Juddmonte Summer Mile Stakes (Group 2)
Ascot - 11th July 2026
The round course at Ascot can present some very different challenges when compared to the straight mile that is used for the Queen Anne Stakes in June. Just ask the connections of More Thunder. I’m going to start with the beaten favourite because I think it is important to try and explain his performance when attempting to add some context to what the form of the 2026 Summer Mile may or may not be worth. Stall 1 is not ideal, especially for a horse who has to be ridden in a certain manner and whilst the straight course gave him every chance in June, I’m not sure that same can be said for the round course on Saturday. There have been winners of this race from stall 1, but none since Fanunalter in 2012 and even with the cutaway rail in the home straight, the race can develop with a wall of horses in front when you come from the inside gate position. That is precisely what happened to More Thunder under Cieren Fallon in this year’s race. I don’t think Fallon did anything wrong. More Thunder needs to be ridden patiently and likes to run his race in the latter half of the contest. He ran very similar races in both the Lockinge and the Queen Anne, races where his opening furlong times ranked 9th and 6th respectively. The difference between those races and this one was the amount of time that he had to close at Newbury and at the Royal Meeting compared to around the turn on Saturday. In a race where the leader took over 52s to cover the opening half a mile, he was on the back foot almost immediately and once into the home straight, he had simply given himself far too much to do. A late speed figure of 40.47 mph for the final quarter of a mile still ranked 1st of the 8 runners, but it was all to no avail. His form figures for 2026 now read 224 and it might be seen as a slight disappointment, but this race can at least be forgiven. A straight course is going to suit better and I would point to the fact that both his top speed and late speed figures ranked 1st in the Summer Mile as proof that things may not have gone entirely to plan. A line can certainly be put through this result for More Thunder, but only with the added note that he needs a perfect storm in order to win. A fast pace, a clear run and leaders who have gone too hard and are slowing down inside the final furlong would all be on the “wish list” for his connections and it could be a frustrating project to follow him over the remainder of the season if all of those conditions are not met.
I think that I have covered the beaten favourite in enough detail and it is now important to spend some time discussing the winner, Zeus Olympios, who has finally delivered this season after a couple of disappointing efforts. I say disappointing, when in fact he finished 4 lengths behind Opera Ballo at Sandown, finished 3rd in a Lockinge and ran a decent race when 4th behind Ten Bon Tony in the Queen Anne. Much like the race last month, he had slower in-race metrics than More Thunder, but unlike the Haggas horse he is a very uncomplicated ride and that may be the key to understanding this victory. At an average of 22.8 ft, he had one of the shortest average strides in the field, but what he lacks in size, he makes up for with a high cruising speed and a stride frequency that didn’t drop below an average of 2.27 per second at any point in the contest. In a race run with a more searching early gallop that may have left him slightly vulnerable, as it certainly did in the Queen Anne, but around a bend where the early pace was very steady, it was absolutely ideal. He was slightly keen when the stalls opened, but once Naqeeb and Seagulls Eleven came across he settled perfectly for Sam James. Zeus Olympios was perhaps aided by having the French raider No Lunch alongside him, who was being given a similarly patient ride in the hope of pinching the race in a sprint finish. No Lunch was found wanting in a much deeper contest than the races he has been winning in France this year, but once brought to the right hand side of the leader, Zeus Olympios always seemed likely to get his head in front. His average stride frequency didn’t drop below 2.22 when he won at Haydock and Newmarket last season and in those races he had respective finishing speeds of 104.5 and 106%. Compare that to the Lockinge and Queen Anne, where his minimum stride frequency averages were 2.29 and 2.36 per second, but the finishing speeds were 100.5 and 98.7% and it highlights the fact that his stamina in a well run race over a mile is stretched a little too far.
Holloway Boy (2nd) can be a very frustrating horse for punters to follow, but he usually runs his race, especially at Ascot and Seagulls Eleven (3rd) brings a solid look to the form and has looked like a reformed character since his gelding operation last year. Zeus Olympios finished better than both of them and his race best run-out speed of 37.1 mph confirmed the view that he was comfortably on top when they crossed the line. This year’s Juddmonte Summer Mile was a tale of 2 very good horses. They both need a very significant set of circumstances in order to be seen at their best. On Saturday afternoon in the Ascot sunshine, Zeus Olympios got those circumstances in his favour. The big question to answer next time is whether one, both or neither of them will get the race run to suit.