Five horses to follow at Royal Ascot on Friday

Tipster: Ross Millar

First-season sire Starman has enjoyed an excellent start to his new career as a stallion, and I fancy he could land a maiden Royal Ascot win courtesy of Gold Digger. 

Bought at the Craven Breeze-Up Sale for 260,000gns, she shed her maiden tag on debut when scoring at Yarmouth in May. 

Racing over this trip of six furlongs, she was fairly slow away from the stalls, although in his post-race interview, Jamie Spencer suggested that was more by design than accident as he wanted to teach her the correct way to race. 

She travelled into contention stylishly before powering through the final half-furlong, and the form of that win has been nicely boosted, with both the third (America), the fourth (Nandita) and the seventh (Luminare) all winning on their next starts. 

Spencer retains the ride, so expect her to be finishing fast inside the closing furlong. She must have a strong chance. 

Tipsters: Harry Allwood and Andy Stephens

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Last year’s European Champion Two-Year-Old produced some strong form when completing the Middle Park and Dewhurst double in 2024, and it was no surprise he was sent off a leading fancy for the Betfred 2000 Guineas on his return this season. 

He’s closely related to dual six-furlong Group One winner Earthlight, so it was always a question mark whether he would stay a mile, and his latest performance strongly suggests a stiff six furlongs at Ascot should be his optimum test, especially as he had the stamina to score over seven furlongs at Newmarket last year. 

The youngster made a strong move when travelling powerfully into contention in the Guineas, and the RaceiQ data shows he clocked 11.04s in the penultimate furlong when hitting the front following a sedate gallop, only to run out of steam late on. 

That effort also proved he had trained on, and the Guineas form looks strong. I expect him to prove too good for his rivals here – he’s also clear on the ratings - and is my strongest fancy at Royal Ascot this week.

Tipsters: Harry Allwood and Andy Stephens

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The Shadwell homebred has looked hugely exciting in her first two races, bolting up on her debut at Wolverhampton in November before gaining an impressive comeback win in Listed company over ten furlongs at Newmarket last month. 

There was talk of her being supplemented for the Oaks after the latter success, where she made all, but she did show bundles of speed at Headquarters, plus connections had concerns about Epsom suiting her. 

The upshot was that the Classic was resisted and she has instead been pointed in this direction. 

I cannot see the drop to a mile being a problem, and she looks ideally drawn, in stall two, to attack from the front. And we’ve seen at Ascot this week that it can be hard to make up ground from the rear on the prevailing quick ground. 

Zarigana, controversially awarded the French 1000 Guineas, has the best overall form and heads the market, but she is likely to be held up and Falakeyah could be away and gone. 

Tipster: Dave Nevison

This is the best fillies' handicap of the year and is extremely tough to work out which line of form is going to prove the strongest, but Ed Bethell’s filly surely must be among the strongest judged on her Haydock win last time out.

She beat one of today’s rivals, Arabian Leopard, by a pretty comfortable two lengths at Haydock and I feel the handicap was not overly tough raising her just 5lb for that success.

Her dam was a winner over a mile and Oolong Poobong was strong at the finish last time, so this step up should suit her well. She looks to be drawn in an ideal slot just wide of the pacesetters and hopefully she can come home strongly.  

Tipsters: Danny Archer, Alex Scott and Johnny Ward

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“This is our Calandagan” were the words uttered by Johnny Murtagh following Zahrann’s dazzling display at Leopardstown last time out and hopefully he can give the Aga Khan Studs successive winners of the King Edward VII.

He produced a potent turn of foot, highlighted by his finishing speed percentage of 109.12% and the son of Night Of Thunder looked far from the finished article, coming widest of all before launching his challenge.

It’s interesting that connections have decided to roll the dice and I think he can serve it up to hot favourite Amiloc in this event.