Ascot Stakes 2025 Tips: Jumpers to the fore again?

Day 1 of Royal Ascot is finally upon us and it boasts a card of real quality, including the Ascot Stakes over the stamina-sapping trip of two-and-a-half miles at 17:00.

Betfred are paying FIVE places on the 20-runner contest and I'm making use of that with my Ascot Stakes 2025 tips.

East India Dock @ 9/2

The jumps boys have taken quite a shine to this race, with Willie Mullins, David Pipe, Nicky Henderson, Jonjo O'Neill and Alan King accounting for nine winners since 2010.

That theme is solidified in the fact that the first and third from the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March – Poniros and EAST INDIA DOCK – are going to do battle once more.

Poniros was a 100/1 winner for Mullins in the Cotswolds on his hurdling bow but saw that form reversed at Punchestown by runner-up Lulamba.

The ex-Ralph Beckett-trained son of Golden Horn returns to the Flat for the first time for this trainer and will need to prove his stamina now and defy a mark from which he was a well-held third over 1m4f (soft) here last summer.

He will get 6lb from East India Dock but the James Owen inmate was most impressive when landing the Chester Cup over 2m2½f last month back on the level.

The progressive Caballo De Mar tried to slip the field on the Roodee but East India Dock got out after him and won by a length, with the second advertising the form via his Haydock win since from 5lb higher in the ratings.

James Doyle is on board East India Dock now, and while he's gone up 8lb in the ratings for his Chester win, he can offer more at this sort of trip on the level and could take some stopping.

Saturn each-way @ 25/1

Jessica Harrington is no stranger to big-race success, whatever the code, and the Moone-based handler could see things aligning for SATURN as the Galileo colt lines up here under Shane Foley.

His form took off last summer with wins at Leopardstown and the Curragh, latterly over 1m6f in an Ebor qualifier.

He misfired at the Kildare venue in late June, however, and his season was ended there.

Selected race(s). Applies to Each Way, Single & Multiple bets only. Antepost bets don’t apply. Min. runner rules apply. T&Cs Apply.

He returned at Navan (1m6f, good) in April and ran down the 95-rated Poetic Sound from the Ger Lyons team to win, with the runner-up running an excellent race next time in the Vintage Crop Stakes behind dual Ascot Gold Cup winner Kyprios before he was sadly retired last month.

Saturn was dropped in trip for the Cork Derby over 1m4f on his last run and that was a race that didn’t really suit, as he finished ahead of only one rival in eighth.

He's rated 1lb lower now and could be a very interesting outsider on what will be the longest trip he has tackled in his career. His efforts to date have left enough of an impression to pique some interest at odds of 22/1, especially with those five places to shoot for.

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