Royal Ascot Day 4 tips: ITV Racing selections
Day four of Royal Ascot 2025 features two Group 1 races for three-year-olds, the Commonwealth Cup for sprinters and the Coronation Stakes for fillies over a mile.
Ron Wood has a selection and verdict for the feature, as well as tips and summaries for the other six races. It's all live on ITV1 (1.30-6pm) and ITV4 (5.50-6.30pm), as well as Sky Sports Racing.
Also, check out these Lucky 15 and each-way suggestions for day four.
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Royal Ascot Day 4 tips – Ron Wood's selections
NAP:
Jonquil (3.05, Ascot) @ 6/1 with William Hill ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Next best:
Zahrann (5.35, Ascot) @ 7/2 with William Hill ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Others:
Signora (2.30, Ascot) @ 5/2 with William Hill ⭐⭐⭐
Max Mayhem (3.40, Ascot) @ 50/1 with William Hill ⭐⭐⭐
January (4.20, Ascot) @ 13/2 with William Hill ⭐⭐⭐
Alfareqa (5.00, Ascot) @ 14/1 with William Hill ⭐⭐⭐
Realign (6.10, Ascot) @ 100/30 with William Hill ⭐⭐⭐
Detain (5.35, Ascot) @ 7/2 with William Hill ⭐⭐
Odds provided by Paddy Power and correct at the time of writing. Stars denote strength of selection (maximum five).
2.30 Ascot – Albany Stakes (Group 3, 6f)
Aidan O'Brien trained the winner of this race in 2022, the runner-up in 2023, plus the first and third last year.
This time, O'Brien, who has already had three two-year-old winners at Ascot this week, relies solely on SIGNORA. She made her debut in a Group 3 at Naas last month, finishing third, and she can be expected to improve plenty.
Green Sense was second at Naas that day and she also runs here, but Joseph O'Brien's filly had had the benefit of a run prior to the race in Ireland.
Signora is by Frankel and a sister to Exactly, a Group 3 winner who goes in the Coronation Stakes on this card, and her dam Heartache won the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at this meeting in 2017.
3.05 Ascot – Commonwealth Cup (Group 1, 6f)
JONQUIL (NAP) appeals greatly at the prices for this despite appearing to be the owner's second string on jockey bookings.
This Andrew Balding-trained runner won the Group 3 Greenham Stakes over 7f at Newbury on his seasonal reappearance, despite being headstrong, and was then a close second in the French 2,000 Guineas over a mile at Longchamp.
The winner of the latter race, Henri Matisse, was second in the St James's Palace Stakes at Ascot on Tuesday, while Camille Pissarro, third at Longchamp, has since won the French Derby. It's form that compares with the favourite, Shadow Of Light, who might not like the fast ground.
Jonquil's strong-travelling style and pedigree – his dam did her winning over 6f – suggests this drop in trip will suit, and anyway it's a stiff test at the trip.
As for the jockey bookings, Colin Keane was never going to get off the same owner's Babouche, given that he won a Group 1 prize on her last year and she's another headstrong type who takes a bit of knowing, plus she goes for the rider's former boss, Ger Lyons. But this only helps Jonquil's price and Christophe Soumillon isn't a bad substitute pilot.
3.40 Ascot – Duke of Edinburgh Stakes (Class 2, 1m 4f)
MAX MAYHEM needs to bounce back from a couple of below-par runs, but this set-up will suit him.
He will be held up from a wide draw and getting plenty of cover in this big-field will help his strong-travelling style on a course that suits him. He rebounded from a poor performance to finish sixth at odds of 50/1 in this race a couple of years ago.
The selection went up in the handicap for a clear win in Dubai in March. That day he won despite having a wide trip and he's still handily enough weighted on his best to think he can feature at a big price.
4.20 Ascot – Coronation Stakes (Group 1, 1m)
JANUARY was only eighth in the Irish 1,000 Guineas when selected on these pages, but that was a bad tip as it turned out. She needed the run and was weak in the market.
It wasn't a bad performance with an eye to the future, though, and she can be expected to improve plenty now.
Ryan Moore, who shunned her at the Curragh, is back in the saddle now, preferring her to Exactly. The latter is held by Zarigana on the French 1,000 Guineas form, which doesn't look a race to buy into, whereas January still has potential.
The selection had Group 1 form last year and, being a sizeable type, she should prove capable of advancing her level this season.
5.00 Ascot – Sandringham Stakes (Class 2 Handicap, 1m)
ALFAREQA is of interest on the form of her second last time out in a Leicester novice event. She was beaten three lengths but the winner is entered in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes and the third-placed filly, who was getting 6lb, has since won a maiden.
Alfareqa cost 1,600,000gns as a yearling. She's by Frankel and is the first foal of Group 1 winner Millisle, and there's a fair chance she's better than an ordinary handicap mark of 84.
5.35 Ascot – King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2, 1m 4f)
ZAHRANN (NB) passed all of his rivals, having looked to have a hopeless task when swinging widest on the turn in, to win a Listed race at Leopardstown over the same 1m 4f trip last time out.
The change of pace he showed at Leopardstown was smart and his connections have chosen this race over the Irish Derby.
He's the only one of the runners in this race who has been considered good enough – and fast enough – for an entry in the Irish Champion Stakes over 1m 2f, and yet he stays well.
The selection shares the same sire as Wednesday's impressive Prince of Wales's Stakes winner Ombudsman, namely Night Of Thunder.
6.10 Ascot – Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes (Class 2 Handicap, 5f)
REALIGN, a €550,000 purchase last year, finished second to leading Commonwealth Cup contender Shadow Of Light – who had a 7lb penalty but also the benefit of experience – in a 6f novice contest at Newmarket on his debut last year.
He didn't stay 7f next time out and he won an egg-and-spoon race at Salisbury on his reappearance. Now dropping to 5f for the first time, he's completely unexposed and looks like proving ahead of his handicap mark.
Ron Wood 2025 horse racing P/L
(up to and including Tuesday June 17)
Star ratings explained
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - confident selection
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - strong fancy
⭐⭐⭐ - fair claims
⭐⭐ - tentative choice
⭐ - minimum confidence
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