A Look Ahead - The Diamond Jubilee

A Look Ahead - The Diamond Jubilee

Royal Ascot concludes on Saturday week, and the curtain comes down with the Group One Diamond Jubilee contest over six furlongs.

The race is open to ages four and older, and was established back in 1868 as the All-Aged Stakes.

Originally changing to the Cork and Orrery Stakes in 1926, it was renamed in 2002 to the Golden Jubilee to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II.

From this point it held Group One status, and was upgraded to it's current name - the Diamond Jubilee Stakes to acknowledge sixty years of her majesty on the throen.

Prior to 2015, the race was also open to three-year-olds, but is now restricted to ages four and up when a new six furlong Group One race - the Commonwealth Cup, was created at the meeting for three-year-olds only in 2015.

The event is part of the Global Sprint Challenge, and is no stranger to inviting some of the fastest horses around the globe.

In the last seven years, there have been two international winners - Black Caviar's memorable triumph in 2012, where his jockey Luke Nolen eased up on the unbeaten filly on the run-up towards the line and somehow just managed to hold on.

Three years later, overseas conqueror Wesley Ward - trainer from the United States, sent Undrafted out to victory in this race, acquiring the services of the Ascot legend Frankie Dettori.

Ryan Moore has won two of the three most recent renewals - firstly in 2016 aboard Henry Candy's Twilight Son, and last season with Aidan O'Brien's Merchant Navy, who took full advantage of Harry Angel's blip from the start.

This year, James Tate's Invincible Army heads the market for the Group One sprint, and looks to have every opportunity of landing a hat-trick of wins in 2019 after impressive displays at Doncaster and at York latest.

A good juvenile campaign was followed by a promising three-year-old season which did fade out towards the end of the season in big race handicaps.

He beat Eqtidaar here as a three-year-old, the latter who went on the Commonwealth Cup whilst the son of Invincible Spirit was caught up in a few traffic issues.

This season he has looked phenomenal and raced with a greater sense of maturity, and deserves his title as the one to beat.

The Godolphin-owned Inns of Court will ensure it is no easy contest, and he has looked equally promising for Andre Fabre in France.

Striking at both Maisons-laffitte and Chantilly latest, the former victory was over six furlongs beating last year's second in this race City Light, but he did prove his speed over five last time out.

The boys in blue have not won this race in the 21st century and Inns Of Court will try and do what Harry Angel could not twelve months ago.

Godolphin also have Blue Point entered, but he is most likely set to take part in the Kings Stand Stakes on the Tuesday.

City Light has already been mentioned, and he will look to reverse the form with Inns Of Court in this contest as he too heads over from France.

That was his first start of the season at Maisons-laffitte, and should certainly come on from the effort. He will look to go one better than last year, and his chances will be assisted with a better stalls exit.

Other overseas challengers feature Joseoh Orseno's bullet-train Imprimis, who have secured the services of Frankie Dettori.

The five-year-old has won at Gulfstream Park and Keeneland this season - beating fellow US raider Bound For Nowhere last time out, who finished third here last year.

The British are further represented by James Fanshawe's The Tin Man, who won this race back in 2017.

A real Ascot specialist, he was fourth last year too and goes for a trainer with a very good record in this race.

Dream Of Dreams - like Invincible Army, looks to land a big-race hat-trick after striking at both Chelmsford and Windsor, but will rapidly need to further his game at this level, whilst Sands Of Mali looks a nice each way price after his win here three starts ago in the British Champion Sprint Stakes.

Limato has never made it as a miler and looks to carry on his six-furlong career in a race he was unlucky not to win two years ago, and will be hoping the ground dries up between now and Saturday to become road-like.

John Gosden's Commonwealth Cup third Emblazoned and Stuart Williams' Newmarket shocker Keystroker sit best of the rest in terms of the betting.

The full list of declarations for Saturday's racing will be confirmed on Sunday 16th June.