Royal Ascot Day 5: Orthodox, Almeraq star on closing day

The 2026 Royal Ascot meet at Ascot Racecourse in England wrapped up on Saturday.

The fifth and final day of high-class racing featured four group stakes, including a Breeders’ Cup qualifier.

Norfolk (G2)

Orthodox, the 6-1 second choice in the World Pool, secured a “Win and You’re In” berth to the 2026 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) when he unleashed a strong finish down the Ascot straight to dominate the five-furlong Norfolk by 3 1/2 lengths.

Trained by Clive Cox and owned by J. Goddard, Orthodox was never far back under jockey Rossa Ryan as the Wesley Ward-trained North American raiders Ez Tina, Fanshell Beach, and Through the Years dashed to the front.

Ez Tina and Fanshell Beach appeared to be in with win chances as the final furlong approached, but then Orthodox kicked into high gear and flew past with authority. He widened his lead with every stride to the finish line, which he reached in :59.42.

“I have been lucky to ride good colts like Persian Force in the past and we were never too far away in races like these, but this lad got me excited – and I think he got everyone excited,” said Ryan.

El Floridita edged late-running Mussab by a neck for second place, followed closely by Social Symbol. Fanshell Beach and Ez Tina weakened to finish fifth and sixth, followed by Mr Macartney, Agamemnon, Carry the Flag, Blake’s Monarch, Sovereign Glory, Where Love Lives, Star Prospect, Tribeca, Underdog, Through the Years, Force Noir, Persian Spring, Savage Mariner, Flight Signal, and New Yorker.

Orthodox is now unbeaten and essentially unchallenged in two starts, having opened his career with a 2 1/2-length maiden win at Salisbury.

“Orthodox won at Salisbury and that was exciting, but we were only scratching the surface,” said Cox. “Since then, he has surprised me with the way he has gone with older horses. He has been amazing and is just really, really special. I would say this horse is pretty special. His auntie, Heartache, won the Queen Mary (G2) for us and that was a special day, but this fellow is the next level.”

Cox indicated Orthodox will stretch out another furlong in distance in the near future.

“He will go six furlongs, I do not think that is a problem,” said Cox. “Reckless Abandon went from here to the Robert Papin (G2), which was 5 1/2 furlongs in the old days, but is six now. The five-furlong options tend to dry up a little bit, and I think he will get six quite cozily. He is just so talented and so fast. His work at home – I thought the guys riding the lead horses were getting it wrong a few times, but clearly not. I think six will be within his compass very easily. He is just a really, really nice horse.”

Hardwicke (G2)

Although it isn’t part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, the 1 1/2-mile Hardwicke regularly churns out contenders for the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1). In 2025, the race was won by two-time Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Rebel’s Romance.

The 2026 Hardwicke featured three starters from the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Turf: the victorious Ethical Diamond, fourth Amiloc, and 11th-place finisher Goliath. But it was  Giavellotto, a 7-1 chance in the World Pool, who took top honors for owners Scuderia La Tesa and Vaibhav Shah.

A veteran campaigner best known for winning the 2024 Hong Kong Vase (G1), Giavellotto performed gallantly in his first appearance at Royal Ascot. The Marco Botti trainee rated in midfield under jockey Oisin Murphy before launched a determined bid to chase down the multiple Group 1-winning mare Kalpana by a short head in 2:27.91.

“When Giavellotto got upsides, I thought we are not going to win because the filly [Kalpana] just keeps finding, but he is an incredible horse,” said Botti. “He has taken us around the world, and then to win at Royal Ascot – you cannot ask any more than that. He is an unbelievable horse.

“The quality of the Hardwicke Stakes is such that we knew it was going to be Group 1 level, but he has never let us down. He was a bit warm beforehand, but that is just him. He winds himself up a little bit beforehand but in the race he is always given his best. He is tough.”

Botti indicated a return trip to Hong Kong is in the cards for Giavellotto.

“I do not think we will be back for the King George (VI & Queen Elizabeth [G1] on July 25) because later in the season we want to go back to Hong Kong,” said Botti. “We have not actually entered him, because we want to keep him fresh. He likes traveling, and that I think will be the priority.

“He has not run a bad race, even in defeat. He was fourth in the Arc (de Triomphe) (G1), second in Hong Kong, while in Qatar he was probably a bit unlucky and then he was a respectable third in the Dubai Sheema Classic (G1). I said to the owner let us try Royal Ascot, and of course every owner wants to have a horse here. It worked out well and I am delighted.”

Goliath mounted a stiff challenge from the back of the pack and nearly reached even terms with Giavellotto, but then jockey Christophe Soumillon lost his irons, hampering Goliath’s momentum. Goliath dropped back to finish 1 3/4 lengths behind the top pair in third place.

“I was trying to come beside Oisin easily because Goliath likes to feel that he is comfortable,” said Soumillon. “When I tried to put my feet backwards to squeeze him with my heels, my stirrup just got blocked with my girth, my feet went backwards and I lost my iron on the right side. It is nobody’s fault. I could not imagine it was going to happen at that point of the race. I was not moving on him. I thought it would be hard to win the race because I could not get a head in front of Oisin, but I was fighting with them.”

Jan Brueghel, Sons and Lovers, Amiloc, West Wind Blows, and Best Secret were next across the finish line. Ethical Diamond failed to factor while finishing ninth, followed by Phantom Flight, Lambourn, and Santorini Star.

Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee (G1)

The lone Group 1 prize on closing day was the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee. The six-furlong dash produced a thrilling four-horse photo finish in which 38-1 longshot Almeraq outsprinted a trio of international challengers to win by a nose.

Coming off a win in the Cathedral S. at Salisbury, Almeraq raced forwardly and between rivals under jockey Tom Marquand. When the real running began, Almeraq picked his way through the pack and found just enough acceleration to outkick all challengers to the finish line, which he reached in 1:11.82.

Japan’s Satono Reve, a two-time Group 1 winner, finished second by a short head over Joliestar, a five-time Group 1 winner in Australia. French raider Stolen Kiss, making his Group 1 debut, closed from off the pace to finish another head back in fourth place.

Almeraq has come a long way since September 2025, when he clipped heels and fell in the Garrowby S. at York, injuring jockey Jim Crowley.

“As you know, Almeraq had a fall at York last year and poor Jim got injured,” said William Haggas, who trains Almeraq for Shadwell Estate Company. “The horse took a long time to come back and it has been gently, gently this spring. He won nicely at Salisbury, but this is a completely different jump in class and he has managed to cope with it. He is a beautiful horse, we have always loved him. A big, strong, powerful horse, and I think he will get better because he is pretty lightly raced.

“Almeraq was pretty shook up after York. It is quite hard to fall in a race like that at speed, and for a young horse going at speed it was difficult, but we gave him a lot of time. There was no need to get him ready for the autumn, and this has proved it and now it is onwards and upwards.”

Marquand was riding Almeraq for the first time.

“I am not just saying this for effect, but my first thought when I thought I had won was for Jim,” said Marquand. “This horse and he both took horror falls at the back end of last year. Jim is fighting for his career, he should be aboard this horse, it is his ride.

“Testament to this lad and his attitude in coming back from a fall like that. The Somerville Lodge team are unbelievable. They have done it before with Tiber Flow when he had a heavy fall and brought him back. I am blessed to be riding for them.”

Crowley was in attendance and praised Haggas for his work bringing Almeraq back to the races.

“Amazing,” said Crowley. “It is one of those things. He was in the Haydock Park Sprint Cup (G1) on the Saturday but ran instead in the Listed race (at York) on the Sunday. I wish he had run on the Saturday because I would have been on him today!

“We always believed he was a Group 1 horse. It was amazing for William Haggas to get him back because he took just as heavy a fall. To get that horse back from that is amazing. Mixed emotions because I want to be on him. It was a tough watch, I have never experienced anything like that in my life, but I am so pleased for everyone involved.”

Jersey (G3)

The final group stakes of the meet was the Jersey, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores. Thesecretadversary, trained by Fozzy Stack and ridden by Seamie Heffernan, emerged victorious in a close finish.

Dropping down in class and distance off unplaced finishes in the 2000 Guineas (G1) and Irish 2000 Guineas (G1) over one mile worked wonders for Thesecretadversary, who races for the partnership of Cayton Park Stud and Mrs. John Magnier. The 23-1 World Pool longshot raced forwardly on the far side of the course, pounced to the lead when called upon, and held back a challenge from Take Charge Star to prevail by a neck in 1:25.18.

Take Charge Star pulled 4 1/2 lengths clear of third-place finisher Morris Dancer, followed by Green Sense, Neolithic, Saber Strike, Andab, American Queen, Catullus, The Prettiest Star, Colori Forever, Domina Ignis, Into the Sky, Ardisia, and Avicenna.

Stack previously sent out Nola Soul to win Thursday’s Chesham S. Thesecretadversary’s triumph brought Stack’s 2026 Royal Ascot record to 2-for-2.

“Ninety percent of the horses here are good horses and they just need luck and for everything to go right,” said Stack. “It was lovely to get one winner and two is unbelievable. I am so pleased for the owners Mrs. Rupert and the Magnier family, who have been great supporters. We go back a long way. They are good people.”

“Thesecretadversary is our best three-year-old colt,” said Heffernan. “He won a Guineas trial and then ran a blinder in the English Guineas, where he was too keen and too fresh. Then in the Irish Guineas we got boxed in. Those two races did not go to plan – he should have been placed. I have to thank the co-owners for giving me a third shot at it.

“Fozzy said the Jersey Stakes straight away. He had a penalty (carrying three pounds extra as an established Group 3 winner) but there would be no hard-luck stories. He traveled strongly. He has loads of pace, probably more pace than we have seen. He lights up on the track and dropping back in trip definitely helped. He could go back another furlong. He is a good horse and it is brilliant that it has worked out.”

Later in the day, Double Rush battled to victory by a head in the Wokingham handicap, Lost Boys prevailed by half a length in the Golden Gates handicap, and Illinois dug deep to take the Queen Alexandra conditions stakes over 1 3/4 miles.

Illinois’s triumph came for the team of trainer Aidan O’Brien, jockey Ryan Moore, and owners Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, and Michael Tabor of Coolmore.

O’Brien topped the 2026 Royal Ascot leading trainer standings with seven wins at the royal meeting, two more than his son Joseph O’Brien.

Moore likewise scored seven wins to top the jockey rankings by a clear margin over Billy Loughnane, Tom Marquand, and James McDonald, who scored three wins apiece.

Coolmore partners led all owners with eight wins, double the tally recorded by Wathnan Racing.