Ascot Antepost Horse Racing Tips: Back two Saturday each-way plays at 12/1 and 25/1

• Stellar King George card coming up on Saturday on ITV from Ascot

• Fanshawe filly an option for Valiant Stakes and Two Tribes for International

• Alan Dudman previews this weekend with two antepost tips at 12/113.00 and 25/126.00

Princess Margaret outsider at 16/117.00 worth looking at

Ascot's King George card for Saturday is, as you would expect high quality and there's a tremendous start in front of the cameras for the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes.

Six of the 20 at entries stage are unbeaten with five holding one win from one start so playing in a race with so much potential improvement won't be easy and we saw at the weekend in the Weatherbys Super Sprint with the strong favourite beaten - just, that these things are never straightforward.

Dance To The Music is the current 9/43.25 favourite on the Sportsbook by way of winning a valuable Newmarket novice on her debut.

I wasn't totally blown away by the win as she took a while to warm up, and her jockey Billy Loughnane said she got a little bit lost in and out of the dip, but she was strong at the end and I can see Ascot suiting her.

Indeed, she was all power at the finish, chiming in with a stronger final furlong - which was nearly 0.40 seconds quicker than the second.

Appleby's juveniles have been red-hot all season and he's 19-48 at 40% on the turf with his youngsters in 2025, although this race has eluded him.

I do think Bella Lyra is an interesting one for Richard Hughes as she looked impressive winning on good ground at Windsor in June but she was turned over at Newmarket at a short price for a Listed race last time. The fact she was sent off 6/42.50 showed there was some confidence behind her and Newmarket races can sometimes be funny affairs.

She is a touch interesting at the 16s as with her experience, could still be up to this sort of level.

Sonata can take the step up in class for Fanshawe

If you thought the Princess Margaret was tough, the 14:20 Valiant Stakes for fillies and mares is another race far from blissfully easy and the Sportsbook had priced the favourite Chantilly Lace at 5/16.00 as of Tuesday afternoon.

Over half the field are three-year-olds before declarations, and that age group have a good record in the race with eight wins since 2010, and it could be another as Chantilly Lace is a three-year-old.

Also from the age bracket in receipt of weight is James Fanshawe's Pina Sonata.

She does hold an entry in the Group 1 Nassau Stakes in terms of more pressing races, and also later in the season a Group 1 Matron Stakes entry at Leopardstown in September and has impressed with the way she has travelled albeit in underwhelming races thus far.

Her win at Leicester saw her leave previous winner Alfareqa for dead with two furlongs to go, and while the official ground was good to soft, times indicated more good.

Visually she looks a strapping filly too and a big physical presence, and Danny Muscutt barely had to move on her as she skipped away at Leicester for a three length victory.

This does represent quite the jump in class but the 12/113.00 on offer on the Sportsbook for an each-way play for a fast-improving in receipt of weight might be worth taking a chance on.

Fanshawe won this race back in 2003 with Soldera too.

Two Tribes attractive each-way option at a massive 25/126.00

The Moet & Chandon International will be the big betting heat of the day and it's good to see my old chum Fresh in the entries, a fabulous Ascot 7f horse who still holds a rating of 95 at the age of eight.

Sentiment however will play no part in the punt for this although he did finish third in last year's race off 91 behind Northern Express.

The draw obviously will come into play, although Northern Express won it from the front 12 months ago and was drawn in one as the field all clustered to race down the centre of the track with Fresh and New Image in second and third more stands' side with their high numbers.

Northern Express win in 2024 came off 102 and he's slowly coming down in the weights like an iceberg, but is winless this term and now rated 100. It might take a bit of inventive front-running excellence again to win once more.

Two Tribes is a horse that has interested me and he's appeared in my multiples column before. He's raced the majority of his career over sprint trips and while consistent, doesn't win often.

Richard Spencer's four-year-old has been campaigned more of a 7f horse this term with three runs over the trip and was third to Leadman in a 0-90 at Newmarket last time for one of his better efforts.

Whether he has much in hand from his mark we'll see, as he does struggle to win, but he's unexposed at the trip and handles big fields on the evidence of his York run last August.

He was against 18 rivals and over 6f at a speed track that favours those up with the pace,  but was still quick enough to lie up with the go-getters and was travelling very well over the far side group. He finished fourth off 90 but travelled like a horse ahead of that, and granted a bit more luck might have got closer as he met a fair bit of congestion hemmed on the Knavemsire rail.

The draw could be clincher either way and he's a huge 25/126.00 on the Sportsbook and be aware he also holds an entry in the Stewards' Cup at Goodwood.

Calandagan versus Jan Breughel again for King George

Growing up, the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes was always THE race of the summer - the all age Group 1 and the Classic generation pitting their wits against the elders.

Pentire was one of the favourites in the 90s for Geoff Wragg and I recall playing a Herts League match when he won, and got myself to sweep on the boundary in the field so they could play the commentary from the clubhouse that day. Those days I had a phone account before the internet and would often pick out horses for my captain. Often I wished it rained just to watch some racing if I was out of nick.

The presence of the dual Derby winner Lambourn is a must for me, but perhaps not for Aidan O'Brien as it could be a St Leger campaign with a Voltigeur while Whirl, another Ballydoyle alumni, could be Goodwood bound. It will be a real shame if neither run. 

Rebel's Romance does it for the older brigade although doesn't need the money with over 10 million quid banked in his career, and he was beaten in the race 12 months ago.

It leaves us with Jan Breughel against Calandagan again and those two produced an epic race in the Coronation Cup at Epsom on Derby day with Jan prevailing against the French star who hit 1.251/4 in-running.

Calandagan is favourite on the Sportsbook at 7/42.75 just, ahead of Jan Breughel at 15/82.88 so it really is small margins again, and since Epsom Calandagan has landed a Group 1 at Saint Cloud to finally break his run of seconds and he beat the Arc runner-up Aventure in that.

Riding of him has often been criticised, but I don't think that's fair, although there is an element of waiting to produce his turn of foot at exactly the right time ie don't go too soon or don't leave it late.

His King Edward VII Stakes win at Royal Ascot was on fast ground last year, and perhaps the going at Epsom (when good to soft) blunted that burst of pace. However, he had every chance to go by Jan Breughel and couldn't.

I prefer Aidan O'Brien's horse to beat him again as put simply as a Leger winner, he could outstay his gallic rival.

There isn't much in the betting and it might be a case of waiting what happens with Whirl and Lambourn - but I fear Calandagan might have to settle for the runner-up spot.

This time I won't be listening in from the boundary, but I'll be in Transylvania in Romania, which will be a first in many ways.

Good luck.

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