Our reporter at the track with her take on the final day of Royal Ascot 2026.
“I wish everyone parked like that.”
Not a cry that I’m used to hearing from car parking attendants but on day five of Royal Ascot, I’ll take it.
Traditionally Heath Day until it was incorporated into the Royal cavalcade in 2022, the Saturday usually sees a mass exodus of the press and mass influx of the public. It also means we can throw the Royal Ascot rule book into the air, catch it and rip it to shreds.
We start in traditional fashion, with another Aidan O’Brien juvenile favourite in the opening Norfolk Stakes. No bother to Clive Cox’s Orthodox, who canters home in the second-fastest Norfolk time since No Nay Never in 2013.
Clive was appropriately pious in his post-race comments, saying “Orthodox is an absolute Christian. He has got a wonderful mind and, please God, we can continue the journey.”
He also made a smiling apology to the team at home: “His work – I thought the guys riding the lead horses were getting it wrong a few times, but clearly not.”
With Kalpana a hesitant runner on fast ground in the Hardwicke, Francis-Henri Graffard’s globetrotting gelding Goliath (sorry, not sorry) caused plenty of interest in proceedings, not only for his unusual gait.
Goliath cruises into contention before seemingly suffering a tack malfunction in the closing half-furlong, leaving fellow world-wide traveller Giavellotto and Kalpana to battle out the finish with Marco Botti’s charge coming out on top.
“When I tried to put my feet backwards to squeeze him with my heels, my stirrup was blocked with the girth and I lost my iron on the right side,” jockey Christophe Soumillon explains.
Pushed by Matt Chapman for a verdict on whether it had made a difference, he gives a Gallic shrug and says, “no, he gave me everything today.”
I’m not sure Christophe, but you know best.
There’s a buzz of anticipation ahead of a truly global renewal of the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, with contenders from every corner of the map. We’ve fallen in love with Australia’s Joliestar, been entertained by Overpass’ exuberant trainer Bjorn Baker and wowed by the quiet majesty of Japanese raiders Satuno Reve and Lugal.
On the home front, we field Lake Forest, Flora Of Bermuda and King Of Blue but remain resigned that the sprinting trophy may be heading overseas.
Mrs Haggas looks resplendent in blue and white, a clear nod to the Bloom silks aboard Lake Forest. Or maybe she’s hedging her bets, because the Haggas team do have another runner in those colours.
Twenty minutes later, the best of Japan, Australia and France charge head-to-head towards the line in a pulsating international finish. Is it Joliestar? Is Satono Reve going to be agonisingly denied again? Or maybe Stolen Kiss for France?
A bay nose appears on the far side, striving and stretching under Tom Marquand. They flash past the post and it’s a win for the home side.
“What the hell is that?” asks an Australian broadcaster.
Well, it’s Almeraq. We don’t really know either, aside from he fell at York and sidelined Shadwell jockey Jim Crowley for what feels like an inordinately long time. He’s been good since, Jim has always said he’s good, but did we think he was that good?
William Haggas did.
“We have always loved him,” he says.
“Almeraq was pretty shook up after York. It is quite hard to fall in a race like that at speed, and for a young horse going at speed it was difficult, but we gave him a lot of time. There was no need to get him ready for the autumn, and this has proved it and now it is onwards and upwards.
“I am thrilled for Shadwell. I have been involved with them for quite some time now, and to have a Group One winner for them on the biggest stage is terrific.”
Ballydoyle and Godolphin are brushed aside again as Ace Stud (formerly Forza Europe, but I’m struggling to keep up) achieve a first Royal Ascot victory with Double Rush in the Wokingham Stakes.
Trainer Andrew Balding has been confident in the build-up and pulls no punches in his post-race interview.
“I think Royal Ascot is important, whatever race you run in, but we felt that if he was not going to win the Wokingham, he was not going to win a Group One,” he says. “We know he likes Newmarket, so there is every chance he will go to the July Cup.”
Fozzie Stack wins the Jersey Stakes with Thesecretadversary, completing an incredible two-from-two week for the yard, and David Menuisier takes the Golden Gates Handicap for new owners Wathnan, who bought into London Gold Cup winner Lost Boys ahead of the Royal meeting.
It’s been an O’Brien free zone, a chance for everyone else to have a go.
Until Aidan wins the Queen Alexandra with Illinois to claim his leading trainer title.
Business as usual.
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