Royal Ascot Saturday Tips: Best bets for Day 5

It’s the final day of Royal Ascot and we have a cracking seven-race card to look forward to before Flat racing’s premier meeting draws to a close. 

Here's our race-by-race look at Day 5 of Royal Ascot, which runs from 14:30-18:15 on Saturday afternoon and which is headlined by the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at 15:45.

14:30 - Chesham Stakes (Listed, 7f)

Bedtime Story and Age Of Gold, trained by Aidan O’Brien and Charlie Appleby respectively, dominate the Chesham Stakes betting but at a much bigger price the eye is drawn to Pentle Bay. This son of New Bay, who is out of a Galileo mare, had no right to make a winning debut over 6f at Leicester 18 days ago when beating three more prominently ridden runners with previous experience. He’s been earmarked for this race before he even made the track and will be all the better for trying 7f. 

Selection: Pentle Bay

15:05 - Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2, 1m4f)

There is every chance Continuous will need his return in the Hardwicke and ready preference is for Middle Earth. This son of Roaring Lion proved his well-being by producing an impressive success in an Aston Park Stakes that is working out well on his return at Newbury, doing well to come from last to first in a slowly run race. He appears to have gotten quicker and we know the track suits as he was a good winner of the Noel Murless under a penalty last term. 

Selection: Middle Earth

15:45 - Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (Group 1, 6f)

Archie Watson excels with sprinters and has already managed to extract a good level of improvement from Shartash since he joined the yard from Johnny Murtagh. It is no bad thing in Ascot’s 6f races to have a strong stayer over 7f on your side given the stiffness of the track and this four-year-old fits the bill after back-to-back victories at that distance. He will have no issues with fast ground. 

Selection: Shartash

16:25 - Jersey Stakes (Group 3 7f)

It could be dangerous to overlook Task Force in the Jersey Stakes. He was just as good as favourite River Tiber was at two and is surely capable of building on his 2,000 Guineas seventh when he pulled too hard. That performance also came at a time when Ralph Beckett’s horses were needing their returns and he had previously gone for a wind operation. Dropping back to 7f could be just the ticket.

Selection: Task Force

17:05 - Wokingham Stakes (6f)

Perhaps Archie Watson can secure a big sprint double at the Royal meeting on Saturday with Albasheer in the Wokingham Stakes. The fact Hollie Doyle deserts last year’s winner Saint Lawrence to ride stablemate Albasheer looks significant, and being drawn right by the stands’ side rail is often no bad thing in this. He has improved significantly on the all-weather in recent times, but hasn’t been afforded the chance to translate that progression to the grass as he remains on a 10lb lower turf mark. 

Selection: Albasheer

17:40 - Golden Gates Stakes (1m2f)

There are a raft of lightly raced handicappers to consider in the Golden Gates Stakes, but perhaps Hand Of God can provide the answer from a decent draw in stall 17. A big improver as a juvenile, Hand Of God began his three-year-old campaign in perfect fashion by making all in the Esher Cup over a mile. He is going to be seen to better effect over this longer trip and a 3lb rise from that success should ensure he is seriously competitive. 

Selection: Hand Of God

18:15 - Queen Alexandra Stakes (2m5f)

Emmet Mullins seems certain to conjure a big prize out of Postileo at some point and Saturday might be the day in the Queen Alexandra. Postileo is quite unexposed for a seven-year-old and produced his best performance yet for Mullins when fourth in the Vintage Crop behind Gold Cup winner Kyprios. He has a standout Ascot effort to his name as he was third to Al Qareem and Tuesday’s Wolferton winner Israr in the 2023 Cumberland Lodge, shaping as if he needed a stronger test at the 1m4f trip. This looks a good piece of placing.

Selection: Postileo