Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for day two’s racing coming your way from Royal Ascot 2025.
ROYAL ASCOT DAY FIVE BEST BETS SATURDAY
Race 1 CHESHAM STAKES (Listed)
No5 TREANMOR (Nap)
Trainer: Charlie Appleby – Jockey: William Buick
This race renowned for providing pointers to the following year’s Classic can go to TREANMOR. The two million Euros yearling made a perfect start to his career when scoring over 1200 metres at Newmarket and is already at the forefront of bookies’ lists for the 2026 Guineas and Derby. His main barrier to success is MOMENTS OF JOY, a filly by Justify who had to dig deep to prevail on her own introduction at Leopardstown and whose connections have enjoyed prolific success in the two-year-old races here this week. HUMIDITY is a brother to the 2022 Chesham winner Holloway Boy, and made a good start when battling home over 1200 metres at Newbury.
Prediction: 1st TREANMOR, 2nd Moments Of Joy, 3rd Humidity
Race 2 HARDWICKE STAKES (Group 2)
No9 REBEL’S ROMANCE
Trainer: Charlie Appleby – Jockey: William Buick
World traveller REBEL’S ROMANCE treated his UK fans to a typically battling triumph in the Yorkshire Cup and now returns to his optimum trip of a mile and a half for what could be a warm up for the King George here at the end of next month. The Godolphin stalwart can not only confirm his Knavesmire superiority over EPIC POET, but should also dispose of some younger opponents he’s never met before. Amongst them is SUNWAY, placed in two domestic Classics, who put up arguably his best career effort in the 2024 King George, but whose latest offerings have fallen short. He flattened out after looking dangerous in the John Porter at Newbury and again at the end of the Coronation Cup. His stable has been worryingly quiet during the first half of the season. AL AASY is at the age of eight the old man of the party but can’t be entirely discounted if enjoying cover whilst AL RIFFA is a Group 1 winner in Germany who has blinkers returned over his optimum distance. Amo Racing paid a king’s ransom for GHOSTWRITER, but there is a nagging doubt whether a mile and a half is what he needs.
Prediction: 1st REBEL’S ROMANCE, 2nd Sunway, 3rd Al Aasy, 4th Al Riffa
Race 3 QUEEN ELIZABETH II JUBILEE STAKES (Group 1)
No12 STORM BOY
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien – Jockey: Ryan Moore
When Coolmore pay top dollars to import a horse from Australia we need to sit up and take notice. The organisation headed by John Magnier purchased dual Cox Plate winner and NZ-bred So You Think for telephone numbers before he was beaten by the ill-fated Rewilding as the biggest Royal Ascot gamble in memory in the 2011 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes. He did however go one better in the same race a year later and is considered one of the best middle distance horses New Zealand has ever produced. Defeat also stared STORM BOY down the barrel when he was beaten on his first outing in the Northern Hemisphere at the Curragh, but Aidan O’Brien is unflinching in his belief the Justify colt can bounce back. By his own admission he had left something to work on with this precious commodity. In a truly international affair, Japan’s SATONO REVE is a Grade 1 winner whose sire Lord Kanaloa was one of the fastest horses I’ve ever seen. The French launch a triple assault on the prize and both LAZZAT and TOPGEAR have been lively in the ante post market, especially the former who brings very strong form to the table for trainer Jerome Reynier. Should there be a major upset RUN FOR FREEDOM is the type of horse that could provide it even though his two previous attempts at the contest have proved fruitless.
Prediction: 1st STORM BOY, 2nd Lazarus, 3rd Topgear, 4th Satono Reve, 5th Run To Freedom
Race 4 JERSEY STAKES (Group 3)
No13 SPY CHIEF (Each Way)
Trainer: John Gosden – Jockey: Rab Havlin
I’m looking for an upset in this, which the lightly-raced SPY CHIEF could deliver. The Kingman gelding floored 4-9 shot and previously unbeaten Almeraq at Yarmouth and the fact he did so by five and a half lengths tells me he’s smart. If he’s close to his paper price (16-1) I shall be stepping in. MARVELMAN has much to recommend him by way of consistency, and the form of his second to Cosmic Year at Newmarket was advertised when the winner then finished second to Field Of Gold in the Irish 2000 Guineas. The Owen Burrows-trained REMMOOZ defends a two race unbeaten record and is open to bundles of improvement. He could be anything whilst another to consider is SARACEN, who with just two outings under his belt for Joseph O’Brien is a pea out of the same pod.
Prediction: 1st SPY CHIEF, 2nd Marvelman, 3rd Remmooz, 4th Saracen
Race 5 WOKINGHAM HANDICAP
No21 MORE THUNDER
Trainer: William Haggas – Jockey: Tom Marquand
MORE THUNDER is amongst a gaggle of horses owned by Saeed Suhail that have flourished following the retirement of Sir Michael Stoute. Sir Michael was a great readier of horses who had the patience of Job, and was always thinking at least two steps ahead every time one of his horses raced. William Haggas is doing well with the Night of Thunder colt, who has found a turn of foot to put each of his races to bed this year. Top weight APOLLO ONE is 12lb higher than when finishing second in the corresponding race 12 months ago. He needed his first run back in the Abernant and at a track that suits his racing style could trouble the judge. GET IT posted a 22-1 all the way success over the course and distance last time and highlighted a busy 2024 campaign by plundering the Stewards’ Cup. While he can be inconsistent, he will trouble the best of these if on his A-game. Last year’s third ORAZIO is one I have a strong feeling about and has been nibbled at in the ante post market. The Charlie Hills-trained grey has flopped when amongst the favourites for a number of top sprint handicaps, but has consequently been given a chance by the handicapper. He would be the most poignant of winners on this seasonal reappearance. JARRAAF twice ran well here last season and made a pleasing return when placed in Listed company at Salisbury. He’s another who might get into the argument.
Prediction: 1st MORE THUNDER, 2nd Apollo One, 3rd Get It, 4th Orazio, 5th Jarraaf
Race 6 GOLDEN GATES HANDICAP
No4 BEST SECRET (Each Way)
Trainer: Stephane Wattel – Jockey: James Doyle
Stephane Wattel came within an ace of capturing the Golden Jubilee with City Light a few years ago and now has another bite of the Royal Ascot cherry with BEST SECRET. The Persian King colt produced a very smart turn of foot when scoring on handicap debut at Longchamp, and having been snapped up by Wathnan Racing has strong claims to get into the argument. ARCHIVIST needs two to come out to get a run but will be a danger to all if that happens. His recent first career success for William Haggas has provided him with a confidence boost. John Gosden’s ERNST BLOFELD would enter calculations should the addition of cheek pieces help him to settle, while SERAPH GABRIEL is carded to go off favourite for Ralph Beckett following an encouraging first run back. DAKOTA BLUE was inched out of it on handicap bow at Navan, to stamp himself a horse that could also be hard to keep out of the shake-up.
Prediction: 1st BEST SECRET, 2nd Archivist, 3rd Ernst Blofeld, 4th Seraph Gabriel, 5th Dakota Blue
Race 7 QUEEN ALEXANDRA STAKES
No8 DALLAS STAR
Trainer: Adrian Murray – Jockey: David Egan
This traditional finale is wide open but DALLAS STAR could go close if he handles the quicker ground. WILD WAVES looked to be nearing his peak when on the podium in Italy last time while SOBER scored over hurdles for Willie Mullins and had good form in France before that. Sir Mark Prescott’s TROOPER BISDEE might need a personal best to win this, but I understand he’s come on quite a bit from his satisfactory first run back at Goodwood. Don’t rule him out.
Prediction: 1st DALLAS STAR, 2nd Wild Waves, 3rd Sober, 4th Trooper Bisdee
