August 21 / 15.00 York

15.00

Good To Firm

Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes (Group 2) (Colts & Geldings)

  • Prize money: £151699.25
  • 1m 3f 188y
  • Class 1
  • 5 runners
ITV
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Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes (Group 2) (Colts & Geldings)

Runners: 5 runners

Type: Flat Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Mostly cloudy

6/4 (Won)

  • Win: £2.25
  • Place: £1.20

Form: 11-131 D

Last run: 52 days

W: 9st 7lb

3 yo Colt

OR: 118

Form & Verdict
Five starts, improving every time; today's International runners City Of Troy and Ambiente Friendly proved too strong for him in the Derby at Epsom (1m4f, good to soft) but he turned the tables on the runner-up in a protracted battle up the straight for Irish Derby at the Curragh (1m4f, good; unraced on firmer); sweated up before both of those races; gives weight all round but unlikely to go down without a good scrap and may well win.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

1

(3)

16th Aug 2025

Good

1m 2f 0y

15:27 Curragh

Los Angeles

10st 0lb

J: Ryan Moore

T: A P O’Brien

2024 Irish Derby winner and Arc third; also boasts strong 1m2f form, including a close fourth in Irish Champion; beat White Birch in a C&D Group 2 in May and battled well to deny Anmaat over an extra half-furlong in Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup later that month; never looked happy in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes; will be hard to beat at this level if restored to form.

8/11

5th

5

(5)

18th Jun 2025

Good To Firm

1m 1f 212y

Class 1

16:20 Ascot

Los Angeles

9st 2lb

J: Ryan Moore

T: A P O’Brien

2024 Irish Derby winner and Arc third at 1m4f; four of his last five races have been at about 1m2f, though, notably when a close fourth in Irish Champion last September and when having to pull out all the stops at the Curragh in his two outings this season, all on good ground (acts on good to firm); latest was the 10.5f Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup in which he battled back to deny Anmaat, but it's a protracted struggle rather than a rapier thrust which is likely to see him to best effect and he might just be vulnerable.

9/4

6

(7)

25th May 2025

Good

1m 2f 110y

15:05 Curragh

Los Angeles

9st 5lb

J: Ryan Moore

T: A P O’Brien

Last year's Derby third and Irish Derby winner; top-class form at 1m2f when close up fourth in Irish Champion Stakes before fine third in the Arc; race possibly came too soon when flopped 13 days later back at 1m2f in Champion Stakes; stout display on return when mastering White Birch in the Mooresbridge, though the runner-up emerged with at least as much credit.

2/1

OUR TIP

5/1

  • Place: £1.85

Form: 3-3212

Last run: 39 days

W: 9st 5lb

3 yo Colt

OR: 113

Form & Verdict
Improved again to justify 7-4 favouritism in the Group 2 Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot (1m6f, good to firm) and he was again always close up when creditable second in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp (1m4f, soft); hung right at Lingfield in May and to his left on both starts since; has a bit to prove over this short a trip against the best of these.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5th

5

(2)

19th Jul 2026

Good To Firm

1m 6f 4y

16:25 Curragh

Illinois

9st 11lb

J: Ryan Moore

T: A P O’Brien

2024 Queen's Vase winner; second in last year's Gold Cup at Royal Ascot (good to firm) and runner-up again in the Goodwood Cup (2m, good); flopped when favourite for the Irish St Leger won by Al Riffa; satisfactory return in Ormonde at Chester before a dismal Coronation Cup run; bounced back from that when landing the Queen Alexandra.

2/1

1st

8

(13)

20th Jun 2026

Good To Firm

2m 5f 143y

Class 2

18:10 Ascot

Illinois

9st 4lb

J: Ryan Moore

T: A P O’Brien

Finished runner-up in last year's Gold Cup here (good to firm) and second again in the Goodwood version (2m, good), only narrowly failing to concede 14lb to Scandinavia; crystal clear claims on these favourable terms if returning to that level of form but he wasn't at his best when bidding for a second Ormonde at Chester and ran abysmally in the recent Coronation Cup when under the pump from a worryingly early stage (unwise to blame the rain-hit ground when he has soft-ground form); hard to dismiss but in equal measure he's hard to trust.

3/1

6th

4

(5)

6th Jun 2026

Good To Soft

1m 4f 6y

Class 1

14:40 Epsom

Illinois

9st 2lb

J: Ronan Whelan

T: A P O’Brien

Runner-up in two Cup races last term; only a neck behind stablemate Jan Brueghel in the 2024 St Leger but was beaten about 5l by that opponent last month when bidding for a second success in the Ormonde at Chester, doing nothing to close their current ratings differential; perhaps in here to set the pace and ensure a proper test.

40/1

Form: 12-122

Last run: 25 days

W: 9st 2lb

3 yo Colt

OR: 116

Form & Verdict
Impressive in London Gold Cup (his only handicap) at Newbury and came from the clouds when second in Group 3 at Royal Ascot; lost out close home to a good 5yo (International runner Alflaila) when setting a slow pace in Group 2 here on latest outing; all those three races were at about 1m2f, with the last two on good to firm; has come by a lower-profile path than some of these but his form is a match for any of them at these weights and he's well worth a go at this new trip.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6th

2

(4)

4th Jul 2026

Good

1m 1f 209y

Class 1

15:35 Sandown

Kings Gambit

9st 9lb

J: Jamie Spencer

T: Harry Charlton

Capable of very useful form but he is 0-12 since landing a major handicap at Newbury over two years ago and was unplaced in the Listed Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot last month; supplemented at a cost of £50,000, possibly to act as pacemaker for fellow Wathnan Racing runner Gethin.

66/1

7th

10

(6)

16th Jun 2026

Good To Firm

1m 1f 212y

Class 1

17:35 Ascot

Kings Gambit

9st 5lb

J: Jamie Spencer

T: Harry Charlton

No win since landing two of his first four starts but has a largely consistent record in Listed/Group company since, including third to Haatem and Galen in this race on good to firm 12 months ago; again ran well when chasing home Damysus in Group 3 at Newmarket (1m1f, good) on reappearance in April; a subsequent Chester run was disappointing but his record suggests he's unlikely to stay down for long.

11/1

9th

4

(5)

8th May 2026

Good

1m 2f 70y

Class 1

14:35 Chester

Kings Gambit

9st 3lb

J: James Doyle

T: Harry Charlton

No wins since landing two of his first four starts having been highly tried in the meantime, but he has a consistent record in Group/Listed company shy of the top level (22363522); again ran well when chasing home the smart Damysus on his return in the Earl Of Sefton at Newmarket (1m1f, good) last month; shortlisted with the run under his belt.

13/2

Form: 2-1224

Last run: 41 days

W: 9st 2lb

3 yo Colt

OR: 108

Form & Verdict
Maiden winner and unlucky second in Listed race next time; no match for runaway French winner Calandagan (who runs in the International today) in Group 2 at Royal Ascot (1m4f, good to firm) but beat the rest in clearcut style, which made his last of four in Group 3 at Newmarket (1m5f, good to soft) six weeks ago look pretty disappointing; could do with settling a bit better and he also sweated up last time; promising before that latest run but has plenty to find with some of these.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

10th

10

(1)

21st Jun 2025

Good To Firm

1m 3f 211y

Class 1

15:05 Ascot

Space Legend

9st 3lb

J: James Doyle

T: William Haggas

Ran well in defeat last season in Group 2s at this meeting (1m4f, good to firm) and at York (1m4f, good to firm); gelded in the off-season; this lightly raced 4yo is in top hands and may have needed last month's reappearance run at York, but improvement is required in first-time cheekpieces.

6/1

5th

6

(2)

9th May 2025

Good

1m 2f 70y

Class 1

14:35 Chester

Space Legend

9st 3lb

J: Tom Marquand

T: William Haggas

took keen hold, towards rear, brief headway inside final furlong, never dangerous

4/1

5th

6

(2)

9th May 2025

Good

1m 2f 70y

Class 1

14:35 Chester

Space Legend

9st 3lb

J: Tom Marquand

T: William Haggas

took keen hold, towards rear, brief headway inside final furlong, never dangerous

4/1

Form: 1-3298

Last run: 52 days

W: 9st 2lb

3 yo Gelding

OR: 103

Form & Verdict
Maiden winner on debut last October; has done the donkey work up front on all four races this season, best form when second to Los Angeles in a Group 3 at Leopardstown (1m2f, good); ended up well beaten at 33-1 in the Derby and Irish Derby, and another front-running role presumably awaits him here.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price
No Results Found

Non-runners

Deira Mile

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £4.30
Straight Forecast £5.73
Trifecta £7.00

Selections

TOPSPEED:

Los Angeles

SPOTLIGHT:

King's Gambit

POSTDATA:

Los Angeles

The Guardian:

Los Angeles

Daily Mail:

Los Angeles

D Express:

Los Angeles

The Sun:

Los Angeles

The Star:

Los Angeles

Daily Record:

Los Angeles

RP RATINGS:

King's Gambit

The Times:

King's Gambit

Telegraph:

King's Gambit

Daily Mirror:

King's Gambit