SOME week. Just don’t exhale yet.

Saber Strike is all the rage for the Jersey Stakes on the final day of Royal Ascot 2026, and you can see why.

He was impressive in winning the Listed King Charles II Stakes over seven furlongs at Newmarket’s Guineas meeting, a race that is an unusually good pointer to the Jersey Stakes.

Slowly away that day, he had to come from sixth of six, he had to make his ground into a quickening pace off a sedate gallop, and he did all of that.

He came over a length clear of Cerro Blanco, himself an impressive winner of his maiden on his racecourse debut at the Craven meeting, and the pair of them pulled clear of Stellar Sunrise and Elusive Butterfly, who went and won the Listed Surrey Stakes at Epsom on Derby weekend over the same distance.

The Night Of Thunder colt should come forward from that too, his seasonal return and just his second race ever, and his trainer William Haggas is having a really good week at Royal Ascot, the latest instalment in a really good season.

The only negative is his price. He may well win, he may win impressively, but, on the evidence that we have, he is very short in what is obviously a hugely competitive race.

By contrast, Thesecretadversary looks a little over-priced. Winner of the Listed Churchill Stakes at Tipperary last season as a juvenile, and fifth in a Grade 1 race at Woodbine in September, Fozzy Stack’s colt was impressive in winning the Guineas trial at Leopardstown in April on his debut this season.

Did well

He didn’t run badly in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, he did well to finish fifth in the end, given how keen he was through the early stages of the race. He settled a little better in the Irish Guineas at the Curragh last time, but he was short of room from the two-furlong marker.

He couldn’t get out off the far rail in order to deliver his challenge until it was too late.

The form book says that he finished just sixth, but he ran much better than that. And the fact that he was able to finish off his race well once he did get into the clear was obviously a positive. He was only beaten two lengths for second and one length for third.

The drop down to seven furlongs today, the distance over which he won the Guineas trial, should suit him well, as should the drop back down to Group 3 company.

It appears that he is learning to settle better anyway, but the slightly faster pace that the slight drop in trip should engender should be ideal. And Fozzy Stack and Seamie Heffernan teamed up to win the Chesham Stakes on Thursday with Nola Soul.

Wokingham Handicap

The Wokingham is obviously hugely competitive too, but Ten Pounds has plenty in his favour.

The Ten Sovereigns gelding put up a big performance in the race last year when he was with Harry Charlton to finish third behind Get It, who was ridden by the aforementioned Seamie Heffernan.

That was his first run ever over six furlongs, all his previous races had been over seven, but he proved that he had the speed for it: a stiff six run at a fast pace.

A winner over six furlongs at Kempton in October on his final run for Harry Charlton, he has been finding his way since he has joined Joey Ramsden.

He was well beaten in the Victoria Cup at Ascot in May over seven furlongs, but he put up a much better performance last time at Carlisle, when he stayed on well from back in the field at the end of five furlongs to take second place behind Washington Heights in the Listed Achilles Stakes, re-routed from Haydock.

That run should have sharpened him up nicely for today’s test. They took the tongue-tie off him at Carlisle and added cheekpieces, and he put up his best performance for some time, and that combination of headgear/lack thereof is repeated today.

He gets to race off a mark of 99, 3lb lower than the mark off which he finished third in the race last year - he has been raised back up to a mark of 102 after his Carlisle run for future races - and he will have Jamie Spencer for company for the first time.

Thesecretadversary, 4.20 Ascot, 11/1 (generally), 1 point win,

Ten Pounds, 5.00 Ascot, 11/1 (generally), 1 point each-way