Royal Ascot Friday - More Places Than Winners So Far But At Decent Prices

Royal Ascot Only - Friday 19th June 2026

2.30pm

Six furlongs for fillies in the Group Three Albany Stakes and with 10 of the runners arriving with a one race one win record this may not be quite as simple as the market suggests. Aidan O’Brien’s Sun Goddess did win on her second start when coming home five lengths clear at the Curragh last month, but the form is yet to be seriously tested and the time was nothing to write home about. Jolivette was a rare first time up winner for Andrew Balding but she was sent of the 2/1 favourite and may not have as much improvement to come as you might expect from the yard, while Hidden Gift missed the start at Ripon before powering home into second, and she could surprise a few of these at a massive price under James McDonald. Three horses mentioned already and no guarantees I have even mentioned the winner, and it’s a puzzle with plenty of guesswork involved as to who may improve the most. It is ultra speculative I admit, but Dee’s Funny Girl did well to win her only start at Thirsk when quickening up nicely after being repeatedly denied a clear run before getting on top by a length and a half. Trained by Michael Keqdy in Newmarket, the booking of Dylan McMonagle to ride catches my eye and although I am clearly thinking outside the box with a 50/1 chance, its not a race to do any more than play around to small stakes, and we could get a decent run for our money.    

3.05pm

Much as I am a huge fan of the favourite here, is this Group One over six furlongs really as simple to solve as the betting implies? It would be no surprise to see Albert Einstein, the one time 2000 Guineas favourite bounce back to form and make fools of us all this afternoon, but his second to Song of The Clyde in a Listed contest at Newbury seems to leave him with plenty to find on 2026 form, though you never know with the O’Brien stable. Venetian Sun is a favourite of mine and the daughter of Starman was very impressive when winning the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock by three lengths, and although that was on ground with far more cut in it, she has won on faster ground before so that should not be an issue. As the years go by I become a bigger and bigger fan of trainer Karl Burke, and as he seems supremely confident who am I to argue. She will almost certainly go off favourite as the stalls open but for those looking for one at a bigger price you could do a lot worse than Outfielder. The winner of his last two starts, Wes Ward sends him over from America looking for his hat-trick after wins at Turfway Park and Churchill Downs, and I would not fall over in shock if he tries to make every post a winning one this afternoon.  

3.40pm

This race was won by Ethical Diamond last year, a horse who came here on the back of a seventh at Ayr but went on to win the Ebor at York off 8lb higher and then the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar before a fifth to Calandagan in Dubai – some training performance by Mr Mullins. No Mullins runner this year to rely on, but Andrew Balding sends three, Gary and Josh Moore two, James Owen two and Joseph O’Brien two – which only muddies the waters significantly. This looks like another race to go all statistical on, so I have had a look at all options available to me and got it down to a shortlist of nine (hopeless) but of those only two trainers have handled the winner in the last 15 years – the Gosdens (Warrant Holder) and Joseph O’Brien (Emit and Omni Man). Omni Man is the biggest priced of those three and gets the nod albeit narrowly – did Ryan Moore get the pick of Joseph’s pair and jump on to Emit – or did Dylan McMongale have the choice and picked Omni Man – hopefully the latter. The stables horses are in great form and although the four-year-old tries a new trip here on a drop back into handicap company, I am rather hoping this has been a long term plan that may or may not come to fruition.

Aidan O'Brien - Loving Hong Kong

4.20pm

In the run up to his race we all wondered if Aidan O’Brien would allow Precise (Irish1000 Guineas winner beating True Love) and True Love (1000 Guineas winner, Precise back in seventh ) to take each other on once more, as the stable look for their first win in this since 2017, and to my surprise that is the case – a rematch between two of the best mile fillies in Europe. True Love really caught my attention at Newmarket but she was put in her place at the Curragh and it is hard to see those placings reversed this afternoon. Ryan Moore switches to the daughter of Starspangledbanner who won both the Moyglare Stud Stakes and the Fillies Mile as a two-year-old, so she certainly wasn’t winning out of turn. It would now seem that she was rushed to the 1000 Guineas before finishing seventh at headquarters, but with that run under her belt she looked a class act once again – though it should still be an intriguing match up between the pair, with Breeders’ Cup winner Balantina the possible “fly in the ointment” on her much anticipated return to action.     

5.00pm

In the absence of Jim Crowley it was interesting to note that John and Thady Gosden (and owners Shadwell) have booked Ryan Moore bright and early to ride Seet in this handicap and I really feel that could be a hint worth taking. The winner of her last two starts, both this season, at Wolverhampton and Doncaster, she was particularly impressive last time when travelling well throughout to win by a couple of lengths with plenty left to call upon if needed and without the whip called into action. A mark of 96 is her issue ahead of her handicap debut, which seems high enough, but with further improvement, she could shrug that off without issue.  Unsurprisingly this is anything but a one horse race, and there are plenty of others with appropriate claims, headed in my book by the likes of Darn Hot Gallop (back in handicap company), Bintaziza (in a mood before finishing fourth at Thirsk in a race easily forgotten), and perhaps Glyfada (quickened up nicely to win last time out), all of whom could well have a big say.  

5.35pm

Looking back, who knew the 2024 winner Calandagan would go on from this Group Two for three-year-olds to been a giant of the sport, but that’s what happened and suggests we need to take whoever wins this very seriously for future contests. The early betting suggests we are looking at a two horse race as they go 11/10 Water To Wine and 9/4 Causeway – 9/1 bar the two, and with four winning favourites in the last five years, the head of the market looks the place to be. John and Thady’s Gosden’s Kingman colt seems to have more stamina than his breeding might suggest, winning over a mile and three furlongs at both Newbury and then Kempton, winning by four lengths and 11 lengths respectively. Both were relatively low class contests (a maiden and a novice stakes) and this represents a big step up in class, but he can do no more than win impressively and as they say, you never know how good they really are until they get beaten.  Causeway has won all four starts since being beaten on debut, but as a son of Wootton Bessett there have to be doubts about his stamina with an all-out holding on victory over a mile and a quarter at the Curragh last month and a fast run race may find him out, with 2000 Guineas tenth and Derby Italiano winner Venetian Prince my idea of the one for the forecast.

6.10pm

All systems go for a flying five furlong handicap to end the Friday card, and although we only have six runnings to work with, it is notable that we are yet to see a winner drawn lower than the 11 stall, or without a run in the last 60 days. Those few statistics aren’t a whole lot of help to be honest, but of those left (and there are plenty) it’s Wes Ward’s Bacio that looks the each way value. To be ridden by Juan Hernandez, who is having his first rides outside North America this week, but with over 3000 winning rides he has the experience needed in the saddle. As for the horse, he is a lightly raced son of Maclean’s Music who has won three of his four starts including the last two at Del Mar and Churchill Downs, is as happy on turf as he is on dirt, and made all on his last two starts to win by five lengths and two lengths respectively, and is a ball of speed who should be suited by the fast ground at Ascot, and if he can get away smartly he may prove difficult to catch.    

Sean’s Suggestion:

Seet 5.00pm Royal Ascot