Jaysella’s Ladies Day Royal Ascot Racecard for Thursday 19th June 2025

Jaysella’s Ladies Day Royal Ascot Racecard for Thursday 19th June

Norfolk Stakes (Group 2) 2.30
Charles Darwin
I’d love to get a winner first up on Ladies Day, so please, please Ryan Moore, do it for me. There’s some pretty pricey youngsters in this, with Charlie Appleby’s Wise Approach leading the way with a 1,000.000 Guineas tag!! Ouch!! This Mehmas colt is a half-brother to Perfect Power though, the 2021 winner, so breeding suggests he’ll be there or thereabouts, and Zhang Yuesheng paid 500,000 Guineas for First Legion. Ouch!! So, they’ve got pressure on to start paying back those monstrous sums, but I think that Ballydoyle’s Charles Darwin might get in their way. Aidan O’Brien’s No Nay Never colt is a full brother to Blackbeard, but significantly is the yard’s only entry, so Charles Darwin and Karl Burke’s Naval Light appeal to me, so take your pick.

King George V Stakes (Heritage Handicap) 3.05
Serious Contender
I’m praying that Ryan Moore is having his best start to Ladies Day ever, when he wins this for me on Serious Contender! And he’s just that, a serious contender who we will next see in the Irish Derby, if there’s time to recover from this. I do get the fact that this has not been Aidan O’Brien’s happiest hunting ground, with just the one win in 2019, but I’ll take that chance as I think he’s been laid out for this, since winning over 10 furlongs at Leopardstown in March. Ralph Beckett has a cracking recent record in this, so Sing Us A Song makes my list along with Charlie Appleby’s Masai Moon.

Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2) (Fillies) 3.40
Serenity Prayer
I thought that Andrew Balding’s Serenity Prayer really put in a great shift when second to Whirl in the Musidora at York. There was a gap of five and a half lengths in that Oaks Trial, but that form was totally franked when Whirl went so close to landing the Classic next time out, and with Go Go Boots..oh! Go Go Boots, wasn’t that Nancy Sinatra? – yeah, Go Go Boots back in third in the Musidora, she’s my big each-way gamble for the Gosdens, who do so well in this race. Under William Buick too, is Go Go Boots, but Serenity Prayer is my win pick, and Go Go Boots is my each-way selection, if that’s your thing.

Gold Cup (Group 1) 4.20
Trawlerman (nap)
No Kyprios! No Kyprios! I mean, it’s hardly the same race without him, though it has opened things up a bit for those that are still standing. So, he’s been a bit of a slow burner has Trawlerman, but only Kyprios was too good for him in this race last year, and he he looked better than ever when taking the Henry II Stakes at Sandown Park last month. I can see why Aidan O’Brien’s Illinois has topped the markets this week, with no Kyprios, but although I suspect he’ll get this trip, Trawlerman has done it, worn the T-shirt blah blah blah! I could go on and on, but with Candelari lining up for Francis-Henri Graffard, there’s a true international angle to the feature, but Trawlerman’s winning this!

Britannia Stakes (Heritage Handicap) 5.00
Teroomm
Where do you start in this cavalry charge, although I spose it’s not where you start, but where you finish! So, let’s just look at a few possibles: Fifth Column, Raafedd, Teroomm, Consolidation & Supido. Fifth Column is on a hat-trick, Raafedd drops out of a Group 3 on Saturday to line up here, Teroomm is three from three this year, Consolidation runs for the in-form Wathnan Racing team, and Supido is my each-way gamble for Ian Williams under the brilliant Billy Loughnane. For the win, I’ll probably side with Teroomm, and might have a sneaky side bet on Supido, so good luck for this!

Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3) 5.35
Detain (nb)
A really, really tight contest for the Hampton Court, where Ireland’s top jockeys Ryan Moore and Colin Keane should be battling this one out. They last met in the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly, where Detain under Colin Keane was third, with Ryan Moore’s mount Trinity College just a head back in fourth. Of course, Ryan Moore was on the winner of that French Derby, Camille Pissarro, but now partners Trinity College. For me, it’s between these two, and I like Detain for this, with a reverse forecast tempting me. Mmm!

Buckingham Palace Stakes 6.10
Gleneagle Bay
The informative race for this has to be the Victoria Cup, held here last month. Well, all I can say is that Gleneagle Bay finished like a train up that stiff finish to take third, so with an extra furlong here and no Qirat or Hickory in this line-up, it could be Stephen Thorne’s big day in the sun. Conditions are much the same, and David Egan gets the leg-up, so I’m pretty sure Gleneagle Bay won’t be far off. COME ON!!