The coming week sees a short lull in the summer festival scene, with the Newmarket July Festival in the rearview mirror and Glorious Goodwood looming large on the horizon. There may be no multi-day meeting to whet the appetite, but there is still much to look forward to.
Following the Irish Oaks, this week’s big Group 1 headliner arrives in the prestigious form of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Elsewhere, Ireland raises the quality of the midweek action, the Racing League kicks off once more, and the jump jockeys do battle over a fast and furious five furlongs at York.
Classy Midweek Fare from the Emerald Isle
Monday and Tuesday offer the standard mix of low-key meetings – good for a bet but unlikely to make the headlines. The domestic entertainment continues in a similar vein, but there are a few highlights over in Ireland.
Plenty to look forward to at Naas on Wednesday
Could Babouche return to the winner’s enclosure in the @YeomanstownStud @IrishEBF_ Stakes?
Havana Anna lines up in the @InfoArqana @IrishEBF_ Marwell Stakes
Could Expanded be back in form in the @VEI_group Race❔ pic.twitter.com/o16MnjBaoW
— Naas Racecourse (@NaasRacecourse) July 17, 2025
Wednesday evening sees the County Kildare track of Naas lay on a Listed sprint double in the Marwell Stakes and Yeomanstown Stud Irish EBF Stakes. On Thursday, the action switches to Leopardstown for the first Group-class events of the week.
The Tyros Stakes for the juveniles can be an excellent place to spot a rising star, with Classic winners New Approach, Gleneagles, Churchill, and Anthony Van Dyck featuring on the 21st-century roll of honour. The Silver Flash Stakes is the corresponding race for the fillies and has fallen to Aidan O’Brien in the past three seasons.
Regional Showdown at the Seaside
Thursday evening sees the 2025 Racing League get underway at the coastal track of Great Yarmouth. In this innovative competition, seven regional teams battle it out over 42 races across six race days in July and August. Wales & The West lifted the trophy in 2024, but with the scoreboard reset to zero, which of the following teams will come out on top in 2025?
- Ireland – Team Manager: Mick Fitzgerald
- London & The South – Team Manager: Matt Chapman
- Scotland – Team Manager: Alex Steedman
- The East – Team Manager: Charlie Fellowes
- The North – Team Manager: Mick Quinn
- Wales & The West – Team Manager: Jamie Osborne
- Yorkshire – Team Manager: Leonna Mayor
With over £2 million in race prize money up for grabs, plus £105,000 for the leading teams and jockeys, expect competition to be as fierce as ever. Featuring Joker cards, team silks, and a raucous atmosphere, this popular format offers something a little different from your standard racing fare. This year, ITV and Sky Sports will broadcast all six Racing League fixtures.
All Eyes on Ascot for King George Cracker
As exciting as the Racing League promises to be, the clear standout contest of the week takes place at Ascot on Saturday afternoon. First run in 1951, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is the premier all-age 1m4f contest of the British season.
Nijinsky, Mill Reef, Brigadier Gerard, Shergar, and Dancing Brave all counted a King George win on their legendary CVs, while the brilliant mare Enable landed the prize three times between 2017 and 2021.
Looking ahead to the 2025 edition of the £1.5 million event, we have a field laden with intrigue. Will Jan Brueghel master Calandagan once more, or can the French star gain revenge for that narrow Coronation Cup defeat? Or perhaps the prize will go to globetrotting legend Rebel’s Romance, who would likely raise the roof if claiming a first domestic Group 1. The International Handicap and Group 3 duo of the Princess Margaret Stakes and Valiant Stakes feature prominently on the Ascot undercard.
Moving away from Ascot, the Group 2 York Stakes tops a seven-race card on the Knavesmire, which also features the unusual sight of the National Hunt riders going hell for leather over five furlongs in the Jump Jockeys’ Nunthorpe Handicap.
