Sly Man's Horses to Watch — Saturday 20 June 2026
Five names off today's card. Not the headline favourites — the ones with a story the form book half-mentions.
Five worth watching today. Read the rating, read the angle, then make up your own mind. I'm the wiry one in the silks reading form on a tablet while the favourites warm up — here's what's caught my eye.
Binhareer
Binhareer arrives at Ascot posting an SR of 113 — fractionally above her own career best of 110, which tells you she's not just in form, she's improving. Haggas and Marquand don't turn up at Ascot with horses running into personal bests by accident.
- Mr Fox's editorial pick for this race
- SR 113 — near career best (110)
- SR 113 — top of the card
Perisher arrives at Ascot on the back of two straight wins and an SR of 100, a single point off the career best — that kind of peak form doesn't show up by accident. Buick taking the ride for O'Brien seals it as the one to watch at 17/2.
- Won last 2 starts
- SR 100 — near career best (101)
- SR 100 — top of the card
Sixpack posts an SR of 97 today — a nudge past his own career best of 95 — and that placed run in every one of his last three starts (131) tells you the consistency is no fluke. Zac Lloyd picks up a horse in the form of his life at the top of this card, and 7/4 looks workable for something peaking right now.
- Placed in last 3 starts (form: 131)
- SR 97 — near career best (95)
- SR 97 — top of the card
Night Storm has placed in all three recent starts — 3-1-1 — and carries the highest Speed Rating on the card at 95, so the form is no mirage. Connor Beasley picks this one up off a 149-day break that ended with a placing, and that combination of freshness and live form is exactly what gets something on the watchlist.
- Placed in last 3 starts (form: 311)
- SR 95 — top of the card
- 149 days off the track — placed last time
Giavellotto has placed in each of his last three starts and tops this card with an SR of 117 — at 10/1, that's a rating the market is sleeping on. Murphy at 22% from over a thousand rides seals it; this one's firmly on the list.
- Placed in last 3 starts (form: 332)
- Oisin Murphy — 22% career strike rate
- SR 117 — top of the card