Royal Ascot 2023 tips: ITV Racing Saturday picks

Belfast Telegraph

24 June 2023

Royal Ascot 2023 tips: ITV Racing Saturday picks

Royal Ascot 2023 concludes on Saturday afternoon and day five is headlined by the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes – the remaining piece of the Group 1 jigsaw at the Berkshire course this week.

The Chesham, Jersey and Hardwicke Stakes add plenty of quality, while the Wokingham and Golden Gate Stakes conclude the handicaps, and the closing race is the Queen Alexandra Stakes – at just shy of 2m 6f the longest contest of the five-day meeting.

The ITV Racing team are again showcasing all seven Royal Ascot races, with five hours of live broadcasting from 1.30 to 6.30 and our expert has tips for all of Saturday’s action as this spectacular week comes to an end.

ITV Racing predictions – Royal Ascot, Saturday June 24

Enda McElhinney has recommendations for all seven contests on Saturday. You can read the analysis behind his selections below.

2.30, Ascot – Golden Mind @ 14/1 with Betfair
3.05, Ascot – Covey @ 9/4 with Betfair
3.40, Ascot – Sacred @ 9/1 with Betfair
4.20, Ascot – Deauville Legend @ 7/1 with Betfair
5.00, Ascot – King’s Lynn @ 16/1 with Betfair
5.35, Ascot – Knockbrex @ 4/1 with Betfair
6.10, Ascot – Dawn Rising @ 3 /1 with Betfair

Odds correct at time of publishing and subject to change.

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2.30 – Chesham Stakes (7f, Listed)

Pearls And Rubies needed every yard for a winning debut at Navan, and Aidan O’Brien’s No Nay Never filly should mount a bold bid to give the trainer a seventh win in this race.

Fellow Irish raiders Snellen for Gavin Cromwell and Nemonte for Joseph O’Brien are once-raced winners with scope for much better, but Richard Fahey and Oisin Orr hit the crossbar with Malc in the Norfolk on Thursday, and GOLDEN MIND could get them one better.

He is a half-brother to two-time Royal Ascot winner Perfect Power, and last month’s Leicester winner (6f, good to firm) should have more to come upped in trip.

Selection: Golden Mind @ 14/1 with Betfair

3.05 – Jersey Stakes (7f, Group 3)

Mysterious Night has the best form but carries a penalty, while The Antarctic is probably next best and is unexposed at this new trip.

The pair are respected for top connections, but the manner in which COVEY dispatched his rivals off a mark of 90 in last month’s Silver Bowl at Haydock was a strong hint that the Frankel colt is going to be group-race class.

Now rated at 100, he is back to show that now for the Gosdens and Frankie Dettori, who is unlikely to exit this grand stage in his riding retirement year without at least one more winner.

Selection: Covey @ 9/4 with Betfair

3.40 – Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (6f, Group 1)

This one has a proper international feel as Australia, France, Hong Kong and the United States send runners to face the home team – with an Irish challenger surprisingly absent.

Aussie raider Artorius was third last year and filled the same spot in the July Cup. He could be a better horse now as a four-year-old and is a key player.

Ryan Moore partners Wellington. They have won a Group 1 together in Hong Kong and it will be interesting to see how Richard Gibson’s charge fares away from Sha Tin for the first time.

Kinross ended last year firmly on the up and returns to action with Dettori for company, while Highfield Princess was rather unlucky to be only second in the King’s Stand here on Tuesday – and is a major threat if all is well four days on.

SACRED was a fast-finishing fifth in this race last year, beaten by a length, having taken some time to get going from the rear. William Haggas’s charge lacked a run then, but was very convincing at Lingfield in last month’s Group 3 comeback win – and with pilot Tom Marquand in excellent form this week, they are big players.

Selection: Sacred @ 9/1 with Betfair

4.20 – Hardwicke Stakes (1m 4f, Group 2)

Hukum was off for a year after his Coronation Cup win at Epsom last summer, but he turned over the hitherto unbeaten Desert Crown at Sandown on his comeback over 1m 2f.

Owen Burrows did admirably well to get him back from his injury woes and he is a key player over a course and distance (C&D) where he is 2-3.

Pyledriver won the King George at Ascot after that Epsom defeat last summer, but has not been seen since.

Free Wind is a mare with talent and last month’s York win looks good after runner-up Rogue Millennium won here in midweek, but there are some potential four-year-old improvers and DEAUVILLE LEGEND gets the nod to be best of those.

A decisive winner of the Great Voltigeur at York in August, he had been second here in a C&D handicap before that and was a commendable fourth in the Melbourne Cup afterwards. If trainer James Ferguson has him tuned to go, he has got scope for better still.

Selection: Deauville Legend @ 7/1 with Betfair

5.00 – Wokingham Stakes (6f, Heritage Handicap)

Prolific Scandinavian winner Duca Di Como is worth keeping an eye out for at a big price, while Orazio has recent successes at Newmarket and over C&D for Charlie Hills and is not overlooked easily despite a 9lb rise.

Mums Tipple is a C&D winner and has Dettori for company back in a handicap, but KING’S LYNN could be some value for Andrew Balding. He has run well at this meeting in Group 1 company and went very close in this race in 2021.

He just missed out in a handicap at Chester in May off this mark and Harry Davies’s claim certainly brings the royal runner into the picture.

Selection: King’s Lynn @ 16/1 with Betfair

5.35 – Golden Gates Stakes (1m 2f, Handicap)

As Dettori does not currently have a ride in the last, KNOCKBREX looks like being his arrivederci Royal Ascot ride. If ever any jockey were capable of scripting the perfect farewell, it is him.

Charlie Johnston’s colt drops in trip for this, and his Haydock second to Gregory and York fourth behind Chesspiece both read well after that pair were first and third here in the Queen’s Vase earlier this week. He is very dangerous from an unchanged mark of 90 with a sharper trip to suit.

At a much chunkier price, Cuban Dawn has shown plenty of promise in three Irish starts so far and he changed hands for £300,000 this week. He rises in trip now for this handicap bow, and Jim Bolger has secured the services of Hollie Doyle.

Selection: Knockbrex @ 4/1 with Betfair

6.10 – Queen Alexandra Stakes (2m 5½f, Conditions Race)

For this, the very last and the longest race of the week, the market suggests Ireland will land the prize and Willie Mullins’s Stratum is chasing a third consecutive win in this contest.

Cesarewitch winner Run For Oscar goes for Charles Byrnes, while UK hopes are led by Andrew Balding’s filly Typewriter. If she lasts the distance, she can be a player – but DAWN RISING was Group 3-placed behind Al Aasy at 1m 5f as a three-year-old for Ballydoyle at Newmarket in 2020. After a long absence he won twice last season over hurdles and was Grade 1-placed at Naas in January.

He was one of the first in trouble in the Levmoss Stakes at Leopardstown last month, but rallied to be third over much shorter and he could do well in this stamina-sapping trip for Joseph O’Brien, as Ryan Moore looks to sign off the week with a rare winner at this meeting for JP McManus.

Selection: Dawn Rising @ 3/1 with Betfair