2025-07-25 11:19

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes Day Tips – CopyBet

Ascot hosts one of Europe’s premier middle-distance races of the year and there’s a high-quality supporting card, including a pair of Group 3s and some hot handicaps.

The eight-race card from the Berkshire track runs from 13:10-17:15, with bookmakers struggling to split Aidan O’Brien’s Jan Brueghel and French raider Calandagan at the head of the market for the Group 1 feature, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes.

Enda McElhinney

Ascot – Dance To The Music

Sat 26 July, 13:40

Charlie Appleby’s Dance To The Music looked a smart prospect when winning on her debut at Newmarket in May and she can maintain her unbeaten record in the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes.

Godolphin have surprisingly yet to win this 6f event, which was first run in 1946, but they have obvious claims in this renewal, the daughter of Dubawi having already accounted for two of today’s opponents, Eskimo Pie and Midnight Tango, when winning at HQ.

The form of her novice win reads particularly well, the reopposing runner-up having since been placed in Listed company and finished a good seventh in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot, while the fourth home, Midnight Tango, has since won a maiden and gone agonisingly close in a Newmarket Listed race.

Ascot – Royal Dress

Sat 26 July, 14:20

The James Tate-trained Royal Dress seemed to relish the uphill finish that Pontefract provided when winning the Listed Pipalong Stakes earlier this month and this similarly stiff track should again play to her strengths.

The daughter of Night Of Thunder left Richard Hannon at the end of 2023 and showed major improvement for this yard, running out a shock 33-1 winner of a Goodwood Listed race on her stable debut in May last year before landing another big-priced success in the Group 3 Meadow Court Stakes at The Curragh later in the campaign.

She rather went off the boil afterwards, but she was back to within 5lb of her very best at Pontefract last time, minus the headgear, coming home strongly to defeat the reopposing Cheshire Dancer by over three lengths.

Officially rated 106, she’s got plenty in her favour on these terms and must surely go well, her ability to handle all types of ground a clear positive in what’s been an unsettled period weather-wise.

Ascot – Lord Bertie

Sat 26 July, 15:00

Very few jockeys ride Ascot’s straight track better than Jamie Spencer and his booking alone makes David O’Meara’s Lord Bertie of interest in what is a typically competitive running of the International Handicap.

He’s a stablemate of the much shorter priced Akkadian Thunder, who is challenging for favouritism, but he’s got previous winning form over this course and distance and has come down to a realistic mark of 88.

A three-time scorer, he travelled smoothly for a long way in a first-time hood when fifth behind his aforementioned stable companion when fifth at Doncaster last month and his last run, when he blew the start, is best ignored.

Enda McElhinney

Enda McElhinney is an experienced sports writer with an in-depth knowledge on horse racing in Britain and Ireland, while he also covers football and snooker extensively.