Royal Ascot 2026 The 2-year-olds
Royal Ascot 2026 The 2-Year-Old Review I certainly wasn’t short of material when it came to choosing a topic for this week’s column for TPD. Royal Ascot was fantastic and 35 highly competitive races presented a wealth of data that could be used to create some interesting angles. Scandinavia and Trawlerman producing a Gold Cup […]
Coronation Stakes
Coronation Stakes (Group 1) Ascot – 19th June 2026 The original plan for Friday’s content had been a review of the Commonwealth Cup. For what it’s worth, I thought Venetian Sun was superb and she finished her race in the manner of a horse who is dominant in her division. However, as good as Karl […]
The Gold Cup
Gold Cup (G1) Ascot – 18th June 2026 If ever a race summed up the magic of Royal Ascot, it was this year’s Gold Cup and the battle between Trawlerman and Scandinavia in the straight. We can spend all week looking at 3-year-old form, studying 2-year-old pedigrees and trying to spot an improver or pouring […]
Prince Of Wales’s Stakes
Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (G1) Ascot – 17th June 2026 It’s hard to equate how many column inches, TV broadcasts and podcast minutes have been devoted to the argument over who is the world’s best racehorse? Every racing fan, in every country around the world will have their own opinion and great cases can be […]
St James’s Palace Stakes
St James’s Palace Stakes (G1) Ascot – 17th June 2026 This race was billed as a match between the best of this year’s 3-year-old Colts and it turned out to be exactly that. Bow Echo and Gstaad are a pair of extraordinary talents and they served up one of the best renewals of the St […]
Salvator Mile Stakes
Salvator Mile Stakes – Grade 3 Monmouth Park – 13th June 2026 EAST AVENUE was a Grade 1 winner as a Juvenile. On just his 2nd start, he won the G1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity Stakes at Keeneland in October 2024 and appeared to have the world at his feet, so much so that he was […]
Royal Ascot 2026 – Key Data Talking Points
Royal Ascot 2026 – Key Data Talking Points I have a new strategy for Royal Ascot this year. The plan is to focus on the proven performers in the Group 1 races and then hope to be on the right side of the draw with the 2-year-olds and the handicappers. I’ll come to the handicaps […]
What does it take to win an Ascot Gold Cup
What does it take to win an Ascot Gold Cup? The number of races run over the Ascot Gold Cup trip can be counted on one hand. When a horse runs in the showpiece race at the Royal meeting for the first time, they are galloping into the unknown once they pass the 2 mile […]
Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets
Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) Saratoga – 6th June 2026 “Golden Tempo had the higher finishing speed (99.1%) and combined with his longer stride, it would be a mistake to assume that this was a “one off” performance simply because of his starting price”. Those were the words that I wrote on this […]
Most Important 3-Year-Old Race Today Juvenile Hurdle
Most Important 3-Year-Old Race Today Juvenile Hurdle Hexham – 6th June 2026 On Derby day at Epsom, Dan Skelton and his relentless efforts to dominate the National Hunt season are probably quite a long way from the minds of most racing fans. However, a couple of hundred miles to the north of Epsom, an entirely […]