My Royal Ascot tips include a hugely promising runner who's been a revelation for his top trainer
Follow me in on the final day of Royal Ascot
MATT CHAPMAN My Royal Ascot tips include a hugely promising runner who's been a revelation for his top trainer
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YOU might think it's rare for a horse to have run a lot further than six furlongs to land the Wokingham Handicap.
But if you did you'd be wrong.
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William Haggas will have More Thunder tuned to perfection for the Wokingham
Credit: PA
That will give MORE THUNDER (5.00) supporters plenty of hope as he goes for a hat-trick in Saturday afternoon's cavalry charge.
More Thunder has been a revelation this season for William Haggas, landing two sprint handicaps with last-gasp thrusts.
Last term he was in the hands of Sir Michael Stoute when he raced as far as an extended mile and a quarter.
Cape Byron, Bacchus and Baccarat are just three fairly recent Wokingham victors who had tried distances way beyond the distance they were going at Royal Ascot.
Cape Byron ran a couple of times over a mile and a furlong, and was once down the field in a Hunt Cup.
Bacchus went a mile in a nursery at Newmarket in his younger days, while Baccarat once went a mile at Ayr.
More Thunder is untried on very fast ground, but he will be flying home off the strong gallop and may well get up under Tom Marquand and do what My Cloud did in the Wokingham.
So we have made it. It's the final day of Royal Ascot 2025 and all seven sweltering races are once again on ITV.
The action kicks off with the Listed Chesham Stakes for juvenile colts and geldings over 7f.
Many with much potential and improvement.
TREANMOR cost 2,000,000 euros as a son of Frankel and looked very useful on debut at Newmarket when traveling strongly and hacking up by four lengths.
The runner-up has been beaten since, but Treanmor was backed as if defeat was impossible.
He obviously should go well and William Buick rides for Charlie Appleby.
The Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes is for older horses over 1m4f.
Kalpana wasn't declared due to the fast ground so this really should be at the mercy of REBEL'S ROMANCE (3.05) who loves a hard surface, and banged in the Breeders' Cup Turf on firm at Del Mar in November.
The latter is a globetrotting superstar for Godolphin and can land this again for Buick and Appleby.
He's just bombproof in these events and was a fine third here to Goliath in the King George.
Today's big Group 1 is the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes over 6f.
Another wide open sprint this week.
TOPGEAR (3.40) has never encountered ground like this and of course he might hate it.
There is also a chance Topgear is better at 7f than 6f.
That all said, on ability the French, Christopher Head-trained raider is right in the mix and his Challenge Stakes victory at Newmarket was a very decent one.
My selection returned with success at Longchamp this season and if able to go the gallop will finish stronger than most. An each-way chance.
Next a Group 3 for three-year-olds in the Jersey Stakes over 7f. Really tricky to sort this lot out!
CALIFORNIA DREAMER (4.20) might go well for Amo Racing and David Egan.
The Adrian Murray-trained Irish raider was an excellent second to Lake Victoria in the Irish 1000 Guineas when last seen and a drop back to 7f should be beneficial.
She was a fine fifth here in the Albany on fast ground last season so she really should get in the mix and has strong each-way claims.
Another handicap in the Golden Gates for three-year-olds over 1m2f comes next.
And there could be another one for Wathnan here with French raider BEST SECRET (5.35).
He's another that it's impossible to know whether he will act on a fast surface, but he's lightly raced and has been impressive in two victories at Saint-Cloud and Longchamp.
James Doyle is on top and a handicap mark of 95 looks very fare. Stall 5 should not be the difference between winning losing.
Royal Ascot 2025 draws to a close with the Queen Alexandra Stakes marathon over an extended 2m5f.
Sober could easily hack up for Willie Mullins but SAMUI (6.10) was a fine third in the Copper Horse on Tuesday and he will be well suited by the extra distance.
He can just lob around under Colin Keane and hopefully power clear in the closing stages.
What a week it's been. I hope you have enjoyed all the sport.
Royal Ascot is just always special.
On Saturday, though, amidst the sunshine I'm hoping for thunder, More Thunder!
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