Royal Ascot concludes on a poignant note this afternoon, as the feature Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (3.40) takes place for the first time since the passing of the late monarch.
King Charles has already enjoyed a winner this week — his first at the meeting — as 18-1 outsider Desert Hero won the £50,000 King George V Stakes in the Royal silks.
Should he be keen to invest his winnings, Highfield Princess may be worth a wager, especially with a couple of firms paying five each-way places.
It is common for sprinters to tackle both the King’s Stand — which was run on Tuesday — and this race. Bradsell’s antics late on did not help Jason Hart’s mount three days ago, yet she ran a blinder and a similar effort would see her go close.
The opening Chesham (2.30) is restricted to horses whose sires or dams have won at a distance in excess of nine-and-a-half furlongs. Aidan O’Brien is taken to snare it for the fifth time in eight runnings with Pearls And Rubies. It has been a fine week for her sire, No Nay Never, and she showed lots of toe to get up close home at Navan, form that ties in with the Coventry winner on Tuesday, her stablemate River Tiber.
The Jersey Stakes (3.05) looks made for Covey on what has been an amazing week for the father and son training partnership of John and Thady Gosden and jockey Frankie Dettori. Dettori will bid to dictate as his mount drops back to seven furlongs and it is difficult to know what this horse’s ceiling is.
Changingoftheguardwill likely be hard to pass from the front in the Harwicke (4.20). However, Hukum, a brother to the brilliant Baaeed, is a stronger stayer than his sibling. His Sandown return, when he edged last year’s Derby winner Desert Crown, implies that he may actually be improving at six.
King’s Linn could give the King a second winner this week when he lines up in the Wokingham Stakes (5.0) — he has run well many times at the Royal meet, especially in the 2021 King’s Stand.
The Golden Gates Stakes (5.35) is one of the lower-class heats run here all week but still a cracker. It was remarkable that Canute was sent off odds-on at Navan last time, but his backers had no reason to worry at any stage. Given how well Ballydoyle steeds have performed since Tuesday, the mount of Ryan Moore seems safe each-way.
Jumps fans will marvel at the finale, the Queen Alexandra Stakes (6.10), and strong stayer Dawn Rising can score under Moore. Fellow jumpers Goshen, Stratum and Run For Oscar all add to the appeal of the race.
