Paddock Notebook: Horses to follow from Royal Ascot

FORTY YEARS ON, 7f 0-90 4yo+ Handicap, Newbury, 11th June

Forty Years On looks set to make up for lost time this summer, having had just five starts as a three year old, with a four-month break in the middle of the year. She won the middle three of those five races and added to her tally on her return at Newbury, where a BHA mark of 88 looked to seriously underestimate her.

As a result of that win, when well backed and scoring by 3 lengths in an otherwise very open-looking contest, Forty Years On has been raised to a mark of 96, but that would likely prove generous for a strong, lengthy filly who is still unexposed.

As it is, connections appear to be aiming higher, as Forty Years On has been declared for the listed Queen Charlotte Stakes at Chester on Saturday. She's certainly worth her place in the field. One point worth mentioning with regard to her prospects is that she has so far been kept away from firmer ground. A daughter of Mayson, she was also withdrawn from an intended run at Newmarket, prior to Newbury, with the ground (officially Good) given as the reason.

JOHANNA WALSH, 1½m Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes, Ascot, 18th June

The poor showing of the Oaks runner-up Legacy Link left the Ribblesdale up for grabs. Her market rival Earth Shot took advantage, but only just, getting up in the final strides. While she would have been an unlucky loser after meeting trouble, Earth Shot had to work hard to overhaul Johanna Walsh.

Johanna Walsh arrived at Royal Ascot with just three runs in maidens to her name. She had won the third of those, at Leopardstown a month previously, that form given a boost 35 minutes before the Ribblesdale, when the runner-up Believing took third in the King George V Handicap. However, Ascot represented a big step up in class and she acquitted herself really well.

Johanna Walsh, a lengthy, scopey daughter of Sea The Stars, was always close up at Ascot, going on in the straight, looking in control a furlong out before a touch of inexperience and the winner's willingness denied her near the line. It's possible Johanna Walsh will be seen next in the Irish Oaks, which might be a tough ask, but she should have little trouble picking up races at pattern level later in the summer.

KING'S PRIZE, 6f 2yo fillies Group 3 Albany Stakes, Ascot, 19th June

The strong, attractive King's Prize was my paddock pick in a good-looking field for the Albany and although she finished down the field, little went right for her. Although the form of her debut win at Nottingham is nothing out of the ordinary, she clearly shouldn't be judged on what she did at Ascot and has the physique to suggest there's plenty more to come.

King's Prize, drawn right in the middle of the pack in stall 13, broke well but soon found herself shuffled back as the field, for once, raced as one towards the stand side. She ran into further trouble after two furlongs, racing rather keenly at the time, and then ran into another pocket when trying to make ground with two to run. All in all, it's very easy to put a line through the effort.

King's Prize, a daughter of Too Darn Hot, comes from a family that served Queen Elizabeth II well. Her dam Award Winner was runner-up – to a 12/1-shot called Alpinista – in the Upavon Stakes at

Salisbury. The third dam Queen's Prize is a half-sister to the Oaks runner-up Flight of Fancy. Therefore, King's Prize's pedigree suggests she should prosper at a mile or more, so that she's won at six furlongs already augurs well for her long-term prospects.

MRAIR, 6f 2yo Group 2 Coventry Stakes, Ascot, 16th June

With two lengths covering the first eight home in the Coventry Stakes, it's hard to take a particularly high view of the form. 'They can't all be good,' as the saying goes. However, that doesn't mean none of them will be. The winner Great Barrier Reef, who probably won despite where he raced, and his stable-companion Confucius, a strong favourite, are two of the more likely to. Another is the eighth to finish, Mrair.

Mrair was better than the result. He was set plenty to do after missing the break, still out the back with a quarter of a mile to run. He was short of room soon after and then was hampered well inside the final furlong when he was finally making ground.

Mrair is bred to sprint. He's by Mehmas out of unraced Exceed And Excel mare. Six of Mrair's eight older siblings have won races, all at sprint distances. He was one of the picks of the Coventry field on looks – a good-topped, attractive colt, who should progress through the campaign. Mrair is well worth another try at pattern level.

NOLA SOUL, 7f 2yo Listed Chesham Stakes, Ascot, 18th June

The withdrawal of the favourite Aix La Chapelle after he got worked up in the stalls, deprived his sire Justify one shot at winning the Chesham Stakes, but he still had two others, and they fought out the finish, Nola Soul getting the better of the strong-finishing On Just Terms.

Nola Soul, who had beaten the Windsor Castle winner King of Cloughan on his debut, built significantly himself on that effort, despite being quite free early on and then showing greenness when first shaken up. Once he went to the front, under two from home, Nola Soul found plenty, seeing out the seven furlongs thoroughly.

All three of the Justifys that were due to run in the Chesham have size and substance, but Nola Soul was the pick of them, big and rangy, not a typical two year old by any means. Nola Soul can be expected to improve quite a bit further and he will be a significant player in the pattern events for staying two year olds as the summer progresses.

SENORITA BONITA, 5f 2yo fillies Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes, Ascot, 17th June

Having cost 900,000 guineas at the Craven Breeze-Up Sale, connections of Senorita Bonita would have been hoping that she proved a Royal Ascot filly. She wasn't able to win the Queen Mary, but came an encouraging second to Victorious and with the winner being a superior winner of the race, Senorita Bonita ought to be able to find a similar event at least.

The winner, who has no business winning a five-furlong pattern event, judged on pedigree, is clearly something special and may well develop into a Guineas filly for next spring. Senorita Bonita isn't exactly bred for speed either, though she coped well with the way the race was run, holding a much handier position than Victorious, but not nearly so strong in thee final 150 yards. She will improve again, particularly as she goes up to six and seven furlongs.

Senorita Bonita is a sturdy, attractive filly, as might be hoped, given her price tag. She's likely to be stepped up yo six furlongs before long, and either the Duchess of Cambridge or the Princess Margaret might offer the chance to go one better.

UPDATES

Double Rush made it three from three for the campaign when he landed the Wokingham at Royal Ascot at odds of 5/1. He prevailed only by a nose, but given he was running off a BHA mark of 105, this was a really smart effort and he's going to be a serious player in pattern company.

That was it so far as wins at the Royal meeting go for horses featured in this column, though there were several that emerged with credit. Opera Ballo was headed only late on when third in the Queen Anne – his turn at Group 1 level will come before long. Night Raider, sent off at 4/1 for the King Charles III, could manage only tenth placing, but he was beaten just 2½ lengths and was first home in his group. Night Raider will continue to be of interest in the top five-furlong sprints.

It was a measure of the promise that Galiyan had shown in winning his maiden at Chester that he was sent off favourite for the Queen's Vase, but the step up in class proved a bit beyond him at this stage. He finished only sixth of the 11 runners, but it was still an advance in form terms.

Among those to disappoint, mention should be made of Into The Sky, who was sent off at just 5/1 for the Jersey Stakes but who dropped out of contention in the last quarter-mile and beat only two home. This clearly wasn't his running and hopefully he will bounce back before long. He holds an entry in the July Cup and a drop back to sprinting, if not necessarily at that level, is worth a try, given his pedigree and style of racing.

Away from Royal Ascot, there were maiden wins for King of Earth at Wolverhampton and Alma Latina at Pontefract, both at shortish odds. These victories should be a platform for something better.

Finally, Tropbien built on her debut effort, finishing fourth of six in a valuable maiden at Sandown. She was her stable's second string in the race and looks to be being brought along with handicaps in mind.

Related content

• Paddock Notebook - Epsom Derby Festival
• Paddock Notebook - Ascot, Sandown & Newmarket
• Paddock Notebook - Newbury & Newmarket
• Paddock Notebook - 2025 review and horses to follow 2026

More from Sporting Life

• Free bets
• Racecards
• Fast results
• Full results and free video replays
• Horse racing news
• Horse racing tips
• Horse racing features
• Download our free iOS and Android app
• Football and other sports tips
• Podcasts and video content

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.