🏇 Ascot King George Day: The Full Report

How’s it going?

We’re all set for another busy week ahead, starting with Ascot’s King George on Saturday. 

We have all your favourites ready once more, including our Three To Follow. Plenty of these have won since we introduced them in mid-May…

Classic Encounter - Won 11/8
Jet Warrior - Won 6/1
Trucial Pearl - Won 10/3
Everatease - Won 9/2
Beagle Bay - Won 4/1
Al Hudaiba - Won 5/2
Quillan - Won 6/5
What A Tahoo - Won 4/1

Our next Three To Follow appear later on, but first…

👉 Saturday’s King George at Ascot sees last year’s winner Calandagan take on Japan’s finest in Masquerade Ball, and the younger Irish Derby winner Benvenuto Cellini.  

👉 Item, who won May’s York’s Dante Stakes before his Derby flop on soft ground, returns to the same course and distance as May - on better ground.

👉 The seven-day Galway Festival starts on Monday, followed by Glorious Goodwood’s five-day meeting on Tuesday.

👉 Scandinavia and Trawlerman lock horns again in Tuesday’s Goodwood Cup with only a neck having separated the pair at Royal Ascot.

👉 Bow Echo and Gstaad clash for a third time in Wednesday’s Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.

👉 Tuesday and Wednesday will also see Galway’s two major betting heats - the Galway Plate and Galway Hurdle.

Here goes…

🔢  If you want to piss your bookie off, there could be an angle for an each-way steal in Ascot’s Valiant Stakes (2.20) where favourites have a poor record - the last 10 finished: 3rd, 8th, 9th, 5th, 4th, 5th, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 3rd. Hopefully, all eight runners go to post, ensuring a top-three payout - bookies really hate this type of bet.

🔢 Similarly, let’s hope all 12 runners stand their ground in Chester’s 5f handicap (4.23) as it could be a strong ‘draw race’. Low stalls are the way to go.

🔢 York second favourites outperformed favourites on Sky Bet Dash day at York during the last five years, returning 8 wins from 37 runners for a +£8 profit to a £1 stake (A/E 1.16).

🔢 Newcastle have some big fields on the straight course this Saturday. 

At Newcastle’s last meeting it was perceived that high stalls along the near side would be favoured. However, lower stalls were favoured this summer…

Newcastle straight track - 12 runners or more (May & June 2026):

Featuring the latest big-race roll of honour alongside ten-year trends analysis, our ‘Super Trends’ reveal the key stats for all the big races.

Use these trends to find your own selections, or if you’re short of time and can’t access a formbook, check our short-list of selections below each race.

Last weekend’s Super Trends pointed up a 45/1 Tote Trifecta in the Summer Plate when Kingston Narcissus, Queensbury Boy & Breizh River made the 1-2-3.

This followed the previous week’s 90/1 July Cup forecast.

Let’s see what those Super Trends have churned out for us this week…

🏅 Pocklington
🏅 Apollo One
🏅 Stratusnine

🏅 Mezcala
🏅 Completely Random
🏅 Arctic Dawn

🏅 Goliath
🏅 Calandagan
🏅 Benvenuto Cellini

It was almost three from three for The Purist last Saturday, who was last seen coming out of Greggs beaming on Thursday. We’re not sure if it’s because he had another stellar week of punting, or that he had several sausage rolls in his paper bag. He’s one of our own.

After finishing his second Greggs sausage roll, The Purist said he was off to study for Tuesday’s Glorious Goodwood meeting, but still managed to share some of his thoughts - if not any of his pastries.

Here’s who The Purist is backing on Saturday…

Chester 1.53 Yokkell

A reliable seven-year-old mare who was rated 85 this time last year but slipped down to a mark of 60 at Bath 10 days ago, where she finally took advantage. That would have done her confidence good, and she still looks very well treated from just 4lb higher.

York 2.00 Stratusnine

An improver who ran an excellent second at York in May, dropped to 5f, which is too sharp before a creditable 8th of 28 at Royal Ascot from a disadvantaged draw on the far side. He then received another tough draw at Chester on the very outside but has a better slot here in the middle where he could gain some compensation.

Ascot 4.45 Asmen Warrior

The James Owen team are currently shitting winners and could have another with Asmen Warrior, who lines up for this having recorded a career-best victory at Newmarket. That 7f race has a strong long-term history, and this year’s runner-up Tawajjah has already improved to win a nice Sandown handicap. Already a winner over a mile, this step back up will only help.

Joint-trainers John and Thady Gosden spoke to the Sporting Life about Glorious Goodwood next week…

“Harmonics didn’t quite get the best trip around [Ascot], but he stayed on well up the straight. It was slightly impossible for him to win given what happened at Swinley Bottom. He came out of it very well and he has been in great order since. Hopefully he gets a smoother trip around here."

This week, let’s nominate three horses to have run well from a bad draw…

Happy Henry (5yo)

An improver at a low level this season and doesn’t know how to run a bad race - his 2026 form-figures are: 352331315, including in some big fields. That was the case last week when fifth of 18 at the Curragh where the first four home came from stalls: 7, 4, 1, 5, with Happy Henry keeping on from stall 13. He still looks to be on a nice mark.

Seed Ya Later (2yo)

Double-figure stalls dominated last week’s Super Sprint at Newbury, where the first six home came from stalls: 13, 16, 11, 15, 14, 26, leaving Seed Ya Later staying on into seventh from the coffin box stall 1. She has lots of speed and won over Musselburgh’s fast/flat 5f in April, and she can gain compensation at a sharper track.

D Flawless (5yo)

The majority of winners at Carlisle this season came down the centre of the home straight, leaving those on the far rail at a disadvantage. D Flawless raced furthest away from the centre when third there a few weeks back, which came after another unlucky run when blocked back over 5f at Pontefract. Her last four starting odds were: 13/2, 9/1, 6/1 & 9/1, so she’s worth looking out for from a fair draw over 6f. 

We’ll be here to cover next Saturday’s action at Goodwood and Galway, but in the meantime, have a look out for these in midweek…

Glorious Goodwood (last five years):

Galway Festival (last five years):

📌 The finishing position of trainer Tom Clover’s last nine runners was: 2 1 1 5 1 1 2 1 3. The in-form yard has one runner on Saturday with Rocking Ends at Ascot (5.20).

► ITV4 (free): Ascot: 1.45, 2.20, 2.55, 3.35; York: 1.30, 2.00, 2.35.

Next weekend is another monster with the final day of Glorious Goodwood featuring the Stewards’ Cup.

Until then…

..keep ‘em peeled 👀

The Paddock Report Team.

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