18:10 Ascot

Buckingham Palace Stakes (Handicap)

7f · Flat · Class 2 · Good To Firm · 28 runners · £61,848 · Thursday, 18 June 2026

Result

Race report

AI top pick finished 21th

1st
Mezcala (GB)
Tom Marquand·Jack Channon
9/2J·5.50
SP
2nd
Elarak (GB)
Billy Loughnane·Charles Hills·beaten 0.3 lengths
12/1·13.00
SP
3rd
Great Acclaim (GB)
Charles Bishop·Eve Johnson Houghton·beaten 0.3 lengths
12/1·13.00
SP

Race time

1m 25.44s−0.36s vs std

On standard — typical pace for the course/distance.

AI top-rated Fondo Blanco (score 68.1) finished 21th.

Settled · 1pt level stake = 50.00 pt return on the winnerTipping P&L →

Furlong's verdict

Reading the form…

AI-written, grounded in our data on this race. May be wrong. Verify before staking. Opinion, not advice.

Pundit corner

Racing Post · third-party

Pundit pick: Vafortino

Vafortino heads this competitive 29-runner field on our ratings by a clear ten points, and the calibre of the jockey booking underlines that connections are expecting a serious run from this former Listed winner whose form in Dubai over the winter demonstrated he retains genuine quality at this level. His York return read as a creditable warm-up rather than a flop, and with the handicapper having eased his burden, he arrives here with plenty in his favour on good-to-firm ground over a trip that suits. Elarak, Hickory — who can be forgiven a couple of below-par efforts this season — and the potentially well-treated Colombier are the chief dangers in a wide-open renewal. **Vafortino** is our selection.

Editorial from Racing Post analysts via the Racing API — not generated by Racing Alpha. Formbook forecast prices are estimates, not market prices.

Why the model rates this top

Fondo Blanco

Ray Dawson · Roger Varian · 4yo

Top-rated of 28

score 68.1 · +2.9 clear of next best (65.1)

Scores compare runners within this race only

The Racing Alpha rating combines four signals. Below is the breakdown — components driving this pick first.

Trainer20% weight
78strong
Roger Varian: 11/35 winners last 14d (31%)
Ratings50% weight
69strong
OR 103 — above field median
Form20% weight
69strong
Last 6: 7-2-2-1-4
Freshness10% weight
45below average
232d since last run (long absence)

MarketNo market price available yet.

v1.3 rating — a field-relative score, not a win probability; for market-derived value see the Fair column in the runners table. Weights and method on /about. Tips are opinions, not advice.

Draw bias — Ascot 7f

full course data →

Moderate: high (outside) favoured (IV 1.16).

Low (1–11)

IV 0.87

Mid (12–21)

IV 0.98

High (22–31)

IV 1.16

Today: Royal Velvet (draw 24) and Elarak (draw 31) get the bias; Fondo Blanco (draw 6) is in the least-favoured band.

IV = impact value: 1.00 is neutral, above it a stall band wins more often than its share of runners predicts. 130 qualifying races at this course and trip, 3-year window.

Runners · sorted by finishing position

Pos	No.	Horse	Form	Wt	OR	RPR	TS	AI	SP
1	28	Mezcala J: Tom Marquand · T: Jack Channon · draw 30 4yo · G · b	12713	9-01	94	—	—	60.2	9/2J·5.50 SP
2	6	Elarak J: Billy Loughnane · T: Charles Hills · draw 31 4yo · G · b	76144	9-10	103	—	—	60.5	12/1·13.00 SP
3	9	Great Acclaim J: Charles Bishop · T: Eve Johnson Houghton · draw 23 5yo · G · bv	40032	9-07	100	—	—	59.3	12/1·13.00 SP
4	11	Blue Brother J: James Doyle · T: Hamad Al Jehani · draw 28 5yo · G · b	2560	9-05	98	—	—	53.6	9/2J·5.50 SP
5	21	River King J: Pat Dobbs · T: Richard Hannon · draw 14 4yo · G · b	23121	9-02	95	—	—	65.1	14/1·15.00 SP
6	2	The Wizard Of Eye J: Neil Callan · T: Tom Clover · draw 29 7yo · G · chp	0391	9-11	104	—	—	53.9	9/1·10.00 SP
7	19	Mirsky J: Rossa Ryan · T: David O'Meara · draw 15 7yo · G · ch	93100	9-02	95	—	—	49.9	66/1·67.00 SP
8	23	Stratusnine J: Kieran Shoemark · T: Hugo Palmer · draw 13 4yo · G · b	U52P2	9-02	95	—	—	55.8	50/1·51.00 SP
9	8	Vafortino J: Christophe Soumillon · T: Charlie Fellowes · draw 20 8yo · G · b	45078	9-08	101	—	—	47.5	50/1·51.00 SP
10	14	Cosi Bello J: Paddy Bradley · T: Charlie Fellowes · draw 26 4yo · G · ch	11241	9-04	97	—	—	59.5	9/1·10.00 SP
11	25	Hickory J: William Carver · T: Jamie Osborne · draw 17 8yo · G · bp	21206	9-02	95	—	—	52.8	40/1·41.00 SP
12	18	Colombier J: Ryan Moore · T: Hamad Al Jehani · draw 16 6yo · G · b	4901	9-03	96	—	—	60.6	22/1·23.00 SP
13	29	Nizam J: Cieren Fallon · T: Ian Williams · draw 11 4yo · G · b	15607	9-01	94	—	—	43.3	100/1·101.00 SP
14	3	English Oak J: Faleh Bughenaim · T: Hamad Al Jehani · draw 10 6yo · G · b	20116	9-10	103	—	—	65.0	28/1·29.00 SP
15	17	Storm Star J: Alfie Redman(7) · T: Andrew Balding · draw 25 5yo · G · ch	36602	9-03	96	—	—	58.3	33/1·34.00 SP
16	22	The Fingal Raven J: Saffie Osborne · T: Jamie Osborne · draw 12 4yo · G · btFT T	64155	9-02	95	—	—	50.2	66/1·67.00 SP
17	15	Dance In The Storm J: Oisin Murphy · T: Andrew Balding · draw 2 4yo · F · bh	23015	9-03	96	—	—	59.5	17/2·9.50 SP
18	12	Apiarist J: Jack Callan(3) · T: Kevin Ryan · draw 18 5yo · G · b	41306	9-05	98	—	—	51.2	33/1·34.00 SP
19	27	Brasil Power J: Grace McEntee · T: George Boughey · draw 27 7yo · G · bt	441609	9-01	94	—	—	48.6	100/1·101.00 SP
20	16	Defence Minister J: James McDonald · T: Hamad Al Jehani · draw 8 4yo · G · b	24910	9-03	96	—	—	60.8	28/1·29.00 SP
21	4	Fondo Blanco J: Ray Dawson · T: Roger Varian · draw 6 4yo · G · br	72214	9-10	103	—	—	68.1	50/1·51.00 SP
22	24	Rock Of Cashel J: Jamie Spencer · T: Niels Petersen · draw 1 4yo · G · b	60001	9-02	95	—	—	65.1	80/1·81.00 SP
23	5	Golden Mind J: Oisin Orr · T: Richard & Peter Fahey · draw 22 5yo · G · bt	17248	9-10	103	—	—	54.3	40/1·41.00 SP
24	10	Arctic Dawn J: Zac Lloyd · T: Daniel & Claire Kubler · draw 3 5yo · G · grp	18531	9-07	100	—	—	59.5	40/1·41.00 SP
25	7	Royal Velvet J: William Buick · T: William Knight · draw 24 5yo · M · b	81511	9-09	102	—	—	64.0	8/1·9.00 SP
26	20	Pellitory J: Daniel Tudhope · T: David O'Meara · draw 19 4yo · G · b	85500	9-02	95	—	—	47.8	50/1·51.00 SP
27	13	The Lost King J: P J McDonald · T: Andrew Balding · draw 4 4yo · G · b	12134	9-04	97	—	—	65.0	33/1·34.00 SP
28	26	So Darn Hot J: Ashley Lewis(5) · T: Ed Walker · draw 7 4yo · G · bp	35067	9-01	94	—	—	53.0	50/1·51.00 SP
—	—	Room Service J: William Carver · T: Jamie Osborne · draw 5 5yo · G · btbFT TB	42875	9-12	105	—	—	48.4	—

OR = official rating · AI = model score (0–100) · form reads oldest → latest

Frequently asked questions

Who won the 18:10 Ascot on 18 June 2026?

Mezcala (GB) won the 18:10 Ascot at SP 5.50. Ridden by Tom Marquand. Trained by Jack Channon.

Did the Racing Alpha AI tip win the 18:10 Ascot?

No — the AI top pick (Fondo Blanco) finished 21.

What were the placings in the 18:10 Ascot?

Top finishers: 1. Mezcala (GB) (5.50), 2. Elarak (GB) (13.00), 3. Great Acclaim (GB) (13.00).

What was the winning time for the 18:10 Ascot?

The winning time was 1m 25.44s, on standard time.

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