Royal Ascot Day 4 recap: Time for Sandals, Cercene surprise

The penultimate day of racing at Royal Ascot’s 2025 meeting produced several upset winners, including major surprises in a pair of Group 1 stakes.

Albany (G3)

Day 4 opened with the Albany, a six-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies in which Venetian Sun proved clearly best for trainer Karl Burke and jockey Clifford Lee.

After breaking from post 1 and rating in midfield, the daughter of Starman advanced to lead with more than a furlong remaining and never had an anxious moment thereafter, prevailing by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:12.87 over good-to-firm turf. The 7-1 World Pool chance brought her record to 2-for-2, having opened her career with a maiden triumph at Carlisle.

“I think Venetian Sun is a very special filly,” said Burke. “The work she has done at home over the last six weeks—I haven’t had a two-year-old filly work like that. She has been kicking all the Group horses out of the way. I worked her with a good old work horse about a month ago, or just after her debut, and then I worked her with another good work horse I knew was reliable, and she did the same to them. I am talking 110-rated horses. I think she is special.”

Longshots Awaken and Balantina rounded out the top three, followed by Fitzella, Fairy Oak, Gold Digger, Nadita, Bibi Dahl, Signora, Senorita Vega, Ipanema Queen, Spinning Lizzie, Green Sense, Magny Cours, Indigo Dawn, Oh Cecelia, and Tahalel.

Commonwealth Cup (G1)

Trainer Harry Eustace picked up a Group 1 win on the opening day of Royal Ascot when Docklands took the Queen Anne. Eustace nabbed another top-level prize on Day 4 when the filly Time for Sandals, a 27-1 shot in the World Pool, conquered 20 sophomores of both genders in the six-furlong Commonwealth Cup (G1).

With Richard Kingscote in the saddle, Time for Sandals broke from post 1 and wound up racing forwardly in a small group on the far side of the course, tracking American raider Shisospicy. When the real running began, Time for Sandals pulled away from her group and found enough in the tank to hold off Arizona Blaze on the near side to score by a neck in 1:12.03.

“It all went smoothly,” said Kingscote. “We were a little bit alone in the last furlong, but she stuck her neck out. I think Harry was a little worried about the draw until the first winner came from one, and it helped that [Shisospicy] had plenty of speed. Wherever I’m drawn, I like to be around speed, so it worked out well for us.”

Rayevka, Sayidah Dariyan, Shadow of Light, Whistlejacket, Big Mojo, Sky Majesty, Ain’t Nobody, Arabie, Strong Warrior, Arabian Dusk, Jonquil, Berkshire Whisper, Shisospicy, Ides of March, Carla Ridge, Lady With the Lamp, Soldier’s Heart, Babouche, and Diablo Rojo completed the order of finish, while Leovanni scratched due to unsuitable ground.

Time for Sandals arrived at Royal Ascot off a close runner-up finish against males in the Prix Texanita (G3) at Chantilly in France.

“The last race just gave us enough confidence, as the most concerning part was the draw [post 1],” said Eustace. “After Karl’s filly [Venetian Sun] came out of stall one, everyone just stayed there, and we had plenty of pace. It is the first time Time for Sandals has had a fast horse to follow. We were, I don’t want to say very confident, but we just felt we hadn’t seen the best from her for one reason or another. My voice is in dire straits!

“She always shaped up to being pretty good. At home, we felt we had excuses for her. She has never run a bad one and was always right there, but she just had not quite put it all together. We were always confident in a race like this, where there would be fast horses taking her along—that is really what she needed. Don’t get me wrong, we didn’t dream we would get here, but she’s always been pretty good.”

Coronation (G1)

The trend of upset winners continued in the Coronation for three-year-old fillies racing one mile over the round course. Cercene, a 31-1 World Pool longshot off a third-place finish in the Irish 1,000 Guineas (G1), moved forwardly sharply at Royal Ascot to beat 10 rivals in tenacious fashion.

Despite breaking slowly, Cercene advanced up the inside under jockey Gary Carroll and was soon racing in a joint third. Turning for home, she shifted outside, forged to the front, and held off a prolonged challenge from 6-5 favorite Zarigana to win by half a length in 1:38.35.

January finished another length back in third place, followed by Cathedral, Chantilly Lace, Exactly, Kon Tiki, Flight, Falakeyah, Simmering, and Duty First.

For both Carroll and winning trainer Joseph Murphy, Cercene’s Coronation triumph marked their first win at the Group 1 level.

“This is 50 years of work by the family, going from a small yard, switching from National Hunt to Flat, and buying horses and believing that they are going to be good,” said Murphy. “It is a lifetime's ambition to have a Group 1 winner.

“Cercene travelled well, and Gary gave her a great ride. We were thinking that, being by Australia, that she would stay well. She was headed and came back again. She waited for something to head her, but she is very tough and a dream to train.”

“This is unbelievable,” said Carroll. “I have been riding a long time now and been placed in plenty of Group 1 races. This is my first one, and if I was ever to ride a Group 1 winner, I wanted it to be for Joe Murphy. I have been riding for him since I was a seven-pound claimer, and he has been very good to me. I am delighted I can repay him.”

King Edward VII (G2)

The group stakes action on Day 4 wrapped up with the 1 1/2-mile King Edward VII for three-year-olds. At last, a favorite found success, with 4-5 choice Amiloc delivering on expectations for trainer Ralph Beckett and jockey Ryan Rossa.

Amiloc brought a perfect 4-for-4 record to Royal Ascot and exited a four-length triumph in the 1 3/8-mile Cocked Hat S. at Goodwood. The King Edward VII marked his longest race to date, but Amiloc was up to the challenge. After tracking the pace in second place, he took over with a quarter-mile remaining and held safe a late rally from Zahrann to triumph by three-quarters of a length in 2:28.67.

There was a gap back to Galveston in third place, while Wimbledon Hawkeye, Green Storm, Nightwalker, Regal Ulixes, Minhad, and Opportunity trailed the field. Convergent and Puppet Master scratched.

“Rossa reported the ground is quick, and it felt quick on him,” said Beckett of Amiloc, who was racing over good-to-firm turf for the first time. “You could see Amiloc’s stride shortening. I thought the last half-furlong, he wasn't looking for the line, he was feeling the ground more than anything else.”

Rossa concurred that Amiloc won in spite of the turf conditions.

“Amiloc was never really comfortable on that sort of ground, and that was the only concern I had,” said Rossa. “He seemed to move okay to post, but when we came out of Swinley Bottom, I was just feeling it a small bit. I thought he was getting a bit idle in front, but he wasn't; the ground was taking its toll.

“I would imagine when he gets on slower ground, he will be a better horse again.”

Saturday marks the final day of 2025 racing at Royal Ascot. The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee (G1) is the highlight of the three group stakes on the card.