Whether the flat or National Hunt game sets your punting pulse racing, this coming Saturday has plenty to offer. It’s all about Ayr for fans of the jumping action, as the biggest track north of the border stages the 2025 edition of the Scottish Grand National. That stamina-sapping affair promises thrills and spills aplenty, but for quality flat entertainment, we must turn our attention to the Berkshire venue of Newbury.
Saturday sees the two-day Spring Trials fixture reach a climax with a seven-race card featuring a trio of Group 3 contests. The John Porter Stakes offers a valuable target for the older horses in training, whilst the Fred Darling Stakes and Greenham Stakes are key early season trials for the 1000 and 2000 Guineas, respectively.
All three events are well worth taking in, but the Greenham Stakes boasts the most impressive roll of honour in recent years. Since 2000, Frankel, Kingman, Muhaarar, Paco Boy, and Olympic Glory have all grabbed Greenham Gold before moving on to bigger and better things. It is highly unlikely that there is a Frankel in the 2025, but several entries undoubtedly boast Group 1 potential.
Chancellor to Follow in Father’s Hoofprints
Three of the remaining entries are sired by the 2014 Greenham hero, Kingman. Of that trio, the market suggests that the Cheveley Park Stud-owned Chancellor is the most likely to prevail.
Given his success in the three-year-old division, it is surprising that Kingman is the only runner to claim the Greenham for John Gosden. Chancellor may represent the trainer’s best chance yet of doubling that tally – he certainly appears to be bred for the task.
Sire Kingman scored four times over a mile in Group 1 company, whilst his dam, Queen’s Trust, was a 7f winner who bagged a top-level success in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Pedigrees don’t always play out on the racecourse, but Chancellor showed bags of promise in winning two of three starts as a juvenile, with the only defeat coming when losing a shoe at Ascot. The good-looking bay doesn’t hold any fancy entries at this stage, but that may change should he post an impressive display in this.
Rash to Rule Out Meehan Challenger
In common with Gosden, Wiltshire-based handler Brian Meehan has just one Greenham success. However, that victory came more recently, thanks to Isaac Shelby in 2023.
Rashabar flies the Manton flag in 2025, and if bringing his juvenile form to the table, he may be the horse to beat. A record of one win from five two-year-old outings may not sound overly impressive, but the bare numbers tell only part of the story. Never outside the first three in any of those runs, his final two starts saw him go down by ¾l in the Group 1 Prix Morny and lose out by an agonising neck in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp. Those efforts place him clear of the field on official ratings.
Dangers Lurk Throughout Intriguing Field
As the days count down towards the big race, Chancellor and Rashabar are the two runners vying for favouritism. However, Esquire caused a 16/1 shock in the 2024 edition of this, and several contenders lower down the betting order arrive with an intriguing profile, including:
- Jonquil – Formerly based with Sir Michael Stoute, this Lope De Vega colt is set to make his first appearance for Andrew Balding. Jonquil went into many notebooks when winning from an impossible position on debut at Sandown, only to disappoint in the Flying Scotsman Stakes. Could he bounce back here?
- Al Qudra – One of three entries representing Charlie Appleby and the boys in blue of Godolphin, who last claimed the Greenham with Barney Roy in 2017. Having already appeared twice in 2025, this son of New Bay won’t lack in the fitness department and was last sighted landing a £300,000 event at the Qatari track of Al Uqda.
- Field Of Gold – One of two Juddmonte runners in the line-up, Field Of Gold shares a sire with Chancellor and represents a strong second string to the John & Thady Gosden bow. Already successful in Group 3 company, having claimed the 2024 Solario Stakes, he rounded off last season with a fair fourth in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.
- Royal Allegiance – Having caused such a shock with Esquire 12 months ago, David O’Meara may repeat the trick with this promising son of Kodiac. Raced just once at two, he scorched home to claim a Class 4 event over 6f at Newcastle. The trip and surface are different here, and the Grade is significantly higher, but we likely haven’t seen the best of this one yet.
Will Chancellor leave punters counting their winnings? Will the proven form of Rashabar hold up? Or does the winner lie elsewhere? 2:35 pm at Newbury on Saturday afternoon is the time and place to find out.
