Our team of experts nominate their horse to follow in the coming weeks and months on the back of Royal Ascot last week.
AMERICAN AFFAIR - Won King Charles III Stakes, June 17 2025
Scottish-trained Royal Ascot winners are few and far between (2008 Wokingham winner Big Timer was the most recent), but AMERICAN AFFAIR broke the trend – giving his 43-year-old jockey Paul Mulrennan a first winner there since 2010 in the process – when coming home fastest in last week's Group 1 King Charles III Stakes.
The softly-spoken Jim Goldie is not always the easiest to comprehend in the paddock, but the riding instructions for the talented hold-up performer who can sometimes race too keenly are simple: be patient. That also applies to the horse’s career (I’m sure I backed him when he was beaten from a mark of 67 in an Ayr handicap back in August 2023) which has taken a long time to blossom but now appears to be reaching a crescendo.
Some may crab the form of the race that American Affair won, but Goldie confessed that they had done things a little differently with the five-year-old ahead of Royal Ascot, and if they can stick to the same regime then there is no reason why the improving sprinter cannot play a major hand in the remaining Group 1s this season.
He’s a York winner and has lots of form on Flat tracks, so the Nunthorpe may be next, before something like the Prix de l’Abbaye or the Breeders’ Cup turf sprint (he qualified for this with his win last week). Granted a strongly-run race, the sky is the limit. (Nic Doggett)
RAHIEBB - 3rd in Queen’s Vase, June 18 2025
I’d stick with RAHIEBB after his unlucky third in the Queen’s Vase.
The draw did for him at Royal Ascot as the first two home, Carmers and Furthur, drawn four and two, got seamless runs from prominent positions on the inside line, while Rahiebb, drawn in 10, charted a much wider passage from midfield and did well to close the deficit to a length at the line having had five lengths to make up at the top of the straight.
The son of Frankel is improving with each run and he’s clearly a strong stayer, his new official rating of 105 putting him on the cusp of St Leger class. He could develop into a candidate for the Doncaster Classic yet and he would be interesting if Roger Varian aims him at something like the Bahrain Trophy or Great Voltigeur at the upcoming big summer festivals at Newmarket and York. (Ben Linfoot)
WATCH: Queen's Vase in full
TRIBAL NATION - 6th in Britannia Stakes, June 19 2025
There were a couple of horses I took a chance on handling the ground last week who appear well worth another chance in slightly different circumstances. The first is Zayer who never looked like winning the Palace Of Holyroodhouse but to his great credit stayed on well to be fourth. He's been left on the same mark and looks made for the big three-year-old handicap over six furlongs at Newmarket next month.
The principal horse to keep tabs on is TRIBAL NATION. Joseph O'Brien's colt proved easy enough to back but ran very well when sixth in the Britannia, a race that always seems to work out well and was won by sure-fire Group horse Arabian Story.
Tribal Nation, a son of of Wootton Bassett, had won his maiden at Galway on heavy going last autumn and probably just found the mile on the sharp side given the rapid conditions on Thursday. He might stay further but can stick at a mile on an easier surface next time and looks the type to pop up in one of those premier handicaps at the Curragh a little later in the year. (Matt Brocklebank)
SERIOUS CONTENDER - 2nd in King George V Stakes, June 19 2025
It looked a strong renewal of the King George V Stakes that Merchant won last week. Winning connections immediately made it clear they feel their colt could make up into a Group One horse moving forward and the runner-up SERIOUS CONTENDER looks capable of making his mark in pattern company too.
He relished the step up to a mile-and-a-half for the first time, staying on dourly to the line. He’ll get a mile-and-six moving forward, holds entries in the Curragh and Goodwood Cup, and is an improving son of Wootton Bassett, in the best of hands, and his days in handicaps look over.
Clearly the yard has other potential Betfred St Leger contenders including Lambourn but this colt, a general 50/1 chance, could easily make his way into the team line-up for Doncaster by the time September rolls around. (David Ord)
HOLKHAM BAY - 4th in Wokingham Stakes, June 21 2025
William Knight had just four runners at Royal Ascot, all of them at big prices, but sprinters Frost At Dawn and HOLKHAM BAY did the small team proud, both of them outrunning their odds of 28/1.
Frost At Dawn was beaten just a neck in the King Charles III Stakes while Holkham Bay, who only scraped in as first reserve, rattled home to finish two heads and a neck behind Get It in the Wokingham.
Holkham Bay did really well considering he raced in the group of just six high-drawn runners up the stands' rail while the winner forced the pace down the centre. Finishing well and likely to have been in front a few strides after the line – though the same could be said of runner-up More Thunder – Holkham Bay was nearly seven lengths clear of the rest of his group at the line.
Coming into the race in better heart than his form figures suggested, Holkham Bay ran a career best at a track where he won over both five and six furlongs last year. He didn’t get the best of runs in either of his last two starts before the Wokingham, including when shaping well at Goodwood, and he’s capable of going close again if returning there for next month’s Stewards’ Cup. (John Ingles)
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