Archie Watson Royal Ascot Stable Tour

Horse Racing

Mon June 15, 2026 · 12h ago

Graham Clark gets the lowdown from Archie Watson as the trainer bids to add to his Royal Ascot victories this week.

It will be a case of quality over quantity for trainer Archie Watson when sending his carefully selected team down to Royal Ascot. While the team that will represent the Lambourn handler at the five-day meeting is only single figures, it is one that possesses plenty of untapped talent with the promise of more to come.

There might not be a standout Group One performer he has had the luxury of to call upon in the past among his squad this year, but there is the chance for one to potentially emerge.

The bulk of Watson’s team is made up of two-year-old talent, but he has a couple of interesting three-year-olds in Wareeth and Executive Code, along with new French recruit Goldilocks Cen, that help give it a more rounded feel. And with five Royal meeting triumphs to his name, along with saddling a host of placed runners, there is a fair chance that Watson will be seen around one of horse racing’s most famous winner’s enclosure at some point during the event.

Watson said: “We have had years when we have had maybe double the number of runners, but at the same time everything we are sending there this year, irrespective of what prices they end up at, we think can run huge races.

“It is a small squad, but I would definitely say that the quality is up, without having an established horse like Bradsell in one of the Group One races. I think they are all unexposed horses as a whole this year, but they are all going with what I hope are very good chances.”

Tuesday

SIOUXPERB (Coventry Stakes)

“He is a horse that we have always thought a lot of. He is a gorgeous horse that came to hand nicely in the spring. He has just kept on improving with everything we have done with him, and he won impressively on debut at Yarmouth (replay below).

“The Coventry is a race that we have been lucky enough to have a fair few horses run very well in, and I would say he would be right up there with the best we have taken to the race.

“I was very happy going into this race on the back of one run. Horses like Army Ethos, Bradsell, Electrolyte and Guildsman have won and all been placed in a Coventry, or in the case of Bradsell, won one, on the back of one run.

“The form of his Yarmouth race has worked out well as I know O’Gorman, who was second that day, is highly regarded beforehand and he has won twice since. We beat him pretty handily that day, and we were very green as well.

“I think it is okay to be low in stall six as Bradsell came from two when he won it. "It probably more so depends where the pace is and what ends up being the good horses are as opposed to where you are drawn in the two year old races."

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Wednesday

NIEWIADOMA (Queen Mary Stakes)

“She has got loads of speed and loads of ability. We really liked her before she won a nice race on debut at Thirsk. The form has worked out very well.

“We took her to the Marygate at York, and we really fancied her, but Hollie (Doyle) felt that she lost the race before the start as she got very worked up in the stalls.

“The race then developed away from her, but it wasn’t her running either way. She has been galloping very well at home since.

“It is a Queen Mary, and on the face of it, I can see why they have got her at such a large price with her profile, but she is a lot better than what she showed in the Marygate. I’m sure she is a stakes filly. She is the sort of filly that could run a massive race at very large odds.”

WAREETH (Queen’s Vase)

“He is obviously a very nice horse. He won his first start by fourteen lengths and he won a novice under a penalty, stepping up in trip, by six lengths.

“In between we ran him in the Feilden at Newmarket and he just didn’t know enough. It was a big step up from his maiden.

“He didn’t run a bad race at all as he ran to a figure in the high nineties, and he went and won his novice under a penalty afterwards.

“I think he shapes like a galloper and Hollie (Doyle) thinks he will just keep galloping away. He looked like he wanted to step up in trip from ten furlongs last time as well.

“On the face of it, this year’s Queen’s Vase might not be as strong as in other years. I think if he stays he should have a massive chance.

“It will be good to find out if he can stay for those types of races later on in the year. I think he will handle it all very well here as he was perfect at Salisbury.

“They raced around a bend that day on a track with more undulations so I would say he would know a lot more this time.

"He has had three runs and he is more than entitled to be going to a race like this for sure.”

GOLDILOCKS CEN (Kensington Palace Stakes)

“I think she is a very interesting horse. We bought her at Arqana in February as the owner was having a dispersal sale of a fair number. She won on her last start over eleven furlongs.

“I don’t think she has done anything wrong so far.

“I think she is overpriced just because she is a bit of an unknown. She has been very straightforward with us and her work has been solid.

"She runs off bottom weight, and is only a pound wrong at the weights. If she has improved for the change in scenery, or got a bit in hand off her French mark, then she could be running a massive race.

“She is bred to be a seven furlong to a miler type filly, and they were running her over eleven furlongs last time with a hood on from the front.

“Unless she is very different at the races, she is not keen at home. I’ve never had a hood on her, or felt the need to have a hood on her. I think the drop in trip will suit her as I think the stiff mile at Ascot will suit her well.

“She is a massive unknown, but from our point of view we couldn’t be happier with her. She could be quite a dark horse.”

ALPE D’HUEZ (Windsor Castle Stakes)

“He is a very straightforward horse that has always been very solid at home. He was very impressive on debut at Lingfield. I thought the way he went around there I thought he would be perfect for the Woodcote at Epsom.

“He ran a very good race and was just beaten by a horse with a bit more speed than him. It looked like he might finish fifth or sixth for a bit, but he really knuckled down and got engaged again to finish second.

“He came out of Epsom very well, and he ran on the Friday before the ground got really bad on the Saturday.

“I think the stiff six furlongs at Ascot will be ideal for him. As he is by Kodi Bear it makes him eligible for the Windsor Castle and it will be interesting to see how the race pans out under the new race conditions.

“I think he is overpriced as he has done nothing wrong. He has won impressively at Lingfield then finished second in a Woodcote. I think he is definitely worth a bet at an each-way price.”

Thursday

EXCLUSIVE CODE (Britannia Stakes)

“He is a horse that we have always thought a lot of. He came from the breeze-up sales last year. We ran him on debut in a strong maiden at Newbury, which was won by Gewan, then we went on to Glorious Goodwood, where he finished fourth again behind some horses that are highly rated now.

“We gelded him and put him away. He then come back and won that very competitive maiden at Newbury, in which the second, third, fourth and fifth have all since come out and won.

“I think gelding him has really helped him physically as he was quite a buzzy horse last year. With horses like him the gelding operation settles them down a bit and they do better. Mentally he is very good now.

“I wish he was rated a pound higher so we didn’t have to worry about getting in or not. If he gets in you would hope he would have a massive chance.

“He is weighted very nicely if he gets in. The race at Newbury was his first start over a mile, but he got it well and had to battle off the second. We rode him prominently that day to ensure we didn’t get caught up in a big runner, but there is no need to do that this time as in a Britannia you can sit and race where you land.

“He was a big raw horse last year, but he has filled his frame now. I’m sure irrespective of what happens at Ascot he will have a good year as he is a talented horse.”

Saturday

FLIGHT SIGNAL (Norfolk Stakes)

“He is a very nice Wathnan Racing owned colt by Mehmas. He won at Bath in very good fashion. Hollie (Doyle) was very impressed with him.

“It is a race that we have used in the past quite often before Royal Ascot. Aesterius won it two years ago before finishing fifth in the Norfolk Stakes.

“He won very impressively from one of Clive Cox’s that had some very solid form from good maiden races at Newbury and Newmarket beforehand. He is a very quick horse and I would say he would be our best chance of the week.”

Archie Watson Royal Ascot Stable Tour