Jaysella’s & Caroline’s Saturday Selections for 16th May 2026

Jaysella’s Saturday Selections from Newbury Park & Caroline’s Navan Pick

Newbury Park

Sky Sports Racing Aston Park Stakes (Group 3) 1.25
Arabian Force
It’s a right cracker this opener, and I can see why there’s gonna be plenty going for Kalpana for this Group 3. She is the class act of this field, I’ll give you that, but it’s Kalpana’s first run of this season, and I’m edging towards William Haggas’s Arabian Force who’s got the advantage of a recent run, finishing just half a length behind Zarraf in the Prix Lord Seymour at ParisLongchamp. I reckon that Arabian Force is entitled to come on for that run, so with Kalpana running under a Group One penalty, odds stacked in his favour is my call. Mind you, Colin Keane is gonna be so happy getting on another Juddmonte silked ride after the week he’s had, taking the Dante and the Musidora at York, so he’ll be doing all he can to add Kalpana to that list. West Wind Blows made French superstar Calandagan work hard for his payday in the Sheema Classic at Meydan back in March, so must be respected, while John & Thady Gosdens’ French Master ain’t gonna be far away. Karl Burke’s useful Liberty Lane completes the field, but might want a bit more give in the ground, so mind’s made up, I’ll chance my luck with Arabian Force.

Childwickbury Stud Fillies’ Trial Stakes (Listed) 2.00
Sacred Ground (nap)
I’m hoping that my prayers will be answered when William Buick wins on Sacred Ground for this Oaks trial. I think that as she gets racing experience, Sacred Ground should settle better in the preliminaries, and I do prefer her to Brian Meehan’s Esna, who has some strong form in the book from the Prix Marcel Boussac at last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe meeting. However, she didn’t set the world alight on her return at Newmarket in the Pretty Polly Fillies’ Stakes a couple of weeks ago, with Sacred Ground overa length up in second, so it may be Ralph Beckett’s Golden Orbit that rates the danger, and she’s been topping the markets this week. But, Golden Orbit’s form is just the one maiden win at Newmarket last September, so although she’s well bred for this sort of trip, I’m finding Sacred Ground really easy to back here, with her edge on fitness and racing knowhow.

Boyle Sports Lockinge Stakes (Group 1) 2.35
Damysus (nb)
What a brilliant renewal we’ve got here, and well done Aidan O’Brien for supplementing Mississippi River to help out all the punters and Placepot lot by making it up to eight runners!! Okay, only joking, it’s pretty obvious that Mississippi River has been added, at cost, to be the pacemaker for stablemate The Lion In Winter, who considering was the Derby favourite late in 2024 shows that Aidan O’Brien wants a truly run race for his Sea The Stars colt. So, what a Lockinge, what a race – we’ve got the 2,000 Guineas winner from 2024, Notable Speech, Francis-Henri Graffard’s highly rated French raider Sahlan, and two very interesting and progressive four year old colts in Damysus and Zeus Olympios. So, this is my rundown on the feature – Aidan O’Brien wants it to be a test of stamina so Mississippi River sets the fractions for The Lion In Winter, and I’d expect Zeus Olympios to get drawn into the pace as he does get a bit lit up, so Cliff lee will be doing his best to keep the lid on, while it’s pretty nailed on that More Thunder will be one of three to make his move late on, especially with course form in his favour, and now stepped up to a mile. Now, Notable Speech blitzed them all late on in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar to end last season, but with Charlie Appleby’s yard firing blanks just now, it’s hard to see how Notable Speech is going to hit the target, with his run back at Keeneland last month not convincing me, despite his troubled passage. Sahlan was brilliant in the Prix du Moulin last year, and there’s no one better than Mickael Barzalona to make a late time sprint for the line, but that Longchamp win was a race run in typical French style, so the pressure may be on Sahlan from further out than ideal, but is my each way angle along with More Thunder, if that’s your thing? That leaves Damysus, who I think with the stamina for 10 furlongs will cope with the early pace, and can score for the in-form John & Thady Gosden combo. Boy, what a race!!

Highclere Castle Gin Carnarvon Stakes (Listed) 3.10
Royal Fixation
Well, I’m hoping that Karl Burke’s Royal Fixation is gonna still be as sharp at this 6 furlong trip as is required on this ground. I do think that she’ll be getting further later on this season, but she was super speedy last year, and that can give her a top chance of a winning start this term. I thought the world of Albert Einstein last year, but for me he hasn’t yet convinced that he’s trained on, which is a big issue considering all those fancy entries he’s got in the diary. More importantly, Caroline thinks he needs to be sent back to sprinting, so this could be a good starting point at this level, while Charlie Appleby’s Wise Approach can blast them all off if not under the cloud over the Moulton Paddocks yard. Questions? Questions to answer here, but I’m taking the impressive filly Royal Fixation to be too good for them all, with her sex allowance just adding to the case for.

Trade Nation London Gold Cup Handicap (Heritage Handicap) 3.45
Al Azd
Pick one out of this lot, won’t you? So, Al Azd does look one that will be somewhere in the mix, and there was plenty to like about his win at Doncaster three weeks ago, forging clear in the final furlong and suggesting plenty more to come for Roger Varian. I would bet Al Azd is still weighted to score in a handicap of this grade, so he tops my list of possibles for the London Gold Cup contest. Of course, with this week’s market leader, My Love Is King, declared as a non runner, I kinda think this is an open field, but those well-weighted do make more appeal to me, so the shortlist includes Richard Hannon’s Sahara King, Andrew Balding’s Sintra, and Ralph Beckett’s Tierra Del Toro. Al Azd could well win this, but you gotta plan your betting strategy and if you are looking for more value, try my list.

Navan

Irish Stallion Farms EBF Yeats Stakes (Listed) 4.07
Limestone
Oh yes, I’m definitely of the opinion that this Listed contest is going to Joseph O’Brien with Limestone. Now then, it’s go to be hard enough to dismiss the current form of Paddy Twomey, where Trojan Fighter looked to relish that longer trip at Ballinrobe last week and has to be shortlisted, while Aidan O’Brien’s New Zealand has been sitting at the top of the betting all week, but for mehas to improve a hell of a lot to justify odds of less than 2/1. No, I’m telling yuzz that Limestone is the one to follow for the Yeats Stakes, with Trojan Fighter the one to chase him home. All the best of luck, and I’ll be back with you on Sunday for the best of the racing at Naas.