Our form expert tipped Ombudsman for Prince of Wales's glory on Wednesday and he has seven selections for day three of Royal Ascot 2025 including in the Ribblesdale.
The Verdict: Thursday June 19
1pt e.w Omni Man in 3.05 Royal Ascot at 22/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4,5)
1pt win Ecstatic in 3.40 Royal Ascot at 16/1 (bet365, Paddy Power 14/1 General)
1pt win Raafedd in 5.00 Royal Ascot at 11/1 (General)
0.5pts e.w Shout in 5.00 Royal Ascot at 20/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4)
1pt win Jackknife in 5.35 Royal Ascot at 13/2 (bet365, Paddy Power)
0.5pts e.w No Retreat in 6.10 Royal Ascot at 25/1 (bet365, Coral 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6)
0.5pts e.w Holguin in 6.10 Royal Ascot at 25/1 (Paddy Power 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6)
O’Brien can be Ecstatic again
The Gold Cup stands out amongst Thursday’s card at Royal Ascot and Illinois could well pick up the baton from retired stablemate Kyprios and win a 10th renewal of the race for trainer Aidan O’Brien.
A half-brother to the Arc winner, Danedream, the son of Galileo is bred to be very good and he has been building towards a maiden Group 1 success after a string of excellent performances since he landed the Queen’s Vase at this meeting 12 months ago.
A physically imposing horse, he could even have the talent to strike at the top level over a mile and a half but it’s obviously significant he’s the chosen one to follow in the hoofprints of Kyprios.
He’s yet to run beyond 1m7f, so he does have to prove he stays, but the expectation is he will do just that and claim glory here, for all that Trawlerman and Candelari make it an unmissable spectacle.
It could be another day to remember for O’Brien with Charles Darwin expected to get the ball rolling in the Norfolk Stakes and I reckon his second string in the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes, ECSTATIC, is worth backing at 16/1.
She’s got a fascinating pedigree being by Japanese champion sprinter Lord Kanaloa out of Magic Wand, who won this race in 2018, and everything she has done so far has hinted that she wants a combination of 1m4f and fast ground.
O’Brien got four races into her at two, including a good May Hill fifth behind Guineas winner Desert Flower, but she was always likely to improve over a trip at three and her trainer has likely been working backwards from this race.
She ran a cracker over a mile on her seasonal debut at the Curragh behind One Look, with stablemate Whirl, the Musidora winner and Oaks second, beaten in behind.
Soft ground was no good for her in the Salsabil Stakes after that, but she got back on track in the Oaks Trial at Newbury, finishing just behind the leaders under hands and heels riding from Ryan Moore after she was short of room over a furlong out.
She’ll need to improve to win this, but the new trip can be a catalyst for serious progression and she looks a spot of value at the prices with Derby-winning jockey Wayne Lordan on board.
The Verdict: Back ECSTATIC in the 3.40 Royal Ascot
Jackknife a Hampton hit
O’Brien could well win the Hampton Court Stakes with Trinity College, too, the son of Dubawi set to do battle with Detain again following their French Derby tussle where the Juddmonte horse edged him out of third.
Those two set the form standard here, but this race often goes to the potential horses over proven form and I like JACKKNIFE in this spot for Roger Varian.
The son of Kameko was unraced at two but is quickly making up for lost time, winning an Epsom novice on debut in April (form working out well) before an eye-catching third in the Heron Stakes at Sandown last time.
To finish third in a hot Listed race like that on his second start was an achievement in itself, but to do so having found a world of trouble up the inside marked him out as a horse to follow in the short term.
I loved how he knuckled down once in the clear and his pedigree strongly suggests he’ll thrive up in trip to 1m2f being a half-brother to the same stable’s Coronation Cup winner Defoe.
The Verdict: Back JACKKNIFE in the 5.35 Royal Ascot
Bow to the Man in King George V
Remarkably, Aidan O’Brien has only won the King George V Stakes once but he could double his tally this year with Serious Contender having obvious claims.
However, son Joseph has been targeting this race more obviously the last few years, going close with Valiant King in 2023 and Neski Sherelski last year, both of those finishing second, and he could break his duck in the contest with OMNI MAN.
This is his handicap debut, but he looks well ready for such a test now after improving with each run the more he has gone out in trip.
He’s related to 1m4f winners and he’s another for whom the new distance could unlock serious improvement, his win at Roscommon over 10 furlongs last time (see free video replay, below) a clear career-best as he cantered all over Johnny Murtagh’s odds-on favourite, Mocking.
That 85-rated rival had very solid handicap form in his back pocket and Omni Man absolutely clobbered him, so he’s worth taking a chance on off 90 for all that he wouldn’t be as experienced as several of these after just four career starts.
The Verdict: Back OMNI MAN in the 3.05 Royal Ascot
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Haggas to rule Britannia
There are two massive-field handicaps to have a go at on the straight course at the end of day three and I’ll be having two against the field in both the Britannia and the Buckingham Palace.
In the Britannia William Haggas’ RAAFEDD tops the lengthy shortlist, the Teofilo colt of major interest here after he impressed on the straight track at Newbury last time.
That’s the same Newbury novice Biometric won before he landed Britannia glory in 2019 and the form is looking good with the second and third both bolting up subsequently.
Raafedd travelled well and burst clear to get the job done before being eased down, a serious improvement on his first two runs, and there’s every chance he’ll end up being better than a handicapper.
I like him stepping up to a mile for the first time but I can’t let SHOUT go unbacked for the Crisfords in the same race after his third at this track last time over seven furlongs.
He ran a cracker there after being far too slow out of the stalls, the son of Advertise doing tremendously well to finish within a length and a quarter of the winner in a race where it paid to be up with the pace.
I think he’ll be right at home coming from off the speed in a race like this and his trainers have swapped the cheekpieces for a visor which will hopefully sharpen his focus coming out of the stalls.
The Verdict: Back RAAFEDD and SHOUT in the 5.00 Royal Ascot
No Retreat in the Palace
It’s not a conscious decision to back the two widest drawn horses in the Buckingham Palace Stakes but I do like the chances of both NO RETREAT (stall one) and Holguin (stall 32) in the closing cavalry charge.
I don’t mind having one from each side and from the low numbers No Retreat makes plenty of appeal at 25/1 for George Scott and Callum Shepherd.
A non-runner in the Victoria Cup, I liked his seasonal comeback at Haydock over a mile as he travelled like the winner and went clear on the rail only to be collared by a couple of horses challenging down the centre of the track.
That was a good effort and it confirmed the impression from Meydan that a strongly-run seven at a stiff track like Ascot could be absolutely perfect for him.
He travels away nicely and I like how he quickened to win the Lincoln Navigator Handicap over seven out in Dubai. He has all the tools to thrive in an environment like this.
Ed Walker might’ve pulled a blinder getting English Oak back down to a mark of 100 as he bids to follow up his win in this race last year but he’s been well found and Wathnan’s second string HOLGUIN might be a better bet.
Formerly trained by Andrew Balding, he didn’t achieve an awful lot out in Qatar but he’s back in England with Hamad Al Jehani now and he caught the eye on his reappearance at Chester.
The son of Havana Grey was keen out wide from stall 12 and he suffered the widest trip throughout, so he deserves loads of credit for being beaten less than a length at the line after being hampered late on.
He gets a pull at the weights with both Never So Brave and Myal here and his Jersey Stakes sixth is handy Royal Ascot form in the context of this race.
Competitive in Group 2 company when last seen racing in England prior to his Chester return, he looks well treated in handicap company and with William Buick booked a big run could be forthcoming.
The Verdict: Back NO RETREAT and HOLGUIN in the 6.10 Royal Ascot
Preview posted at 1600 BST on 18/06/25
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