Can nine-year-old Regal Reality defy the odds and become the oldest winner of the Diomed Stakes?

It’s ten years since Charlie Appleby recorded his sole victory in the Diomed Stakes with French Navy but he has saddled the last two seconds, including Highland Avenue last year.

Highland Avenue was beaten three-quarters of a length by Regal Reality off level weights on that occasion and now has to give 3lb to the same rival, so has his work cut out to reverse the places. However, Regal Reality is now nine and has yet to recapture his form of last season.

Highland Avenue has hardly been lighting up the scene in Dubai this year, though, but he did at least have a similarly low-key time in the desert last year before returning to form when back in Britain, and that gives hope he can do the same after 99 days away from the track.

Regal Reality was slowly away when behind Passenger in the Huxley Stakes at Chester last time and will need to cut that out to repeat last year’s success, but this will probably have been the aim for trainer Sir Michael Stoute, who has won this race twice in the last five years.

It’s far from a two-horse race between those old rivals and Embesto is surely capable of better than he showed when failing to settle over half a furlong further at Newmarket last month. Trainer Roger Varian fits a hood and is 6-40 with those in first-time headgear in recent years.

Headgear has been the making of many a John and Thady Gosden-trained runner in the past, but Epictetus has yet to excel in cheekpieces so it’s surprising connections put them back on.

The four-year-old has form figures reading 508 in the sheepskin and the pieces were left off for his reappearance at Ascot last month when he finished last of five. However, he must be showing something in them at home and maybe this will be the day he shows it on the track.
Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

Age is but a number for Reality

No nine-year-old has won the Diomed Stakes since its inception in 1971, but Regal Reality is looking to buck that trend as he bids to defend his crown from last year.

Regal Reality became the fourth eight-year-old in the last eight years to land the 1m½f Group 3 when staying on strongly from the rear to overhaul the re-opposing Highland Avenue, producing the joint-highest Racing Post Rating he had achieved since September 2020.

That was his first start at a trip that short since July 2021 and he may be getting quicker with age, as he bettered that figure of 114 on his final start of last season when going down by just a head to Mutasaabeq in a Group 2 and has looked as though a return to this distance would suit after two runs over further this year.

Speaking to Betfair, Ryan Moore, who also partnered him last year, said: "We all know the horse by now. He may be a nine-year-old but he won this race last year and he has run well in the Earl of Sefton and Huxley Stakes this season.

"He could probably do with as little rain as possible from here on in but there is no stand-out in here – unless Royal Scotsman comes back to form, maybe – so he definitely has his chance."

What they say

Charlie Appleby, trainer of Highland Avenue
Highland Avenue is taking on a couple of familiar faces and looks to be in good shape. We know he runs well fresh and handles the track at Epsom, so we are hopeful he can be a player.

Roger Varian, trainer of Embesto
He's in great form and hopefully he can get his season back on track. He didn't run his race in the Earl of Sefton as he was a bit fresh and he didn't finish off, but hopefully we'll see a good performance from him.

John Gosden, joint-trainer of Epictetus
He ran disappointingly at Ascot, but he’s come into himself and some of our horses in the spring weren’t where we quite wanted them. He’s come on nicely since and I’d expect a track like Epsom to interest him.

Oisin Murphy, rider of Royal Dubai
He has good form in Dubai but he has mixed form on slow ground. It’s a competitive race with Highland Avenue and Regal Reality and although they’re older horses, they both have course form and they’re quite tough. However, if he gets through the ground then he deserves his place.

Dylan Cunha, trainer of Silver Sword
He was underdone for his comeback run as he was sick before that, but it's brought him on to exactly where I want him. I kept him thinking he would improve over the winter and he's going to have to show he has tomorrow, but I think he has and I'm expecting a big run - I'm fairly confident he'll be in the first three.
Reporting Harry Wilson

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