QUEEN ELIZABETH II JUBILEE STAKES
Saturday 22nd June, 3:45pm
Kinross @ 5/1
Mill Stream @ 5/1
Mitbaahy @ 11/2
Shartash @ 6/1
Believing @ 7/1
view odds
*prices correct at time of writing.
RACE
No one has been more associated with Royal Ascot, quite possibly ever, than the late Queen, who won twenty-four races at the fixture during over 70 years of racehorse ownership.
The Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Stakes – formerly the Cork and Orrery and the Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilees, as her reign continued – (3-45) is staged in her memory for sprinters over six-furlongs.
THE MARKET
The four-year-old Mill Stream has been on an upward curve since returning following a breathing op with second-place in the Abernant Stakes followed by a narrow success in the Duke of York (despite being checked two-thirds of the way through), in the process beating Shouldavbeenaring into second, with the Abernant winner Washington Heights fourth and Art Power and Swingalong close behind.
These guys know each other well! Kinross has been a real star, winning ten races to a high level, though this prize has so far eluded the seven-year-old, racing here for the first time since a neck defeat by Art Power on Champions Day.
Mitbaahy was behind Washington Heights and Mill Stream in the Abernant first time out for his new stable, then ran over shorter, before last time impressing at The Curragh, accelerating in smart style to beat Regional, which ran a cracker on Tuesday when Art Power was fourth and Shouldvebeenaring sixth.
Shartash has won both recent starts over seven furlongs, but he was maybe running out of juice last time so Ascot’s examining six should suit. Believing ran fourth in the King Charles III Stakes (5f) on Tuesday but is versatile and it’s interesting that George Boughey is going again quite so quickly.
The Wizard Of Eye, now with Fitzdares ambassador Charlie Fellowes and gelded, stormed home to win the Victoria Cup; this is a step up but that was a striking performance. Last year’s 80/1 winner Khaadem was well-beaten behind Mill Stream at York and looks second string for the owner who also has Mitbaahy.
THE WINNER
Personally I loved Mitbaahy in Ireland so he’s the one for me – you?
CORN’S QUARTET
Having finished third and seventh respectively behind Continuous in the St Leger, Middle Earth emphatically turned the tables on Royal runner Desert Hero at Newbury and has improved markedly for another year on his back as the trio cross swords again in the Hardwicke (3-05).
In the Jersey (4-25), River Tiber and Haatem also have a thing going having finished first and fifth in last year’s Coventry and then second and third in the Irish Guineas; the dropping back in distance Haatem is in the form of his life.
Last year’s Wokingham (5-05) runner-up Apollo One is sprint handicapping’s most solid performer and in two runs this year has shown no signs of letting up. Outsider Glenfinnan has impressed on this track twice before.
The Emmet Mullins-trained Postileo was fourth over a mile and three-quarters last time looking like he was well up for further…maybe nearly a mile further in the Queen Alexandra (6-15).
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