RACE 4

3 .1 5 P M

T H E Lo N G I N E S Saga R O Sta K E S

( C L A S S 1 ) ( G R O U P 3 ) ( A G O L D C U P T R I A L )

About two miles (15f 209yds) (3,100 metres) for four yrs old and upwards

Advertised Total Prize Fund £80000. Owners Prize Money. Winner £35648; Second £14632; Third £7320; Fourth £3656; Fifth £1832; Sixth £912. (Penalty Value £45368) A SS

See page 54 for conditions of this race

Longines will present a memento to the winning owner, trainer and jockey and £200 to the stable employee in charge of the best turned out horse in this race.

No Horse Draw Jockey

1 C O LTR A NE (I RE ) (2 00 )

B g Mastercraftsman (IRE) - Promise Me (IRE) (Montjeu (IRE))

Owner: Mick and Janice Mariscotti

Trainer: Andrew Balding, Kingsclere

Breeder: Rockfield Farm

Sponsor: Kingsclere Stud

Horse Age: 6

Weight: 9 9

Dr aw 5 Oisin Murphy

Colours: WHITE, EMERALD GREEN hoops, DARK BLUE sleeves and cap

Form: 114212- C D

HHHH Progressive stayer; won last year’s Ascot Stakes (2m4f handicap); very closely matched with Trueshan on Group 2 form at Doncaster (won by a neck) and over C&D (head second) the last twice; acts on good to soft ground (below par sole attempt on soft); major contender on reappearance.

2 T R U E S H AN (F R) (2 1)

B g Planteur (IRE) - Shao Line (FR) (General Holme (USA))

Owner: Singula Partnership

Trainer: Alan King, Barbury Castle

Breeder: Mr Didier Blot

Sponsor: Goodwin Racing Ltd

Horse Age: 7

Official BHA Rating 116

Dr aw 3 Hollie Doyle

Weight: 9 9

Colours: YELLOW, ROYAL BLUE cross belts, ROYAL BLUE and YELLOW chevrons on sleeves, ROYAL BLUE cap Form: 11321-2 CD BF

HHHHH Rightupthereinthetoptierofthestayingdivision,especiallywhenthegroundisslow;narrowlybeatColtraneover C&DlastOctoberforathirdwinintheBritishChampionsLongDistanceCup(3-3atAscot);thatisflankedbyodds-ondefeats at the hands of Coltrane and Rajinsky, so he’s not bombproof these days; however, strongly respected on peak figures.

Official BHA Rating 121

3 N ATE TH E GR EAT (G B) (67 )

B g Nathaniel (IRE) - Theladyinquestion (Dubawi (IRE))

Owner: Mildmay Racing & D. H. Caslon

Trainer: Andrew Balding, Kingsclere

Breeder: Mildmay Bloodstock & D. H. Caslon

Sponsor: Mildmay Farm & Stud Ltd

Horse Age: 7

Weight: 9 4

Colours: DARK BLUE, LIGHT BLUE epaulets, DARK BLUE and ORANGE striped sleeves, ORANGE cap Form: 20061-5 D

HH Stablemate of Coltrane; ideally suited by good/firmer; ended last season with a Listed win at Newmarket (2m) then ran creditably in Group 3 handicap at Riyadh (1m7f) in February; faces a stiffer task in this field

4 R A J IN S KY (I RE ) (2 1)

B g Zoffany (IRE) - Pink Moon (IRE) (Namid)

Owner: Jastar Capital Limited

Trainer: Hugo Palmer, Malpas

Breeder: Miss Elaine Marie Smith

Sponsor: Jastar Capital Limited

Horse Age: 7

Official BHA Rating 108

Weight: 9 4

Colours: ORANGE, PINK epaulets.

Form: 13410-1 CD

HHH Good staying handicapper over the years; bagged Listed honours at Nottingham (1m6f, soft) last month, making all to beat Trueshan by half a length; now 2lb worse off with that rival, who has much better peak form; however, hard to dismiss on the back of that career-best performance

5 W IS E EAG L E (I RE ) (2 5)

Official BHA Rating 108

Ch g Free Eagle (IRE) - Best Be Careful (IRE) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))

Owner: The Seahouses Syndicate

Trainer: Adam Nicol, Seahouses

Breeder: John Costello & Irish National Stud

Horse Age: 6

Weight: 9 4

Colours: RED, YELLOW seams, RED sleeves, YELLOW stars, RED cap, YELLOW star

Form: 61141-1 D

HHH Very productive (at up to 2m2f) in Scotland and the north of England for over two years, most recently winning a useful handicap at Musselburgh (1m6f, good to soft); evidently still improving but goes into deeper waters now sent down south for first Group attempt

Official BHA Rating 103

6 EL HA BE EB (I RE ) (3 9)

B c Al Rifai (IRE) - Los Ojitos (USA) (Mr Greeley (USA))

Owner: Mr Mohamed Khalid Abdulrahim

Trainer: Kevin Philippart de Foy, Newmarket

Breeder: Khalid Abdul Rahim

Sponsor: KPF Racing Ltd

Horse Age: 4

Weight: 9 3

Dr aw 1 Andrea Atzeni

Colours: PURPLE, LIGHT BLUE chevron, LIGHT BLUE and BLACK check sleeves and cap Form: 02161-5 C

HHH Unexposed stayer who has low mileage; good sixth in the 2022 St Leger then won Listed event here (1m6f, good) later in September; creditable fifth in the Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan (2m, good; Group 2) on reappearance; remains open to further improvement and looks interesting back on home soil

Sheepskin Cheek Pieces worn by No 5.

Official BHA Rating 110

2022: PRINCESS ZOE (GER) 7 8 13 Joseph Sheridan 17-2 (Anthony Mullins) 6 ran

BETTING FORECAST:

6-4 Trueshan (FR), 5-2 Coltrane (IRE), 5-1 El Habeeb (IRE), 6-1 Rajinsky (IRE), 10-1 Wise Eagle (IRE), 14-1 Nate The Great (GB)

Race Predictor

Today, Ascot Racecourse, are delighted to welcome guests of The British Racing School who join us as we recognise and celebrate their 40th anniversary.

The BRS was established in 1983 to train and create pathways for the next generation of stable staff, trainers and jockeys, to help them harness their potential and achieve their dream jobs in the horse racing industry Over 4,500 students have been supported in the last 40 years on its flagship foundation course alone. It is also home to over 70 ex-racehorses who enjoy a second career in teaching, making it home to more retired racehorses than any other UK site. Horse welfare is a top priority and students are taught how to look after them to a ‘gold standard’ – a level of care which stands them in good stead when they leave and progress to work in a racing yard

Based in Newmarket, the School empowers young people to harness their potential and improve their wellbeing through interacting with horses and ponies; creating pathways through:

The Newmarket Pony Academy: Term-time, after-school and holiday clubs for children aged 8-14 referred by local schools

The Pony Racing Academy: 12-week Academy for 13-15 year olds who want to take part in pony racing who have financial/ other barriers preventing entry.

The Flexible Learning Programme: Alternative learning provision for year 10/11 pupils from local schools to increase educational engagement and gain skills/ qualifications which lead to careers in horse racing.

The Riding a Dream Academy: Support young people from diverse and underprivileged communities to access and participate in horse racing through scholarships and introductory weeks

The Foundation Course: 6-18 week courses for 16-24 year olds who want to start a career in racing.

Ascot Racecourse is a long-term supporter of the charity and in addition to sponsorship assistance, has produced a film to showcase their work, students and staff which will be launched across all channels today.

We have also named our 15.50 race “The British Racing School 40th Anniversary Commonwealth Cup Trial Stakes” to celebrate their achievements.

For more information visit brs.org.uk or contact: katrina.archer-rand@brs.org.uk