Royal Ascot attracts the finest race horses in the world. From the traditional dress code, to the rich history behind the event, the experience is like no other.

With the meeting just two weeks away, we take a spin through the latest news on each of the daily scheduled races and put up a few useful pointers.

 

Tuesday 19^th June

Queen Anne Stakes

Ground conditions will dictate whether Addeybb takes his place in the race.

Trainer William Haggas said: “Addeybb is fine and came out of the race at Newbury fine. I think we will look for his ground now. I’ve got him in the Eclipse and I’ve put him in the Irish Champion Stakes, so he will have mile and a quarter entries, but I think he is fine with a mile as long as there is dig in the ground.

“He has the Ascot entry in the Queen Anne and if it was soft he may well take it up.”

Coventry Stakes

John Gosden's Legends Of War was introduced at 6-1 for the Coventry Stakes after scoring decisively at Yarmouth on debut under Oisin Murphy, crossing the line four lengths in front of his rivals.

 

King’s Stand Stakes

Connections of Kachy see no reason why their sprinter cannot do himself justice at Royal Ascot.

Kachy, who had previously won a sprint at Chester by nine lengths, is likely to renew rivalry with Temple Stakes winner Battaash.

 

St James’ Palace Stakes

Without Parole‘s performance in the Listed Heron Stakes helped secure his place in the St James’s Palace Stakes, with trainer John Gosden adamant the best is yet to come from the son of Frankel.

 

Ascot Stakes

The Grand Visir, a son of Frankel, relished the two-mile trip last time out at Haydock and now has the Ascot Stakes in his sights.

“He’s not up to the Gold Cup, but he might go for the Ascot Stakes if the owners want to go. If not, the Northumberland Plate is another option,” said his trainer, William Haggas.

 

Wolferton Stakes

Zetland Gold Cup winner Big Country looks all set to run in this race.

“He’s in the Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot and we’ll enter him in the Wolferton Stakes as well. I’d imagine we’ll probably go for the Wolferton now.” said his trainer, Mick Appleby, at Redcar after the victory.

 

Wednesday 20^th June

Queen Mary Stakes

The Mark Young-trained Luck Favours is set to go for the Queen Mary Stakes and will be the very first Australian-trained two-year-old to run at Royal Ascot.

 

Queen’s Vase

The Aidan O’Brien trained Southern France is likely to contest the Queen’s Vase, with connections feeling he could develop into a prime candidate for the St Leger at Doncaster in September.

 

Duke Of Cambridge Stakes

Martyn Meade’s Wilamina is now 11-2 from 8-1 for the Duke of Cambridge Stakes after scoring nicely at Epsom on Derby day under Frankie Dettori.

 

Prince Of Wales’s Stakes

After his Epsom run, Cracksman was eased to 2-1 from 4-5 by most bookmakers for the Prince of Wales's Stakes, a race that is set to be his next target.

Eminent is back on course for this race after being given a clean bill of health after suffering from a fibrillating heart when disappointing at the Chester May Festival.

 

Royal Hunt Cup

Gabrial earned himself a crack at running at Royal Ascot with his fine second behind Century Dream in the Diomed Stakes.

Trainer Richard Fahey said: "Gabrial is a brilliant horse. He is so tough and ultra-consistent. He is in the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot and we will go there. He would like some cut in the ground and we're looking forward to going."

 

Jersey Stakes

James Garfield will tackle the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot according to his trainer. 

Having not quite got home over six furlongs on his most recent outing, trainer George Scott hopes a step back up in distance will provide the perfect trip for his Greenham Stakes winner.

 

Thursday 21^st June

Norfolk Stakes

It will be the Norfolk Stakes next for Vintage Brut after he maintained his unbeaten record in the National Stakes last time out at Sandown.

His jockey that day, David Allan said: “I’d definitely recommend five furlongs at the moment. It’s always a pretty strong gallop at Ascot and that would suit him, he’d finish his race strongly.”

 

Hampton Court Stakes

Henry Candy’s Thrave, a son of Sir Percy, who Candy felt had terrible luck on his first run of the season in finishing fourth to Knight To Behold could well run in this race on the Thursday of the Royal Ascot meeting.

 

Ribblesdale Stakes

The Prix de Diane and the Ribblesdale Stakes are two options under consideration for the Investec Oaks runner-up Wild Illusion.

Sun Maiden, a wide-margin winner at Salisbury last time out, skipped the Investec Oaks in favour of running in the Ribblesdale Stakes, so is one to watch.

 

Ascot Gold Cup

Stradivarius staked his Ascot Gold Cup claims with a powerful performance in the Yorkshire Cup and star stayer Order Of St George warmed up for the race by taking in another Saval Beg Stakes victory along the way.

 

Britannia Stakes

Crack On Crack On made it two wins from two starts with a fine win in the Silver Bowl at Haydock Park. The three-year-old looks all set for the Britannia Stakes now.

 

King George V Stakes

Mark Johnston has saddled the winner of the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot on five occasions and he is all set to run Communique, the winner of the Al Zubarah London Gold Cup Handicap.

 

Friday 22^nd June

Albany Stakes

Exciting juvenile filly, Natalie’s Joy, looks a live contender in this race.

She is around the 10-1 mark for the Albany Stakes with most bookmakers behind the Aidan O’Brien-trained pair of Fairyland and Just Wonderful.

 

King Edward VII Stakes

Wells Farhh Go has been given the go ahead to contest the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot rather than than the Queen's Vase.

The three-year-old lost his unbeaten record in the Dante at York recently but was far from disgraced on that day.

 

Commonwealth Cup

Trainer James Tate is relishing the chance of letting his Invincible Army have another crack at Sands Of Mali in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

Tate's three-year-old went down by a flared nostril to Richard Fahey's sprinter in the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock.

 

Coronation Stakes

David Simcock will send Teppal to the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot after the filly gave him a first Classic triumph in the French 1000 Guineas.

The 66-1 shock winner of the English 1000 Guineas, Billesdon Brook, is likely to run here rather than the Prix Diane, according to her trainer, Richard Hannon.

 

Sandringham Stakes

Richard Fahey said after Clubbable’s win at York: "I'm delighted. She was busy last year and she was only small but she's done well over the winter.

"She (Clubbable) is tough and genuine and could be a filly for the Sandringham if she can prove she stays."

 

Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes

David Menuisier's Thundering Blue should make his preference felt in this trappy race.

After his impressive York scalp, Menuisier said "He's a massive turn of foot, but it takes him a while to use it. He's wintered very well and is a stronger horse this year. I'm thinking of the Duke of Edinburgh as he's craving to go further."

 

Saturday 23^rd June

Chesham Stakes

Aidan O’Brien trained the first three home in the Marble Hill Stakes at the Curragh and that trio of Fairyland, Van Beethoven and Land Force could well hold entries in this race.

 

Hardwicke Stakes

The Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot is the next target for Defoe following his defeat behind the Aidan O’Brien-trained pair of Lancaster Bomber and Cliffs Of Moher.

 

Windsor Castle Stakes

Kapono is in line for the Windsor Castle Stakes following his victory in the Novice Auction Stakes at Goodwood.

Trainer Amy Murphy said after the win: “Everyone's dream is Royal Ascot. It was not the best of races, but the style in which he did it makes it worth entering him at Ascot."

 

Diamond Jubilee Stakes

The Tin Man was installed as a leading contender for the Diamond Jubilee Stakes, which he won last year, when he defeated D'bai and Projection at Windsor in the Listed Weatherbys Hamilton Leisure Stakes.

 

Wokingham Stakes

Robert Cowell is looking forward to running his sprinter Sir Robert Cheval in this contest.

The seven-year-old has not been seen since finishing a close second to Just Glamorous in the Listed Rous Stakes last October.

"He will go straight to the Wokingham. He is in great form," said Cowell.

"I think he is more a five-furlong horse than six, but he gets into the Wokingham and he will give the owners a good day out.

"I think I will line up an outing in the Shergar Cup afterwards with him.

 

Queen Alexandra Stakes

The final race of the meeting and the longest event of the week. National Hunt trainers often fair well in this race with their staying types so be on the lookout for one of those in the lucky last.

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

The John Of Gaunt Stakes, also known until recently as the Timeform Jury Stakes is a Group Three flat race run at Haydock Park over seven furlongs.

The race was sponsored by the Timeform organisation from 2009 to 2016, but a new sponsor has come along in 2017 and the race has reverted back to its original name.

The name of the race refers to the very first Duke Of Lancaster (14^th century) who presided over the land that Haydock Park is now built on.

This Saturday’s renewal sees twelve runners going to post. They are a mixed bunch of seasoned campaigners and unexposed four-year-olds. Many of the leading contenders have already shown form good enough to land a race of this nature but a special performance may be needed to capture the first prize of £36,000.

Here is a runner-by-runner guide:

 

Muntadab

Roger Fell’s six-year-old is very likely to be up there making the running but whether he can make all is another thing.

The gelding is really consistent and boasts a 21% win strike rate plus a £38.00 profit to a £1 level stake. He has also won at Haydock before which is always a positive.

 

Mr Owen

Owned by Qatar Racing, Mr Owen has raced in both France and at Meydan, but a win on British soil as so far eluded him.

Since joining David Simcock the six-year-old has run creditably with his best result coming in the Hyde Stakes at Kempton.

 

So Beloved

David O'Meara's So Beloved was third to Absolutely So in last year's John Of Gaunt and takes his chance again.

He is the senior figure in this field as an eight-year-old, but he ran like a horse half his age to finish second in a valuable York handicap last time out. He is also another course and distance winner in this field.

 

Tabarrak

Tabarrak is another runner who brings course form to the table after taking a listed race over course and distance in good style last month.

Trained by Richard Hannon, Tabarrak is just one of the latest stars to emerge from Hamdan Al Maktoum’s Shadwell Racing operation and looks a live contender in this race.

 

Unforgetable Filly

Unforgetable Filly won last year's German 1,000 Guineas at Dusseldorf.

She finished a close third to Di Fede on Monday at Leicester, so it remains to be seen whether she runs in this race.

 

Larchmont Lad

Larchmont Lad lost last October’s Knocakire Stakes to Making Light on appeal and the cross-channel based horse last ran at York in the Hambleton Handicap where he finished third.

Owned by the Cheveley Park Stud and formerly trained by Richard Hannon, the four-year-old should give his current trainer, David O’Meara, another bold showing.

 

Lahore

He was a smart handicapper for Roger Varian in 2017, winning three times, including handicaps at Windsor and Doncaster.

He shaped better than the bare result on his first start for Clive Cox in a listed race at Leicester last month and was entered for the Lockinge Stakes but was declared a non-runner on the day. Connections clearly think a lot of him.

 

Donjuan Triumphant

Yet another course and distance winner, the Andrew Balding-trained Donjuan Triumphant, who was second at Leicester in April, is entered on Saturday as is his conqueror that day, the Roger Varian-trained Emmaus.

Balding's sprint ace landed the rearranged Ayr Gold Cup in heavy conditions on the final day of Haydock’s flat season last September, but the going this weekend will be a major concern on this occasion.

 

Dutch Connection

Dutch Connection was fourth, beaten just under four lengths, behind Rhododendron in the Group One Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on his seasonal return last month.

The Godolphin-owned six-year-old is taking a highly significant drop in class which has worked the oracle in the past. Dutch Connection has been campaigned at Group 1 and 2 level over the past three seasons and he has won on the two occasions that he has been dropped to this grade in the past.

 

Emmaus

Roger Varian's Emmaus has been vying for favouritism with the Richard Hannon-trained course and distance winner Tabarrak all week.

Emmaus returned from a year off to pip favourite Sir Dancealot in the Wreake Handicap at Leicester, form which was franked on Wednesday when Sir Dancelot went in at Hamilton.

The four-year-old has only made it to the track a total of four times, winning on all three of his trips to Leicester, with his only defeat coming in a Listed race at Deauville in 2016.

 

Khafoo Shememi

The four-year-old spent the winter racing at Meydan, racing three times and finishing in the places three times.

He is a natural front-runner and should be up there early doors contesting the lead with Muntadab.

The colt has scored four times in his eleven starts and Richard Hannon rates him highly.

 

D’bai

The Charlie Appleby-trained D’bai is another four-year-old to note. He also enjoyed a productive trip to Dubai and ran well on his first race back in the UK when finishing second to The Tin Man in the Weatherbys Hamilton Leisure Stakes at Windsor.

The Derby winning combination of Appleby and Buick team up once again here and who would bet against yet another high profile winner from the boys in blue?

 

Conclusion

With the Godolphin stable very much back in the headlines at the moment after their Investec Derby win last Saturday, they may be right on the verge of a resurgence of form.

Dutch Connection’s class drop and Charlie Appleby’s top training skills could quite easily fuse together to produce a Godolphin one-two in this Haydock feature.

In which order they finish, we will have to wait and see?

888sport suggests: Dutch Connection (nap), D’bai (nb).

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

The World Cup has produced countless memorable moments since its inception in 1930 and football fans can often be found reminiscing about their favourites goals of all time.

Throughout the history of the competition, there have been hundreds of stunning strikes and as a result, it can often be difficult to recount them all.

The tournament has the habit of producing outstanding moments which help shape the history of the sport and World Cup 2018 is highly likely to throw up yet more talking points, incidents and fantastic finishes.

We analyse five of the greatest World Cup goals of all-time and look at their significance on the competition.

Pele (Brazil)

The 1958 World Cup was held in Sweden and the hosts had enjoyed a profitable tournament which saw them progress to the final.

Their opponents were Brazil, a side who were still searching for their first ever World Cup title and possessed a hugely talented 17-year old, who went by the name of Pele.

The teenager hadn't made his debut until the third group game but despite only playing two matches at the tournament, he'd already bagged four goals.

At just 17 years and 249 days old, Pele became the youngest ever player to score in a World Cup final with a truly breathtaking goal.

With confidence which belied his age, Pele chested down a cross, nonchalantly flicked the ball over a Swedish defender before superbly volleying it into the back of the net.

He later added a second goal to help secure Brazil's first success in the competition but it was his first goal which lives long in the memory of football fans.

 

Geoff Hurst (England)

Geoff Hurst is synonymous with England's 1966 success at the World Cup. He scored a hat-trick at Wembley to ensure the hosts secured their first ever triumph in the competition.

The goal is perhaps overshadowed by the controversy surrounding the strike with the linesman insisting the ball had crossed the line despite vehement protestations from the West German players.

He caught the ball perfectly and rifled it towards goal where it rattled back off the woodwork and down onto the goal-line.

It was a thunderous strike which perfectly arrowed towards the goal and although Hurst later added another, it was his 101st-minute strike which is still talked about over 50 years later.

It remains England's only success in the competition to date.

 

Maradona (Argentina)

The 1986 World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and England is remembered for the "Hand of God" incident but Maradona's sensational strike just four minutes later is truly a work of art.

It has been dubbed 'the goal of the century' and is deemed to be the greatest individual strike of all-time. The Argentinian striker picked up the ball in his own half and headed towards the opposition's penalty area.

His 60-yard run saw him fend off challenges from four England players before leaving goalkeeper Peter Shilton flummoxed by his wonderful feint

He capped off the mesmerising solo run by coolly slotting it into the back of the net and putting his side 2-0 up.

Despite a late goal from Gary Lineker, Argentina held on and went on to secure the 1986 World Cup title. He went on to net twice during their semi-final victory over Belgium.

 

Carlos Alberto (Brazil)

Brazil were already 3-1 up against Italy in the final of the 1970 World Cup, but despite their dominance in this fixture, Carlos Alberto's goal will always be fondly remembered for helping coin the term 'the beautiful game'.

The right-back's fabulously ferocious strike was the end product of a wonderful team move which saw no fewer than nine Brazilian players involved.

The aforementioned Pele is credited with the assist and has been praised for his outstanding vision and hold-up play which helped spot the run of Alberto, who had pushed up from the half-way line.

There was a great patience and an unhurried nature about the build-up play and this was a wonderful Brazil team who dominated the sport and possessed an inordinate amount of talent.

Alberto's goal wasn't significant in terms of the outcome of this contest but it helped put the gloss on an already outstanding performance which saw them secure their third World Cup title.

 

Dennis Bergkamp (The Netherlands)

The hugely talented Dennis Bergkamp made his mark on the 1998 World Cup with a wonderful goal for the Netherlands.

His late strike helped see off Argentina and secure his side's place in the semi-finals where they would go on to face Brazil.

It was considered to be one of the most stylish goals of all-time and the former Arsenal play-maker needed just three touches before placing the ball beyond a helpless Carlos Roa.

In just 2.11 seconds, Bergkamp took a touch, turned sharply and coolly placed the ball under the onrushing goalkeeper. Ruud Gullit later described the goal as "perfect" and Bergkamp rates it as the best strike of his career.

A remarkable achievement considering the Dutchman scored numerous fantastic goals throughout his time on the pitch.

The Netherlands lost on penalties in the semi-finals, but despite this disappointment, Bergkamp's goal was a standout moment from the tournament and sent travelling Dutch fans into raptures.

We’re now less than two weeks away from the inaugural fixture of the 2018 World Cup and punters will be looking at the latest odds in a bid to find value.

888sport have compiled four ‘Best In’ markets for bettors ahead of this summer’s competition and we’ve managed to find a few tasty tips. Check out our thoughts on this World Cup special below…

AFRICA

None of the five African nations have an easy passage to the last-16 but Egypt may be best placed to advance to the knockout stages.

Mo Salah’s injury has put a slight spanner in the works but the Liverpool man is set to return a week or so into the tournament. 5/2 is a solid price considering their talent – Egypt will make themselves very difficult to beat.

On paper, Senegal also look strong and punters can back Aliou Cisse’s men at the same price to finish as the best ranked African nation.

With the likes of Idrissa Gueye, Cheikhou Kouyate and Sadio Mane in the squad, Senegal have several experienced Premier League players on the plane to Russia and that top flight knowledge could come in handy if Senegal sneak through to the last-16.

TIP: Egypt to finish as the best African side @ 5/2

 

ASIA

Five nations will represent Asia this summer and Japan are currently the 19/10 favourites to go furthest in Russia.

Akira Nishino has won a few fans over after including Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa in his 23-man squad; former manager Vahid Halilhodzic had previously opted to look past Japan’s two most experienced players.

However, South Korea are the value bet at 33/10. This current crop of stars, led of course by Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min, have the talent to reach the knockout stages – although emulating their run to the 2002 World Cup semi-finals will take some doing.

Group F is there for the taking; South Korea are capable of pipping Sweden and Mexico to second spot behind defending champions Germany.

TIP: South Korea to finish as the best Asian side @ 33/10

 

EUROPE

Take your pick here. France and Germany have received plenty of betting attention in the build-up to this summer’s competition but doubts remain over both nations.

Les Bleus head coach Didier Deschamps has had to deal with his fair share of criticism in recent years and the pressure on his shoulders is immense – France could crumble.

Meanwhile, Germany are on their worst run of results in 31 years and it is hard to place too much faith in Joachim Low’s men knowing that statistic. Five games without a win is NOT like Germany at all.

But I quite like the 4/1 on offer for Spain to finish as the best European outfit. 2014 was a disappointing anomaly for Vicente Del Bosque’s side and Julen Lopetegui has changed the mindset of this squad.

Finishing above Portugal in Group B is important but a testing game during the group stages may set Spain up perfectly to compete for a second Jules Rimet Trophy.

TIP: Spain to finish as the best European side @ 4/1

 

SOUTH AMERICA

On paper, this looks like a straight tossup between Argentina and Brazil. Argentina finished runners up to Germany four years ago and Jorge Sampaoli’s men will be determined to go one better this summer.

Incredibly, Lionel Messi and co were in danger of missing out on qualification for the competition before the four-time Ballon d’Or winner stepped up at the pivotal moment.

There are still major question marks over Argentina’s ability to defend though – especially against those top tier nations.

Brazil have lost just once in 20 matches since Tite was appointed as manager and that run of form is not a coincidence. Le Selecao are well fancied to lift the Jules Rimet Trophy for a record sixth time and 4/5 to finish as the best South American side is worth snapping up.

On current form, it is hard to back against Brazil and the likes of Neymar, Philippe Coutinho and Gabriel Jesus will be central to their aspirations in the coming weeks.

TIP: Brazil to finish as the best South American side @ 4/5

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

The Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes sees a field of nine go to post for the Group One contest at Newbury on Saturday afternoon.

Horses that have run in the previous season’s Prix du Moulin, QEII Stakes, St James Palace, Greenham Stakes and Prince Of Wales Stakes are certainly the ones to watch as they either win or place in this contest.

Here are some trends and statistics to bear in mind over the past ten years followed by a runner-by-runner summary of all the participants.

Age (wins-placed-runners)

4-y-o: 8-15-63

5-y-o: 2-2-20

6-y-o: 0-1-9

7-y-o+: 0-0-8

As you can see the last ten winners have been aged either four or five. This year that trend would rule out five of the sixteen runners, those being Dutch Connection, Librisa Breeze, Lightning Spear, Limato and Suedois.

 

Fillies & Mares

Only three females have won since 2004. Rhododendron is the only filly in the field this year.

 

Previous Form

Six of the last ten winners had won at Newbury before.

The last ten winners were all officially rated 113 or higher.

Six out of the last ten winners were having their first run of the season.

 

Trainer Form

Charles Hills has run three previous runners in this race and all of them have finished unplaced.

Aidan O’Brien won this race in 2003 with Hawk Wing but has only gained two places in the last ten years.

 

Starting Price

The starting price trends have been absolutely on the button over the last ten years. The winner has always been 9/1 or less and has come from the first four in the betting. The most likely top four in Saturday’s horse racing odds are:  Rhododendron, Addeybb, Limato and Beat The Bank.

7 of the last 10 winners were favourites/joint favourites.

 

Runner-by-runner guide:

Accidental Agent

Accidental Agent progressed into a very smart handicapper last season, winning the Challenge Cup at Ascot. He was below form on his return in a listed race at Ascot earlier this month and will need to improve upon that to figure here.

 

Addeybb

He recorded a facile victory in the Group Two Bet365 Mile at Sandown Park at the end of April. Owned by Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum, he was the impressive winner of the Lincoln Handicap over the straight mile at Doncaster at the start of the season and took the transition over to Group company in his stride with a decisive two and three-quarter length victory at Sandown.

 

Alexios Komnenos

50/1 winner on debut at The Curragh in 2016 and he beat a nice field in the Desmond Stakes at Leopardstown last season. This is a much tougher task for Fozzy Stacks’ Irish raider.

 

Beat The Bank

Andrew Balding’s Beat The Bank has won four of his six starts to date including successes at Group Three and Group Two levels last season. The Lockinge has been his early-season target for some time.

 

Deauville

A former winner of the Belmont Derby International Stakes, Aidan O’Briens’ five-year-old has won four of his career starts.

Second in the Earl Of Sefton last time out and is entitled to come on for that run.

 

Dutch Connection

Godolphin, with eight winners, are the most successful owner in Lockinge Stakes history and are represented by multiple Group race victor Dutch Connection trained by Charlie Hills. He is likely to be upstaged by younger rivals here however.

 

Lahore

This Elusive Quality colt was making his first start for the Clive Cox at Leicester after being switched from Roger Varian’s stable.  He travelled well that day but looks totally up against it in this field.

 

Lancaster Bomber

Aidan O’Brien believes Lancaster Bomber is good shape for the weekend saying he thinks he is a miler who will maybe get nine furlongs on fast ground. He certainly cannot be left out of calculations given the stable he hails from.

 

Librisa Breeze

Dean Ivory's Librisa Breeze has a similar profile to Limato in that he can also perform at his best over six and seven furlongs, as shown when he bounded to victory in the British Champions Sprint Stakes at the end of last season. He looks a little too big in the betting.

 

Lightning Spear

Lightning Spear will attempt to go one better than in last year's renewal when he beat all bar Ribchester. However, at the age of seven the age trends for this race are certainly against him.

 

Limato

Trainer Henry Candy is hoping Limato can make it third-time lucky over a mile trip on Saturday. The six-year-old, who finished fourth in the Group One in 2016, has not run over the trip since finishing down the field at the Breeders’ Cup later that year.

Having ended last season with victory in a Group Two at Newmarket, the son of Tagula continued his Lockinge preparations earlier this week with a short racecourse gallop under Harry Bentley.

 

Suedois

Shadwell Turf Mile victor Suedois, trained by David O'Meara, takes another trip down south to try and land another valuable prize. The seven-year-old had a great season last year and looks the best placed of the “oldies” to score here.

 

War Decree

Prix du Jockey Club fifth War Decree has been somewhat of a globe trotter so far in his career and will go off the outsider of the Aidan O’Brien quartet. His runner-up finish in the recent Huxley Stakes at Chester gives him a little bit of a squeak.

 

Zabeel Prince

The Sheikh Mohammed Obaid-owned colt created quite an impression with a Listed prize win on his reappearance at the Lincoln meeting at Doncaster. This is a step up in class but he has won four of his last five races.

 

Zonderland

Clive Cox’s five-year-old only made it to the racecourse twice last season, the latter of which was a Goodwood where he just got touched off by Lightning Spear in the Celebration Mile. Has plenty to do on seasonal reappearance this year.

 

Rhododendron

Trained by Aidan O’Brien, Rhododendron is the one and only filly in the field and gets a weight allowance for being so.

Winner of the Prix de l'Opera at Chantilly last season, she was fourth on her seasonal reappearance behind Cracksman in the Prix Ganay at ParisLongchamp and she should put up a bold show in this contest on Saturday.

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Marseille and Atletico Madrid are the two teams remaining in the Europa League. The standard of the competition has been at maybe its highest ever, and the fact we are left with two European giants in the final speaks volumes for the growth of the Europa League.

The reward of a Champions League place for winning the tournament certainly helps, but successes of teams like Sevilla and Porto in the competition have undoubtedly raised its profile. The final is being held in the brand new Lyon stadium this Wednesday.

While Marseille survived a scare with Salzburg in the semi-final, Atletico cruised past Arsenal to book their place in France. Okay, cruised is a bit generous. Atleti were on the ropes with 10 men for most of the first leg. When they got that vital away goal, though, it seemed inevitable that Diego Simeone’s side would make it to the final.

After the disappointment of being knocked out of the Champions League, Atletico have – unlike a lot of teams who are forced to drop down to the Europa League – looked something like their best version of themselves.

Atletico at their best are one of the top defences in the world. Simeone’s side have given up a shade over 16 non-penalty expected goals against in their last 20 La Liga outings. I really like the 21/20 on under 0.5 goals by the ‘home team’.

Atleti are expected to name Antoine Griezmann and Diego Costa in the starting line-up. Vitolo is their main injury worry, but he could be fit enough to start.

Marseille’s defence is obviously not as resilient as Atletico’s, and I doubt they will keep Griezmann and Costa quiet for ninety minutes. Costa to score the opening goal at 19/5 is very appealing after his dominant display against Arsenal.

Marseille’s attack should be feared too, however. Dimitri Payet, Lucas Ocampos and Florian Thauvin form a fearsome attacking midfield triumvirate. Payet and Thauvin have been producing at an elite rate this season.

Only Neymar has a better expected assists per 90 in Ligue 1 than the duo, and Payet ranks higher than Messi in the same category. Thauvin has contributed 22 league goals, too.

If Marseille are to have any chance, they need big performances from Thauvin and Payet. Thauvin to score anytime at 19/5 looks decent value.

Away from their attacking prowess, the trends are not good for Marseille. Form has been poor, including a 3-3 draw with Guingamp in their last outing, leaving them off the pace for Champions League qualification. They have won just once in four matches and have struggled on the road all season.

Despite that, the 3/5 price on Marseille to have more possession is a good one. Atletico average under 50% in the Europa League this season, and will likely sit deep from the off, looking to create chances with long balls to Costa in transition.

Marseille will want to counter-attack themselves but may have little choice other than to have a tonne of possession.

Ill-discipline or sheer misfortune are most likely to stop Atletico. Marseille will need a majestic attacking performance to stand a chance, but even then, I doubt their defence can hold up.

It won’t be a walkover, because that’s not how Atleti work, but it should be a win for the Spanish club.

TIP: Atletico Madrid to win 2-1 @ 8/1

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*