Royal Ascot

Who Is The NAP Of The Day At Royal Ascot On Saturday?

1 week ago

| BY Steve Mullington

A look at Steve Mullington’s best bet at Royal Ascot on Saturday, but who is NAP of the Day on the fifth and final day of the 2026 meeting?

On the final day of Royal Ascot 2026 we shall bear witness to a little bit of Australian magic as JOLIESTAR (NAP) scorches down the home straight in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at 3.40pm.

The sprint queen enters the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes as the clear favourite in our horse racing betting, possessing a devastating turn-of-foot, and proven Group 1 pedigree, that will give her the tactical edge to deal with her rivals over this straight six furlongs.

Southern Hemisphere speedsters are nothing new at Royal Ascot, especially when you think back to what Black Caviar and Nature Strip achieved over here, and Joliestar is another raider coming over that is at the level of excellence.

Find race-by-race tips and predictions in our Royal Ascot Day 5 preview here!

Her domestic form in Australia is top-notch. The five-year-old mare has recorded victories in the elite Australian sprinting races, including the Newmarket Handicap and the prestigious T. J. Smith Stakes.

Australian sprinting naturally translates to the stiff sprint tests that we have in the UK and France, so there is no reason why she will not hold her against some of our best European sprinters.

Trained by the globally known handler Chris Waller, Joliestar’s preparation for Royal Ascot has been pretty flawless. She ground out a tough win in the Canterbury Stakes and put a world-class field to bed in the T. J. Smith Stakes.

Waller has executed the same acclimatisation plan he did several years ago with Nature Strip, who obliterated the King’s Stand field in 2022.

The mare has successfully completed her transition to the UK, settling into Charlie Hills’ Lambourn stable well and has been put through some highly encouraging gate work.

The straight six furlongs at Ascot should play into her strengths. Being a horse with both stamina and natural speed, she can emulate the Australian sprinters that went before her at the Royal meeting.

Her jockey, the internationally renowned and respected James McDonald, has declared her the clear pick of the field. He told Sky Racing (ATR) that she is at the absolute “peak of her powers” as a five-year-old mare.

Stephen Power (aka “The Racing Blogger”), who has unexpectedly become a media darling in Australia, gave Joliestar an emphatic endorsement on SENTrack & RSN’s “Giddy Up” show, confidently stating she “will not be beat” and will “absolutely destroy” her European rivals.

Given “Blogsy’s” track record on the sports betting tipping front, I sincerely hope she doesn’t sink without a trace, however I am sure even that millstone won’t stop her on Saturday.

Lucky Stable is a free-to-play racing game available every day during Royal Ascot. You can find it in the Lucky Stable lobby.

Just enter the Royal Ascot game and select “Reveal Stable” to draw five horses at random. You win a share of the jackpot prize if three (3) or more of their drawn horses win their respective races.