Jaysella’s & Marie-Francoise’s Saturday Selections for 3rd October 2026

Jaysella’s Saturday Selections from Newmarket & Ascot and Marie-Francoise’s Selections from ParisLongchamp.

BetMGM Sun Chariot Stakes (Group 1) (Fillies & Mares) 1.35
Blue Bolt
Well, wadda ya know, blue Bolt’s gonna be a long odds-on price to make it a four-timer of Group Ones this term. And it’d be a braver girl than me to go against that, so Blue Bolt it is. Just the best four year old filly over a mile, by a mile you could say, so I bet Andrew Balding’s gonna be pretty hyped up for this latest Group One. She’s done it here in the Falmouth, over in France in the Prix Rothschild and in Ireland in the Matron Stakes last time out, beating the likes of Precise, three times, City Of Memphis, and Guineas winners True Love and Fallen Angel. City Of Memphis reopposes, but has got over 2 lengths to find from their clash in the Matron Stakes, but these two look to battle out another race packed with quality. Blue Bolt to seal her reputation as the best filly over a mile with another win ahead of City Of Memphis, while Karl Burke’s Evolutionist is a live outsider for you each-way hedgers!

Ascot

BetMGM British October Stakes (Listed) (Fillies & Mares) 1.15
Albaydaa
Well the, this Albaydaa is gonna be my big Saturday gamble, in a race that don’t look is going to take much winning. She couldn’t quite get to Zen Diva in a decent handicap at Salisbury last week, but William Haggas sends her back out over 7 furlongs, where she’s already run well enough here at Ascot this year to get a course plus point from me. Goes without saying that Billy Loughnane has got the Midas touch this season, so John & Thady Gosdens’ So Regal is no surprise as the ante post favourite, specially with smiler in charge, while Ed Walker’s Midnight Tango has been placed in a Group race here already this term, second to Coppull in the Commonwealth Trial Stakes back in May. Yeah, if you’ve got doubts about the hot favourite So Regal, which I definitely have at around Evens this week, then Albaydaa could run a big one at a nice price!

Bet MGM Cumberland Lodge Stakes (Group 3) 2.25
Tenability (nap)
William Haggas has got them all running for cover here with Al Aasy and Tenability mopping up the top of the market this week for the Cumberland Lodge. I’ve gotta say, Al Aasy has been a big favourite of mine for a long time now, and he’s making his usual appearance in this Group 3, but he ain’t getting any younger and has got to give 5lbs to stablemate Tenability, which I reckon is gonna tip the scales in the Frankel gelding’s favour. Time will tell, and I’ve been caught out before not backing Al Aasy to my cost, so don’t go writing in if Al Aasy comes up trumps, but I do think the younger legs and the offset in weight give Tenability the edge. Charlie Appleby’s got a strong hand too, with Billy Loughnane on By The Book and Kieran Shoemark on Royal Power, so what I can tell you is something in blue is winning this. I reckon it’s gonna be the light blue of Tenability to go one better than last year, but it’s a cracking renewal all the same!!

John Guest Racing Bengough Stakes (Group 3) 3.00
Division
Division does look a worthy favourite dropped into this Group 3 Bengough, so it’s another one for me from the Somerville Lodge yard on Saturday. A fine close fifth in the July Cup Stakes at Newmarket when last seen in July, before going down by a head in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville last time out, Division brings stacks of Group One form to this race, and has to be the one to beat. Marco Botti’s Prince Of India did it nicely from the front at Newmarket last time, so can put in some good fractions to set the race up for Division, while there’s been a bit of noise about Charlie Appleby’s Hidden Force so I’ve got my eye on him too as Division’s stablemate Elmonjed seems to save his best for York these days. Yep, Division to unify opinion and come home as favourite, with the in-form Prince Of India making a race of it.

ParisLongchamp

Qatar Prix Chaudenay (Group 2) 12.23
Pierre Bonnard
It will be the very best of the racing here in Paris this weekend, but maybe the first of the Group races is not the strongest non? So, I must think that this can be such a good chance for Aidan O’Brien to make this Group 2 with Pierre Bonnard, who has been in all the best of the middle-distance contests this season. He was seventh in the Derby at Epsom, but many struggled when the ground turned to soft going, and maybe his sixth in the St Leger last month was when the stable was not peaking in the form, but he must have a very very good chance to win this. The ground here is bon souple, which will be perfect for Pierre Bonnard, and I think he can be too strong for Andre Fabre’s Space Waltz and Amy Murphy’s Victoire Magique, so this can be the winning start that Aidan O’Brien will be wanting for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe meeting.

Qatar Prix Dollar (Group 2) 12.58
Distant Storm
I will take my chance with Distant Storm for this Prix Dollar, with his weight allowance making it a very interesting contest. It has not been conclusive this week who can be the favourite for this, with the two raiders from Angleterre, Wimbledon Hawkeye and Distant Storm level with Andre Fabre’s Prix Prince d’Orange winner Phineas, but c’est possible that on Saturday one of these will become the big favourite. D’accord, but Charlie Appleby has his stable in the very good form non? so with the weight allowance and winning form on French soil from the Prix Daphnis at Deauville, maybe it can be easy to be on Distant Storm. Plus, Zaydann was fifth in the Juddmonte International at York, so must not be ignored, and First Look won this race in 2025 so must also be on my list. Maintenant, it will be Distant Storm who can win the Prix Dollar, with Zaydann and First Look to be very close.

Qatar Prix de Royallieu (Group 1) (Fillies & Mares) 3.25
Sunly (nb)
It is the very interesting race this Prix de Royallieu, where Francis-Henri Graffard’s Sunly has been made the big favourite non? And, of course this is because the Juddmonte owners have made Sunly for this Prix de Royallieu, and not the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe where they have the brilliant Kalpana, but maybe Sunly can make this extra 400 metres. D’accord, but if Sunly has any issue with her stamina for this 2,000 metre contest, then Santorini Star must be the one to be winning, and it was Consent and Santorini Star that were un-deux in this contest in 2025. Maybe it is Santorini Star that has been better than Consent this season, so Owen Burrows Waardah is for me most interesting from winning the Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster in September. Oui, a very good renewal to be one of the features on Saturday, but Sunly is a very good filly, with a very very good reputation at Longchamp, so she is my pick.

Qatar Prix du Cadran (Group 1) 4.00
Scandinavia
Oolala, I am very excited to be seeing Scandinavia in the Prix du Cadran! He has now become the very best stayer in all of Europe, with his old stablemate Kyprios now retired, and now is not beaten in five races this season, and eight in the row. D’accord, so the price on Scandinavia is very prohibitive, because of his dominance of this division, and maybe the only point unknown is to be running for the first time in France non? But, Aidan O’Brien has Queenstown in the race also, so we can presume that is for the duty of pacemaker, and Christophe Ferland’s Double Major and George Scott’s Caballo De Mar will both be trying to be with Scandinavia. Oui, Scandinavia is impossible for me not to recommend, and he will be winning this with Caballo De Mar and Queenstown in second and third places.

Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein (Group 2) 4.35
Quddwah
Oh yes, it can be another of the favourite runners to be winning the Prix Wildenstein, after losing this race to Ridari by the short head in 2025. D’accord, I must say that it is Quddwah that has been the better horse this season, so this is the difference I believe he can make better, and now it is Ridari with Christophe Soumillon and Mickael Barzalona with Quddwah, in an opposite of the 2025 jockey places, so very much the fascinating race. Of course, Ridari moved to George Scott since last year, but maybe he is not fully settled in the new stable so far. Karl Burke’s Fallen Angel was an Irish 1,000 Guineas winner, so can be the big danger, but I believe that Quddwah will win this contest.