Jim Delahunt's top horse racing tips for King George VI weekend at Ascot plus York, Doncaster and more

Scottish Sun

24-07-2025

There are plenty of tips from one of the biggest weekends on Ascot's racing calendar
INSIDE TRACK Jim Delahunt's top horse racing tips for King George VI weekend at Ascot plus York, Doncaster and more
ANDREW BALDING has saddled more winners than anyone else in Britain this year.
Now KALPANA can prove the jewel in the trainer's crown on Saturday.
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Our man is tipping Kalpana for Ascot glory
Credit: Alamy
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Trainer Andrew Balding has enjoyed a hugely successful year
Credit: PA
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Our top tipster Jim Delahunt
Credit: Keith Campbell - The Sun Glasgow
A small field looks certain for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
And I'm backing the four-year-old to make a winning return to the scene of last October's Group 1 success.
The winner of last weekend's Listed Glasgow Stakes at Hamilton 12 months ago went on to land the Fillies' and Mares' on Ascot's Champions Day and both of her runs over the Curragh's ten furlongs have promised plenty this season.
Epsom's Coronation Cup 1-2 Jan Breughel and Calandagan (winner since) dominate the market.
But Kalpana's form in ten furlongs Group Ones behind Los Angeles (third) and Whirl (second) were both superb efforts and she looks certain to enjoy Saturday's return to a mile and a half (4.10).
Oisin Murphy replaces suspended Colin Keane, but the jockey was on board for Kalpana's third to Los Angeles in the Tattersalls Gold Cup before Keane (fourth on White Birch) then became Juddmonte's retained rider.
His 2-3-3 on the mare includes last summer's course and distance third in the Ribblesdale.
Soft ground looks unlikely, but this week's rain has ensured Ascot's officially good terrain should be fine for everyone and Juddmonte have committed the filly to contest a race which the owners' legendary Enable won three times in 2017, 2019 and 2020.
Ian Williams' Aalto was a 40-1 second for this column in the Bunbury Cup two weeks ago.
But I'm siding against the likely favourite for Saturday's International Stakes by backing Michael Dods' NORTHERN EXPRESS at 3.0.
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Paul Mulrennan's mount has finished 441 in the last three runnings of this £150,000 handicap.
Last year's success was secured off a mark of 102 and seven races without a win since have seen him tumble back down to Saturday's rating of 100.
Each of my selection's last three outings at York, Ascot and Haydock have looked totally geared to Saturday's big race.
And that middle effort to be seventh of 27 in the Buckingham Palace Stakes at the Royal meeting was particularly meritorious with the International in mind.
Dods' horses have hit a rich vein of summer form and silver fox Mulrennan was seen at his best in getting my Tuesday nap JM JHINGREE home at 10-1 at Musselburgh.
Jim Crowley missed a trip to Ayr to ride new Stewards' Cup favourite Almeraq on Monday.
But the jockey's at York for ELMONJED on Saturday (2.0) and William Haggas' sprinter can get off the mark for the season.
ONE NIGHT THUNDER gets the nap vote in Doncaster's 4.20 today.
And a second horse worth following in the likely soft conditions is handicap debutant LEGEND FOREVER at 4.55.
Adrian Keatley's three-year-old tackles ten furlongs for the first time from a lowly opening mark of 70.
This horse has shown up well enough in his three qualifying runs over seven furlongs to suggest the trainer is taking a leaf out of Sir Mark Prescott's playbook.
The Keatley yard had a 28-1 first-time-out winner at Ayr on Monday after Kihavah went down with all guns blazing at Market Rasen last Saturday.
And Legend Forever can defy a nine-week lay off with a first-time tongue tie applied for this step up in trip.
Leopardstown has some unusually small fields for tonight's card, but QUIZ TEST was a half-length second in the closing stayers' handicap 12 months ago and the five-year-old can go one better under Shane Foley at 8.27.
The jockey's been on board for five of the horse's 15 starts and Sean Byrne's runner is 5lbs lower than last year with a first-time tongue tie added to his cheekpieces from last month's fifth at Limerick.
I FANCY Reciprocated could be a short price to complete an Ascot hat-trick tomorrow (2.25) but CAPE ASHIZURI was impressive on debut at Ayr and can win again. York and Sandown race in the evening and YAASER can boost the Almeraq Ayr form in the Knavesmire's 5.30 under the impressive Lauren Young.
RACING LEAGUE gets back under way at Yarmouth tonight and at least there's a Scottish connection to one of 'our' runners in the opener at 5.40. Charlie Johnston's NEOMA has been a neck and a nose short of completing a hat-trick the last twice and a 4lbs rise should be fine under Joe Fanning.
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