Tony McFadden of Timeform provides an overview of the key things to note on Saturday.
Three points of interest
Ombudsman the highest-rated older horse in Europe
It was a Royal Ascot to remember for the Gosdens whose five winners included three in Group 1 company courtesy of Field of Gold (St James's Palace Stakes), Ombudsman (Prince of Wales's Stakes) and Trawlerman (Gold Cup).
The trio were all emphatic winners and achieved significant Timeform ratings, with Field of Gold (132p) and Ombudsman (130) both reaching the benchmark of 130 that Timeform considers top-class form.
Indeed, the three-year-old Field of Gold is now Timeform's highest-rated horse in Europe, while Ombudsman is the pick of the older horses in Europe, rated marginally higher than Coronation Cup one-two Jan Brueghel (129) and Calandagan (128).
Connections have been patient with Ombudsman, who didn't race as a juvenile and was brought along steadily as a three-year-old when his campaign culminated with victory in a Group 3 at Longchamp. Ombudsman met with a first defeat when runner-up to Almaqam in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes on his reappearance over the same course and distance he tackles in the Eclipse, but that effort under a penalty still represented an improvement on Timeform's figures, and he took another step forward when returning to winning ways at Royal Ascot.
Ombudsman, making his first start in Group 1 company, was short of room for much of the straight in the Prince of Wales's Stakes, but he picked up strongly after he was angled out on the approach to the final furlong, impressing with how readily he powered two lengths clear of last season's Champion Stakes winner Anmaat, producing just about the best effort in the race since Crystal Ocean won in 2019.
By Timeform's reckoning, that Prince of Wales's Stakes victory is comfortably the best piece of form on offer in the Eclipse (15:35 Sandown), and Ombudsman is 5 lb clear on weight-adjusted ratings. He can show why he's rated the leading older horse in Europe.
A significant stable switch for A Mere Bagatelle
James Owen has quickly developed a reputation for excelling with recruits and he saddles an interesting stable debutant in the staying handicap (17:37) at Carlisle in the shape of A Mere Bagatelle.
A Mere Bagatelle wasn't given many opportunities on the Flat by his previous connections in Ireland, but the fair form he showed over hurdles and fences suggests his lowly Flat mark is a potentially lenient one.
A Mere Bagatelle was pulled up over hurdles at Fairyhouse in April and finished down the field on the Flat at Navan when last seen in May, but you don't have to go back far to find his last success which came in a handicap hurdle at Downpatrick in March.
The switch to Owen has generated Timeform's Trainer Uplift Flag, and it would be little surprise were A Mere Bagatelle, who is fitted with a tongue tie for the first time, to bounce back for a trainer whose record with horses starting out in British Flat handicaps stands at 16 winners from 51 runners at an eye-catching strike rate of 31.4%. Backing each of those runners to £1 level stakes would have generated a profit of £23.28.
Flags point to Yermanthere
Yermanthere's sole success for Tim Easterby so far was achieved in a seven-furlong handicap at Carlisle last season, and he also ran well on his return to the venue when runner-up a couple of weeks ago.
That latest effort came over just shy of a mile, and Yermanthere tackles the same course and distance on Saturday (18:12), boasting Timeform's Horses For Courses Flag to highlight his effectiveness at the track.
He found a progressive three-year-old too strong last time, but that half-length defeat was still just about his best effort yet on Timeform's ratings, and even a 2 lb rise in the weights still leaves him 2 lb below his last winning mark.
As well as heading Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings and running at a course that clearly suits, Yermanthere also has the assistance of Joanna Mason in the saddle, a booking that has generated Timeform's Jockey Uplift Flag. Mason has enjoyed comfortably the most success in the last five seasons of the riders taking part in this handicap for female jockeys.
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