Race Day Setting: Folkestone Hosts a Midsummer Gem

Friday the 31st of July. The sun is beating down on the Kent coast, the crowds are filing through the gates, and Folkestone is about to host one of the most intriguing Group 3 contests of the entire flat season. The HKJC World Pool Thoroughbred Stakes — a mile showdown for three-year-olds, carrying £110,000 in prize money — is the kind of race that separates the good from the genuinely elite.

With just seven runners declared, every single one of these colts and geldings is going to have to show up and show out. There's nowhere to hide on a tight, undulating track like Folkestone, and on Good to Firm ground, you'd better have the pace and the class to match. This is a race that could shape the rest of the season for several of these young horses — and for the connections banking on them.

Check out the full Folkestone racecard for all the day's action, but make no mistake: the 14:25 is the one you're circling in red.

Contender Profiles: Who's Got the Goods?

Talk of New York (Draw: 4 | Rating: 116 | William Buick | Charlie Appleby)

Let's start with the elephant in the paddock. Talk of New York arrives here as the highest-rated horse in the field by a street — a rating of 116 puts him a full seven pounds clear of the next best. Trained by the formidable Charlie Appleby and ridden by the ice-cool William Buick, this colt ticks every box. He's a proven distance winner over this exact mile trip, he's drawn bang in the middle of the track in stall four, and he's wearing a hood — a sign that connections want him switched on and focused from the off. Appleby doesn't send horses to these occasions without intent. Talk of New York is the one they all have to beat.

Shayem (Draw: 6 | Rating: 109 | Clifford Lee | K. R. Burke)

The second-highest rated runner in the field at 109, Shayem is a fascinating contender from the Karl Burke yard. Burke is a trainer who absolutely loves placing horses in spots where they can win, and Shayem's status as a distance winner over a mile gives him genuine claims here. Clifford Lee takes the ride from stall six — a wide draw that could prove tricky if the pace isn't strong early. But Lee is a cool, tactical rider and Burke's horses are invariably fit and ready. Don't dismiss Shayem at what could be a juicy price.

Catullus (Draw: 5 | Rating: 107 | Billy Loughnane | Charlie Appleby)

Appleby fires a double-barrelled assault at this prize, and Catullus is the stable's second string — though on a mark of 107, he's no makeweight. Crucially, Catullus is a course winner at Folkestone, and that track knowledge on this particular undulating circuit should not be underestimated. Billy Loughnane has been in the form of his life and brings electric energy to every ride. Drawn in stall five, right next door to his stablemate, this could get interesting if Appleby has a plan to use one to set things up for the other. Catullus is very much a live danger.

Saber Strike (Draw: 3 | Rating: 107 | Tom Marquand | William Haggas)

Saber Strike represents the William Haggas yard, and Haggas rarely sends a horse to a Group 3 without believing it can compete at the top level. Rated 107 and wearing a hood, this colt is drawn in stall three — a lovely, clean position on the inside of the track. Tom Marquand is one of the most intelligent riders in the country, and he'll have a clear plan from that draw. If Saber Strike can translate his potential into performance on this fast ground, he could outrun his odds.

Five Ways (Draw: 1 | Rating: 104 | Jason Watson | Andrew Balding)

Andrew Balding is a trainer who knows how to get a horse ready for a big summer occasion, and Five Ways has been given the coveted stall one draw on the inside rail. Jason Watson will be able to dictate his own destiny from the front, potentially stealing a march on the field if the pace is pedestrian. At a rating of 104 he's up against it against the top-rated horses, but in a race where tactics matter, don't write him off entirely.

Yazin (Draw: 2 | Rating: 104 | Ryan Moore | John & Thady Gosden)

Ryan Moore. John and Thady Gosden. Those two names alone are enough to make any punter sit up straight. Yazin is a distance winner and drawn beautifully in stall two, wearing a tongue tie that suggests connections have been working on getting the best out of him. He's rated 104 — below several rivals on paper — but Moore has an almost supernatural ability to find lengths that don't exist on the formbook. Yazin is a horse to watch very closely in the market.

Going and Draw: The Conditions Tell a Story

Good to Firm, Good in Places — that's a surface that rewards horses with a clean, efficient action and genuine speed. It's not a day for grinding out a win; this is a track that will suit a horse who travels well and can quicken when asked.

The draw at Folkestone over a mile tends to favour low-to-middle numbers, where horses can get a clean run around the undulating bends without burning energy wide. Five Ways (1), Yazin (2), Saber Strike (3) and Talk of New York (4) all look advantageously drawn. Shayem (6) and Andab (7) will need to work a little harder to find their position, though neither is necessarily out of the picture.

Value Picks and Potential Dangers

  • Best bet: Talk of New York — the class horse, proven at the trip, top jockey, ideal draw.
  • Each-way value: Shayem — high rating, distance form, and Burke always has his horses primed.
  • Dark horse: Yazin — Moore + Gosden is never a combination to ignore, however the ratings read.
  • Danger to the favourite: Catullus — course winner, in-form jockey, and Appleby may have a tactical plan up his sleeve.

Jack's Selection: Talk of New York to Deliver the Goods

This isn't a complicated puzzle. Talk of New York is the standout on ratings, on form, on conditions, and on jockey booking. A 116-rated colt who has already proven he can win over this exact distance, ridden by William Buick from a perfect middle draw — this is as strong a favourite as you'll see in a Group 3 all summer.

Appleby's horses arrive at the track ready to run, and the hood suggests they want maximum focus from the first stride. On Good to Firm ground that will suit his action, and with Buick able to dictate from stall four, I simply cannot find a compelling reason to oppose him.

My tip: Talk of New York — back him with confidence and enjoy the ride. If you're looking for each-way insurance, Shayem at a likely bigger price makes plenty of sense as your safety net.

It's going to be a brilliant afternoon at Folkestone. Don't miss a moment of it — the full card is up on the Folkestone racecard right now.

Who is the favourite for the HKJC World Pool Thoroughbred Stakes?

Talk of New York is the overwhelming ante-post favourite for the HKJC World Pool Thoroughbred Stakes at Folkestone. Trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick, he carries a rating of 116 — the highest in the field by seven pounds — and arrives as a proven distance winner. His draw in stall four and the fitting of a hood suggest connections are taking this very seriously indeed.

What is the going for the HKJC World Pool Thoroughbred Stakes at Folkestone?

The going for the HKJC World Pool Thoroughbred Stakes on Friday 31 July 2026 is declared as Good to Firm, Good in Places. This is a fast, summer surface that will suit horses with a clean, quick action. It is expected to remain consistent through the afternoon, making it ideal conditions for a high-quality Group 3 mile contest.

Which trainer has the best record in the HKJC World Pool Thoroughbred Stakes?

Charlie Appleby dominates the entries this year, saddling both Talk of New York and Catullus — giving him two bites at the £110,000 prize. Appleby's Godolphin operation is one of the most powerful forces in flat racing and consistently targets these mid-summer Group races. With a course winner (Catullus) and the top-rated horse in the field (Talk of New York), Appleby looks the trainer most likely to be leading his horse into the winner's enclosure come 14:25 on Friday afternoon.