Bill Esdaile

ROYAL Ascot rises to a crescendo on Thursday with the centrepiece of the five days being the Group One Gold Cup (4.15pm).This is the ultimate test for stayers, run over a punishing two-and-a-half miles of Ascot, where only the toughest horses rise to the top.Trawlerman has already proven he has all the attributes needed for [...]

AS AIDAN O’Brien strides towards a century of Royal Ascot wins, son Joseph is doing a good job of establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with on the big days.Still just 33, Joseph saddled a second British Classic winner in the Oaks at Epsom two weeks ago and had winners at Ascot on [...]

BACKING up from Epsom’s Derby meeting to Royal Ascot is not easy but it can be done.Ten Bob Tony showed that with his shock 50/1 victory in the Queen Anne on Tuesday after winning the Tattenham Corner Stakes, and I fancy one who ran a blinder in the Oaks to go one better on Thursday.LEGACY [...]

FRIDAY’s first Group One contest is the Commonwealth Cup (3.05pm), a speed test for three-year-olds over Ascot’s straight six furlongs.Course form at Ascot is always valuable and VENETIAN SUN has some of the best, having won the Albany over this trip at last’s year’s Royal meeting.Karl Burke’s filly went on to win the Group One [...]

ONE of my biggest fancies of the week comes in the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes (6:10pm).Many will see this 28-runner five-furlong handicap as a bookies’ benefit, but I think it’s time to roll up the sleeves and have a proper go.GOLD DIGGER, who I really fancied in the Albany last year, is back and I [...]

ROYAL Ascot 2026 comes to a close with the longest race of the week, the Queen Alexandra Stakes (6.10pm), run over two-miles-five-and-a-half furlongs.It goes without saying that you need a stamina laden contender to have a chance in this so it’s perhaps not surprising that this race has been dominated by jumps trainers in recent [...]

FRIDAY’s Royal Ascot card kicks off with the Group Three Albany Stakes (2.30pm), with 25 two-year-old fillies going to post.Whilst the ones at the top have leading chances, I fancy JOLIVETTE for Andrew Balding and Juddmonte.She made a winning start at Newmarket, granted only by a neck, but she always looked in control that day [...]

THIS YEAR’S Royal Ascot meeting comes to a close with Saturday’s seven-race card, where the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (3.40pm) is the feature contest.Australia are doubly represented here with Joliestar and Overpass, the latter backing up from his valiant third in the King Charles III on Tuesday.I respect these two, but given [...]

ACROSS the water, there’s Classic action as the Irish Derby (4.35pm) takes centre stage at the Curragh on Sunday.The field has narrowed to just 11 runners following the confirmation stage, but it still looks a deep renewal with several of the protagonists from the Epsom equivalent backing up.One of those is Benvenuto Cellini, who was [...]

AFTER five days of Royal Ascot last week, you might be forgiven for needing a breather from racing, but as always in this game the next big meeting is here in a flash.This Saturday we look north for Newcastle’s headline Flat meeting of the year, which features the Northumberland Plate (3.15pm).This competitive staying handicap, traditionally [...]