Thursday this morning (Tuesday), presumably to come here instead, and she shaped as if this step back up to 6f would certainly suit after her eighth in the Queen Mary.
I have no idea if she is an intended runner but I wouldn’t like to be laying 16s myself. And the Twomey yard is in decent nick at the moment.
We have 26 entries for a maximum field of 22 for this 6f Dash, so we could get a full field (double entries are below though, so tread carefully with those).
It wouldn’t be my idea of an ante-post betting medium.
The one that interests me most, Getreadytorumble at 20s, is also in a 5f handicap at Ascot on Saturday, so he isn’t an ante-post betting proposition as a result.
Touleen is clearly the stand-out in this 1m Group 3 fillies and mares’ contest and I have no issue with her price of [10/11] at all.
Mind you, that is only available with one firm and she is [4/5] and [4/6] elsewhere.
She was slightly underwhelming when a 3/4 length second to Sukanya in the Fred Darling on her return, given the talk beforehand, but you could upgrade her subsequent Guineas sixth and I strongly suspect she would have given Precise plenty to think about with a clear run in the Coronation Stakes last time.
Down in grade, it’ll be disappointing if she can’t take care of this field, though of course the similarly unpenalised Secret Of Life is unbeaten and on a steep upward curve.
Now, I think I know why Silawi was bizarrely pulled out at Newbury on Saturday – presumably to ensure a good pace for ownermate Damaysus in this 165k 1m2f+ Group 2 Sky Bet York Stakes.
It is going to be equally as quick here as it was at Newbury, but he loves fast ground.
A very nice 93k pot for one of the eight in here to collect, though Tiffany has a Friday option at the track and is also in the Lillie Langtry next week.
I don’t have a strong opinion at the current odds – Item and Royal Champion are the early [9/4] joint favourites, but Damysus at 7/2 would probably appeal a touch more – so let’s move on.
As you would expect, all bookies are betting 1/4 1,2 here.
With 24 entries at the five-day stage, we are already five short of a maximum field of 29 for this 150k handicap.
On the plus side, there are only two with alternative entries this week, though nine have entries at Goodwood next week.
One of the nine is the [5/2] favourite Extremely Zain – in fact, the next three in the betting are also in at Goodwood – but you can see why the bookmakers are taking no chances with him whatsoever here after what this unbeaten colt did at York last month.
Of course, the handicapper didn’t miss him for that success, raising him 8lb, but the way they were talking afterwards (allied to the style of the win) left you in little doubt that they think they have a Group performer on their hands.
How short can he go though?
Amazing Journey (also in the Stewards’ Cup next week) is officially the best handicapped horse in here, 5lb well-in under a 3lb penalty after an emphatic win over 6f here earlier this month.
He is 0 from 3 over 7f but you’d be surprised if he didn’t see out this trip well enough given the manner of that win last time.
He is a reasonable each-way alternative to the favourite at 12s (also 16s+ win-only on the exchange to the usual tenner or so), as is Completely Random, who broke a few hearts when just failing to get up in the Wokingham, at 10s. He is 0 from 2 over 7f but, like Amazing Journey, the trip surely is no negative.
And I couldn’t see any confirmed pace among the 24 entries, which is incredibly rare.
All firms are betting to four places here but maybe you’ll get equally better prices, allied to the odd extra place, if you wait.
There are currently 14 in Saturday’s King George – is this race not sponsored any more after Qipco pulled out? – and I am surprised Aidan O’Brien is only responsible for only five of them.
This genuinely has an interesting, international feel with two Japanese entries in Masquerade Ball and Wurttemberg and France hopefully represented by Calandagan and Goliath ( I still shudder at that Hardwicke bad beat…) as well as the Irish and UK involvement.
How many of the 14 stand firm we will know at midday tomorrow (Monday) but Calandagan is the current [7/4] favourite – he beat Kalpana in this race last year, and the mare is 10s – with Benvenuto Cellini at [11/4], Masquerade Ball at [7/2] and Goliath at 8s.
The one that is very weak in the market at the moment is Minnie Hauk, who is 12s with one firm (and 15.0 in a very illiquid Betfair market).
I am sure the last time I looked (a while ago now, admittedly) she was a 5s poke.
It appears 10 of the 14 have confirmed, including Minnie Hauk, which may surprise some (the last price matched on her, before the Betfair ante-post market was suspended on Monday morning, was 27.0 – the biggest price she has ever been).
She is also in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood next week but she is now 8s tops fixed-0dds (16.0 on Betfair as at 6.25pm on).
Almaqam, Convergent, Ancient Egypt and Causeway are the ones that haven’t taken up the offer.
I imagine Ascot, and the betting industry, will be very happy with eight runners on Saturday.
Very happy.
GOING: Good to firm
Going Stick – Straight: 8.9, Round: 6.7 (Wednesday 8am)
Soil Moisture: 40%.
WEDNESDAY COURSE UPDATE: No rain recorded in July. A dry warm forecast for the next week. For access to our live weather station and for the latest Going info please go to www.ascot.com/thegoing
WATERING: Watering Straight 10mm on Wednesday. Watered Straight Course 10mm on Monday and 5mm overnight to Monday morning and also to Sunday morning. Watered Straight Course 12mm on Friday. Watering Round Course 5mm each night. Will water straight again on Thursday morning.
Weather forecast: hot dry and sunny, 25-26 degrees; light showers Wednesday night
Moisture Meter reading – 32%
WEDNESDAY COURSE UPDATE: A cool and cloudy Wednesday early morning. Dry since the John Smith’s Cup Meeting, 10th & 11th July. Met Office forecast; Wednesday and Thursday – dry, with sunny intervals, 24-25 degrees. Friday – dry with good sunny spells and a westerly breeze, 25 degrees. Saturday – cloudy and cooler with a westerly breeze, and chance of a drizzly shower later in afternoon. Live links to our weather station and the Met Office forecast can be found by clicking through on Going details on the Home Page of our website www.yorkracecourse.co.uk
WATERING: Irrigating Wednesday night with 3mm, to make 22mm applied in last 7 days.
Weather forecast: dry, sunny and 22-24 degrees; 4.8mm Saturday (maybe showers Thursday)
1.30pm York (normal run-styles may change with NH jockeys riding): Rosenpur , Goyard, Kodiac Thriller (prom), Lethal Nymph, Copper Knight, Almaty Star, Emerald Harmony, Lipsink, Mon Na Slieve, Equity Law, Managing Director, Mark’s Choice, Our Absent Friends, Cameley Days, Bayraat (prom)
1.45pm Ascot: Glorious Game, Magnesium, Moonrise, The Can Can Queen, Wateera
2pm York: Pocklington, Apollo One, We Never Stop, Eternal Sunshine, Evening Blues
2.20pm Ascot: Radiant Beauty, Secret Of Life
2.35pm York: Silawi, Tiffany, Item?, Ghostwriter (prom)
2.55pm Ascot ( I can’t see any usual pace): Stellar Sunrise (prom), Arctic Dawn (prom)
3.35pm Ascot: Bay City Roller, Lambourn, Action – none of the trio are confirmed runners
1.30pm York: Cayman Tai, Copper Knight, Dream Deal (beaten 1/2 length in a bunch finish at Beverley on Monday), Equity Law, Goyard, Lipsink, Master Of My Fate, Rosenpur, True Promise
1.45pm Ascot: Blue Flight (due to run on Friday), Concorde Landed (fourth at 6/5 on Wednesday), Silent Beauty (NR at Naas on Wednesday), Speed Of Sound (due to run at Ascot on Friday)
2pm York: Fivethousandtoone, Getreadytorumble, Havana Run, King Of Light , Little Empire (due to run at Naas on Wednesday), Rock Opera, Trilby, Utmost Respect, Veblen Good (finished third at Ayr on Monday), We Never Stop
NB: Addison’s Grey, Apollo One, Coul Angel, Lakers, Musical Touch, Stratusnine and Trilby are in at Goodwood next week
2.20pm Ascot: Arisaig, Estissa (due to run at York on Friday), Mostar Dreams, Rumba Numba
NB: Arisaig, Mostar Dreams, Radiant Beauty, Secret Of Life are in at Goodwood next week
2.35pm York: NONE
NB: Tiffany is in at Goodwood next week
2.55pm Ascot: Saytarr , Veblen Good (third on Monday)
NB: Room Service, Completely Random, Great Acclaim, Two Tribes, Mezcala, Back In Back, Extremely Zain, Leadman and Amazing Journey are in at Goodwood next week
3.35pm Ascot: NONE
NB: Minnie Hauk is in Nassau Stakes at Goodwood next week
STATS/INFO SECTION 1.COURSE DETAILS RIPON GOING: Good, good to firm in places GOING STICK: 7.3,…
On this week’s Pod: 0-4mins – Intro: No Harry & Betting Big Bucks 4-13mins –…
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