In The Money Telegraph
Saturday, June 20, 2026 · Royal Ascot Day 5 · The Finale · By ITM Staff
The final day — headlined by the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. But first, the Friday recap: two Group 1s, and an American gamble that survived a heart-stopping turn in the scales.
Watch in the US today: the finale is the one day of the meeting on NBC proper — NBC and Peacock carry a 4.5-hour program from 9:00 a.m. ET, with the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes the centrepiece.
Day 4: An American Gamble Survives the Scales
The two Group 1s went to the principals. Venetian Sun — last year’s Albany Stakes winner here as a juvenile — added the Commonwealth Cup to become a back-to-back Royal Ascot scorer, holding off 50/1 outsider Spicy Marg, while Precise was too classy in the Coronation under Ryan Moore, accounting for Touleen and True Love.
But the result that travels best for our audience came at the death — and it nearly didn’t stand. Bacio was the gamble of the meeting, backed from around 12/1 the day before into the 3/1 favourite, and he justified every penny, making all to bolt clear by nearly four lengths in the Palace of Holyroodhouse and complete an American one-two with fellow US raider Sandal’s Song. Then came the scare: Juan Hernandez weighed in light, and for several anxious minutes Wesley Ward’s colt looked likely to be thrown out. The mystery was solved when the missing overgirth — dislodged when the horse jumped during winner’s-circle photos — turned up and the weight was reconciled. The result stood, and Ward had his first Royal Ascot winner since 2021.
Aidan O’Brien’s big afternoon also brought Causeway, who dug out the King Edward VII in a stretch-long battle, and Libertango, who stormed late to deny odds-on Sun Goddess in the Albany.
Watch: PTF & Michael Adolphson Preview the Finale
PTF and Michael Adolphson close out the week with Saturday’s seven-race finale, headlined by the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes — where Adolphson sides with the Ryan Moore-ridden Satono Reve against Australian favourite Jolie Star. The card opens with the Norfolk Stakes, a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In,” where he takes a 20/1 swing at one of Wesley Ward’s American juveniles, and big-priced each-way angles run right through to the marathon Queen Alexandra.
▶ Watch the Royal Ascot finale preview on the ITM YouTube channel →
Play Today
TwinSpires $50 Royal Ascot Challenge
A live-bankroll cash tournament on today’s Royal Ascot card: a $50 buy-in puts $30 in your playing bankroll, which you spread across at least four of Races 1–7 (Win, Place, Exacta and Trifecta count). Cash prizes are paid out by final bankroll. Entries close at 11:15 AM ET.
ITM at Royal Ascot
Alex Sausville’s Day 5 Card
Alex Sausville goes through the seven-race finale, siding with the Australian favourite Joliestar in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes — the other side of the marquee from Adolphson — with value swings at Force Noir in the Norfolk and West Wind Blows in the Hardwicke.
His card: Force Noir (Norfolk), West Wind Blows (Hardwicke), Joliestar (QEII Jubilee), The Prettiest Star (Jersey), Realign (Wokingham), Lost Boys (Golden Gates) and A Piece of Heaven (Queen Alexandra).
ITM at Royal Ascot
Steven Bonnick’s Day 5 Closer Look
Steven Bonnick’s race-by-race analysis runs through every finale contest. In the Jubilee he’d prefer Satono Reve of the two international sprinters, since the Japanese raider has proven he can ship; in the Norfolk he flags the Woodbine winner EZ Tina, who clocked an 88 Beyer on debut; and his pick in the Hardwicke is the fast-finishing Best Secret to upset favourite Kalpana.
Saturday in the States
The Royal meeting isn’t the only game in town — there’s a full US Saturday too, with Ohio Derby day at the centre of it. Here’s where the ITM team is playing.
Churchill Downs — with JK. Jonathan Kinchen builds around the late part of the card, looking to beat the Baffert-trained French Blue in the Race 7 allowance with Moonlight Dash, leaning on the Will Walden pair (Grand Oz and Grand Lux), playing a turf-sprint stretchout angle on Mega Magic in Race 8, and singling the standout Eklaton in Race 9.
▶ Watch JK’s Churchill Downs analysis →
Monmouth Park — with JK. On the Jersey Shore, JK works the Pick 5 from Race 4: an 8/1 turf-sprint play on Lydia Rose, singles on Just Relax and Jedoff to build a double through the middle, and Charlie’s Beauty on the cutback to close the sequence.
▶ Watch JK’s Monmouth analysis →
Woodbine — Mikee P & Jackson Muniz. Mikee and Jackson go race by race through Woodbine’s Late Pick 4 (kicking off in Race 6 at 3:30 PM ET), with singles, longshots and ticket-construction advice — plus Jackson’s “turn $50 into $500” play for the card.
▶ Watch the Woodbine Late Pick 4 preview →
Los Alamitos — Dean Keppler. Keppler goes through the full Saturday card, headlined by his Best Bet: Rassler in Race 5.
Read Keppler’s Los Alamitos selections →
Laurel Park — Will Humphrey. Will’s trip notes cover every race on the Laurel card, with spot plays on Put A Rock In It and Secure’s Hope.
Read Humphrey’s Laurel trips →
ITM Plus
Rob Dove’s Finale Picks
Rob Dove — one of the top ten pro punters in the UK today — closes out Royal Ascot with his Saturday selections, including his read on the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, exclusively on ITM Plus.
Worth a Read
Richard Farquhar’s Royal Ascot Musings
Our friend Richard Farquhar has posted daily musings all through Royal Ascot — sharp, contrarian race-reading with the kind of storytelling that makes you wish you were in the grandstand beside him, plus a Tote placepot perm every day. His big-priced each-way darts have repeatedly hit the frame this week. It’s free to subscribe — and well worth it.
More all week at inthemoneypodcast.com, with daily video previews on the ITM YouTube channel and premium tips on ITM Plus.
