Reaching High to seek redemption in Ascot Stakes

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

Reaching High, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Ryan Moore, will compete in the Ascot Stakes aiming to redeem last year’s poor performance. The race is part of a high-profile Royal Ascot meeting featuring well-supported contenders like Confucius and American Affair, with bookmakers facing significant liabilities if favorites prevail.

Reaching High is set to compete in the Ascot Stakes on Tuesday, aiming to improve on a disappointing performance in last year’s edition of the race. Trained by Irish handler Willie Mullins for King Charles III, the horse is expected to benefit from the assistance of leading jockey Ryan Moore, who has been booked for the event at Royal Ascot. Reaching High’s connections are hopeful for redemption in the marathon contest scheduled to start at 5:00 p.m.

Meanwhile, trainer William Haggas is enjoying recent success after his horses Extremely Zain and Thunder Call delivered an impressive double victory at York last Saturday, both offering good returns for their backers. Haggas now has high expectations for Valiancy in the closing race, the Copper Horse Handicap, which begins at 6:10 p.m. at Ascot. Valiancy recently secured a strong win at Hamilton, overcoming tight challenges, and the horse has reportedly been showing encouraging signs in training. In-form jockey James Doyle is set to ride, adding further optimism to the mount’s prospects.

Attention is also focused on Lake Forest, another Haggas-trained runner, who will feature in a sprint event during the Royal Meeting on Saturday. Close observers within the stable believe the horse has impressive speed and the potential to outperform the bookmakers’ odds.

Colors are taking center stage at Ascot, with “bright tomato” identified as the fashion tone of the week. However, some insiders suggest that Godolphin blue could also gain prominence, particularly with Notable Speech, a contender for the Queen Anne Stakes at 2:30 p.m., expected to showcase the iconic hue. Notable Speech is tipped by a prominent South Coast bettor to start the celebrations.

The Royal Ascot meeting anticipates a large amount of champagne consumption, with organizers estimating that up to 65,000 bottles could be opened over the course of the event.

Aidan O’Brien’s colt Confucius, who won comfortably on debut at Naas, is among the favorites for the Coventry Stakes at 3:05 p.m. Despite early optimism, bookmakers face significant liabilities should the Ballydoyle-trained horse win. William Hill’s trading manager Lee Phelps indicated Confucius is "comfortably our biggest ante-post liability of the week," alongside Reaching High, suggesting the day could prove challenging for bookmakers if several short-priced favorites succeed.

In the King Charles III Stakes at 3:40 p.m., Jim Goldie’s American Affair is attracting market interest for an each-way wager. The Scottish trainer’s horse won this race last year and is considered to have improved, with bettors from northern England reportedly ready to back the contender. American Affair is seen as a serious contender to challenge the field at this prestigious meeting.