Meetings at Newbury, York and Chester Feature as Royal Ascot Looms

Chester Rails and Track

With Royal Ascot just around the corner (kicking off on the 17th June), this week is understandably quieter on the quality front as trainers hold back their big guns for the prestigious meeting. The racing calendar sees no major fixtures during the entire week as horses rest up for the big summer event, which is set to offer over £10m in prize money, making it one of the most lucrative meetings in horse racing.

Despite the absence of high-grade action, this does not mean there is no racing to enjoy in the coming days. The racing calendar is its usual busy self, with over 30 racedays happening in England alone. Field sizes may be a bit smaller than usual, due to Royal Ascot, but there are still some interesting-looking battles ahead and plenty of attractive betting opportunities.

For anyone wanting to head to the track in person, a number of racecourses, including Sandown Park, Salisbury, Doncaster and Uttoxeter, are hosting Father’s Day-themed events, making it a great chance to enjoy a day out with a family or gentlemanly twist.

Thursday 12th – Newbury Our First Calling-Point

With little in the way of notable fixtures during the first half of the week, the first raceday to feature on this round-up is Newbury, who host their Grosvenor Sport June Raceday on Thursday. Although the day largely sees lower-quality action, midway through the afternoon there is the Class 2 Darley EBF Novice Fillies’ Stakes. Run over a distance of one mile, this contest could well see some promising fillies in attendance.

Friday 13th – Cork Boasts Action Packed-Card

Perhaps the highlight of this week, in terms of pure racing quality at least, comes courtesy of Cork Racecourse across the Irish Sea. Their Friday evening fixture features three races of note, one of which being the €100,000 Mallow Handicap. This seven-furlong Premier Handicap event has 29 runners left in the mix, with ages from three to 10, so expect a large field to compete for the top prize of €59,000.

Cork also has another short race, this time in the form of the Midsummer Sprint Stakes, which carries Listed status. Merely five furlongs in length, this race is usually over within a minute, so make sure you are not late if you are planning on tuning in. Lastly, there is the Group 3 Munster Oaks Stakes, a contest for fillies and mares, worth a tidy €60,000. Aidan O’Brien is the leading trainer in the 2003-established race, with six wins, and he has an extremely heavy presence this year. From the 42 entries, eight hail from his yard.

Fri 13th – Sat 14th: York’s June Meeting

There is plenty of decent action at York to enjoy across this two-day affair, which sees 14 races split across the two days.

Both of similar interest from a racing perspective, the Friday sees three consecutive Class 2 races in the middle of the day, plus some interesting handicaps throughout. On Saturday the main highlight is the Class 1 Race To The Ebor Grand Cup Stakes, run over 1m6f.

Fri 13th – Sat 14th: Social Affair at Chester

Much like at York, Chester are offering a two-day meeting spread across Friday and Saturday. There is a strong social element to both racedays, but this does not mean the entire focus will be off the course as there are some decent events on it. On Saturday, there are a couple of Class 2 races including a £50,000 handicap midway through the afternoon. Prize money across the Saturday, which is the better day in terms of racing quality, totals close to £200,000, which is a lot compared to many other fixtures this week.