1.50 Highclere Castle Gin Summer Handicap
VALEDICTORY has the going-places profile, not to mention the local knowledge, to bid his rivals ‘adieu’. The gelded son of Cracksman, trained in tandem by John and Thady Gosden, has taken his form to a new level since stepping up to a mile and three quarters and being equipped with cheekpieces. The combination worked a treat when Valedictory beat six opponents over course and distance at the end of May with a length-and-a-half beating of Spinning Wheel. And William Buick’s partner defied a 5lb rise in the weights at Newmarket’s July Festival 22 days ago, getting the better of Roaring Legend by a neck. The latest intervention from the British Horseracing Authority number cruncher means Valedictory, with another 3lb on his back, competes from a mark of 95 today. But the four-year-old is only just finding his feet and, with more to come, Valedictory has strong claims on the hat-trick. Align The Stars landed this race two years ago and the Northumberland Plate hero has to be respected, along with the Joseph O’Brien pair Aeronautic and Small Fry.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 VALEDICTORY, 2 ALIGN THE STARS, 3 AERONAUTIC
2.25 Coral Glorious Stakes
AL AASY is evergreen - and ripe for the Glorious Stakes hat-trick. At nine years of age, William Haggas’s stable stalwart is well into the veteran stage of his career but continues to be more than a match for younger legs. His 12 victories from 30 outings - that’s an impressive 40% strike-rate - include eight triumphs in Group 3 company. In 2024, Al Aasy beat Relentless Voyager for this prize and he returned 12 months ago to defend his title with a three-length humbling of Meydan. That effort was all the more meritorious when one considers he carried a 3lb penalty for his success in the same-level Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown Park in the spring. There is no such encumbrance today and a return to winning form in Beverley’s Listed Charlie Wood Stakes at the beginning of the month will set Tom Marquand’s mount up perfectly for today The biggest danger may come from fellow Somerville Lodge trainee Opportunity, with In My Teens and Enfjaar taken to fight it out for the bronze.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 AL AASY, 2 OPPORTUNITY, 3 IN MY TEENS
3.00 Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes
SANTORINI STAR merits the chance to bounce back from a no-show at Royal Ascot last month. Her challenge for the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes on the final day of the fixture went badly awry as the William Haggas-saddled mare, a 16-1 chance, came home last of 12 behind Giavellotto. But forgive that effort - Santorini Star was stepping back to a mile and a half and wearing cheekpieces that are dispensed with today - and the five-year-old daughter of Golden Horn is a definite player here. Having beaten Consent for the Group 2 Park Hill Fillies’ Stakes at Doncaster in September - the runner-up reversed the form in the top-level Prix de Royallieu at Longchamp next time - Santorini Star made a winning comeback under Tom Marquand against male opposition in the Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket in May. And she ran another cracker when beaten a short neck by Caballo De Mar for the Group 1 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier over two miles at Longchamp 20 days later, before her Ascot flop. Santorini Star, a course winner from her only previous visit to Goodwood, will be more at home back up in distance and shouldn’t be written off. Waardah and Danielle finished first and second 12 in this months ago, and should be in the firing line once more.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 SANTORINI STAR, 2 WAARDAH, 3 DANIELLE
3.35 Coral Stewards' Cup
SONDAD has landed two big sprint-handicap pots this season, and a third could be on the way. The fitting of a visor saw the Washington DC-sired gelding take one step forward after another for the father-and-son training combination of Mick and David Easterby in 2025. Having scored at Ascot in May of last year, Sondad followed up in a six-furlong event on Derby day at Epsom, finishing his campaign with podium efforts in competitive sprints won by Candy at Ayr (Ayr Silver Cup) and Aramram at Ascot. And the five-year-old has continued his upward curve this term, stepping forward from a down-the-field effort behind Dark Thirty at York in May to retain his crown at Epsom the following month. The draw gods didn’t play ball in the Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot a fortnight later - his berth in stall two could hardly have been worse - and, in the circumstance, a ninth behind Double Rush rates a commendable effort. But there were no such issues in another big-money affair on the Irish Oaks undercard at the Curragh last time, when Sondad and Easterby snr’s grand-daughter Jo Mason accounted for old rival Dark Thirty by half a length. He’s 1lb well in under a 6lb penalty and a draw in stall 21 should put Sondad in the thick of the action. In a typically fiendish Stewards’ Cup, Far Above Dream, Annaf, Stratusnine and 2024 victor Get It are just four horses capable of getting involved.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 SONDAD, 2 FAR ABOVE DREAM, 3 GET IT
4.10 Phase Eight Handicap
NAVAL LIGHT and 3lb claimer Jack Nicholls are expected to prove a potent combination for the third time in a row. The winner’s enclosure proved elusive for Havana Grey’s son on his first six visits to the racecourse. But, on the back of a sixth to Ten Carat Harry in a six-furlong handicap at Newmarket on 2,000 Guineas day, Naval Light, ridden by Nicholls for the first time, enjoyed a red-letter day when justifying odds of 2-5 in a maiden over the same trip at Pontefract 20 days later. Karl Burke then returned the gelded three-year-old to handicap company as Naval Light and Nicholls took on three rivals over seven furlongs at Catterick Bridge. Sent off at 7-2, my selection swept through from the back of the field to lead inside the final furlong and account for Woodstock by a length and three-quarters. Hot favourite Haaderr disappointed that day and more is need after a 5lb rise in the weights. But it will be a surprise if Naval Light can’t summon up another personal best and he’s fancied to go in again. We’re Goosers found the draw, and possibly the one-mile distance, against him in the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot and he heads the list of dangers, which also includes Ghost Mode and Ironwill.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 NAVAL LIGHT, 2 WE’RE GOOSERS, 3 IRONWILL
4.45 British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes
MARKET LEADER did enough on his debut at Windsor, despite a defeat at odds-on, to be of interest here. Punters were falling over themselves to back the 450,000-Euro breeze-up purchase when he took on eight opponents for a six-furlong novice stakes at Windsor 19 days ago - Market Leader went off the 4-5 hotpot. But they were soon biting their nails when James Doyle’s partner made a sluggish exit from the starting stalls and trailed the field during the early exchanges. Market Leader then appeared nonplussed when his jockey urged him forwards inside the final quarter mile but did learn on the job in coming home in third, four lengths behind winner Real Bullet. Given his obvious lack of streetwisdom, Market Leader, who holds an entry in the Group 1 Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at the Curragh next month, looks capable of a big step forward, and the seventh furlong should help. Regency Royal, Speakers Corner and Leadlight all performed with promise first time up and should improve.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 MARKET LEADER, 2 REGENCY ROYAL, 3 SPEAKERS CORNER
5.20 Coral Rewards Shaker Handicap
BLUE COURVOISIER, another horse who missed out on the luck of the draw at Royal Ascot, makes plenty of appeal under Saffie Osborne. The debut winner of a Leicester novice stakes on his first of two outings as a two-year-old in 2025, the son of Sea The Stars made the frame in handicaps at Newmarket and Ascot when returning in the spring. With Osborne on board for the first time, Blue Courvoisier gave his trainer Clive Cox a third Silver Bowl triumph when holding Langstone by a length and a half at Carlisle - the one-mile handicap was switched from Haydock Park - at the end of May. Blue Courvoisier couldn’t get involved from stall one when 18th of 30 in the Britannia Handicap but shouldn’t be written off. In a wide-open meeting finale, Crest Of Fire, El Matador, Boyfriend and Great Chieftain are names to throw into the mix.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3: 1 BLUE COURVOISIER, 2 CREST OF FIRE, 3 BOYFRIEND
