Bookmakers in the UK are currently preparing their best Royal Ascot sign-up offers, the latest price boosts, existing customer promotions and 2022 Royal Ascot free bets/bonuses in the hope that you’ll make a bet with them. It’s the perfect time of year for a bookmaker to use these new customer account sign-up offers in a bid to bolster their membership numbers for the year.
We’ve put together a full step-by-step guide for the 2022 Royal Ascot meeting, starting with a list of the best sign-up offers offered by each bookie, followed by a detailed preview of each of the races over the five days. We do this for all the major race meetings and you can see our last two which included the Cheltenham Festival, The Grand National, and now later meetings including Glorious Goodwood, The Prix De L’Arc de Triomphe, The Melbourne Cup and The Breeders Cup.
Our expert looks at past race stats and performances, as well as giving an overview of the best types of bets to place at the Royal meeting.
Each race will be analysed closely with betting suggestions on who might provide the value from a betting perspective.
Recommended Bookmakers For Betting On Royal Ascot 2022
Daily ROYAL ASCOT Previews 2022
Here at OnTheBallBets we bring you a full analysis of the Royal meeting at Ascot including stats and analysis for each and every race.
Our in-house racing expert, Richard Smith, takes a look at past trends, particularly over the last 10 years, and picks out some things to look out for.
We look at jockey and trainer records in each race and try to spot potential picks based on this data.
The closer we get to Royal Ascot, the more information we will be adding on this page. And for those novice bettors who might be going to Royal Ascot for a day out, we’ll give you some tips to help you enjoy your day, and break down all the technical racing and betting jargon.
For those of you who are experienced punters then you might want to check out our recent Cheltenham and Aintree pages to get an idea of what you can expect on this page as we get closer to the big day.
Day 1 – ST JAMES’S PALACE STAKES – Tuesday 14th JUNE 2022
Ready yourself as Ascot welcomes back full crowds for the first time since the pandemic. Crowds of 60,000 plus will enjoy the racing on each of the five days where we will see the very best.
Equine talent from England, Ireland, France, the United States, and Japan will be there, along with a smattering of horses from other countries. This year’s Ascot spectacle looks set to be one of the sporting events of the year.
Racing begins at 2.30 pm each day and the highlight on Day 1 is the St James’s Palace Stakes where the three-year-olds do battle over 1 mile.
2000 Guineas winner Coreabus will be looking to confirm his superiority over rivals that finished behind him at Newmarket.
2.30 pm The Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1)
The first race of the day is The Queen Ane Stakes and this is run over a mile for the older horses of 4 years old and upwards.
The race was first run in 1840 but at the time was called the Trial Stakes. It was not until 1930 that the race was named to commemorate Queen Anne. During its’ early runnings, the race was only open to three-year-olds but that changed in 2003 when the race was granted Group 1 status and at that point, the race became open to horses aged four and older.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
Winning YEAR | HORSE | JOCKEY | TRAINER |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Palace Pier | Frankie Dettori | John & Thady Gosden |
2020 | Circus Maximus | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien |
2019 | Lord Glitters | Daniel Tudhope | David O’Meara |
2018 | Accidental Agent | Charlie Bishop | Eve Johnson Houghton |
2017 | Ribchester | William Buick | Richard Fahey |
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Trying to pick the winner of any race at Royal Ascot can be difficult. But this year the brilliant and unbeaten Baaeed is running here after winning the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in breathtaking style. He is likely to be a very short-price favourite.
So let’s look at some of the trends from the past ten years that could help you to pick out the winner.
- Seven of the last ten winners have been four-year-olds, with two five-year-olds, and one six-year-old winning.
- Trainer Saeed Bin Suroor is the winning most trainer with seven wins, but none of those in the last ten years
- Six of the last ten runnings have been won by the favourite.
- Only two of the last ten runnings have been won by a horse bigger than 8/1 in the betting.
- Previous course winners have a strong record in the race
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TRENDS PICK
The ten-year trends support the chance of BAAEED. He is a four-year-old, has won over the course and will be the favourite.
FORM PICK
Unbeaten and now rated 125, it will take a special performance to lower the colours of BAAEEED and he looks impossible to oppose. With just seven runners it is not even a good race for betting each way.
However, if you want to take the favourite on, then ACCIDENTAL AGENT could be the one at around 33/1. The eight-year-old certainly comes here in top form, is a previous winner of this race in 2018 when 33/1. Can lightning strike twice?
It is very doubtful, but he could be the one to follow the favourite Baaeed home.
3.05 pm The Coventry Stakes (Group 2)
The Coventry Stakes is the first race of the Royal meeting for the two-year-olds and is run over the straight six furlongs.
There is a misunderstanding in some quarters that the race is named after the Midlands city Coventry, however, the actual name is in honour of the 1890 Master of the Buckhounds at the time, the 9th Earl of Coventry.
Formerly a Group 3 race, it was given Group 2 status in 2004 and is a race heavily targeted by leading Irish trainer Aiden O’Brien, who usually sends some of his best two-year-old colts to the race.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Berkshire Shadow | Oisin Murphy | Andrew Balding |
2020 | Nando Parrado | Adam Kirby | Clive Cox |
2019 | Arizona | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien |
2018 | Calyx | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden |
2017 | Rajasinghe | Stevie Donohoe | Richard Spencer |
This year will see a strong Irish contingent yet again, with Aiden O’Brien leading the way. The six-furlong trip is used by many trainers to find out if they have a horse who might be potentially good enough to go on and win the following year’s 2000 Guineas at Newmarkets Rowley Mile racetrack.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Trying to pick the winner of The Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot is always tough for punters as it usually draws a very big field and this year is no different with 17 runners. Looking for horses that have shown form staying on over five furlongs can be a good way to cut down the runners and draw up a shortlist to study more in-depth.
As we said previously, Aiden O’Brien has a tremendous record in this race including Harbour Master (1997), Fasliyev (1999), Landseer (2001), Statue of Liberty (2002), Henrythenavigator (2007), Power (2011), War Command (2013), Caravaggio (2016), and Arizona (2019)
So let’s look at some of the key trends from the past 10 years that might help you to pick out the winner of this ultra-competitive two-year-old race.
- Three of the last ten winners were trained by Aiden O’Brien at the famous Ballydoyle Stables in Ireland.
- Ryan Moore and Frankie Dettori are the leading jockeys in the last ten years with two wins each.
- Only three of the last ten runnings have been won by the favourite. Three of the other seven were won by horses returning at 11/1, 20/1 and 150/1
- Only three of the last ten runnings have been won by a horse drawn in single figures, with mid to high draws being preferable.
- Trainer Clive Cox trained the 2020 winner Nando Parrado who went off at 150/1. Cox is a renowned trainer of two-year-olds and his horses always deserve a second look.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TRENDS PICK
Aiden O’Brien has a tremendous record and his BLACKBEARD is near the top of the market but not a clear favourite. He has already shown good form winning all three starts and with a good draw in stall 14, he ticks all the boxes from a trends perspective.
FORM PICK
Richard Hannon always does well with two-year-olds and PERSIAN FORCE has shown a very good level of form. Already rated 100, it looks like this dual winner will go off favourite and has a good draw in stall 12.
However, looking further down the card the one that looks of interest is the Richard Fahey trained ROUSING ENCORE, who was third on debut but has since won his last two races with the last of those carrying a 5lb penalty against an odds-on favourite. He has a good draw in the middle and at around 20/1, he looks great value with many bookmakers offering extended place terms.
3.40 pm The King’s Stand Stakes (Group 1)
The Kings Stand Stakes is the big sprint race of the week where the specialist five-furlong sprinters strut their stuff.
Last year’s winner Oxted doesn’t make the lineup this time around.
The history of the race is quite unique as the race only came to be created due to shocking weather conditions in 1860. At the time the bad weather and rain made the then Royal Stand Plate as it was originally called impossible to run over the two-mile course.
Because of this it was shortened to 5 furlongs on the only raceable part of the racecourse. The race then continued from the following year and became the most important sprint contest at the Royal meeting
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Oxted | Cieren Fallon | Roger Teal |
2020 | Battaash | Jim Crowley | Charles Hills |
2019 | Blue Point | James Doyle | Charlie Appleby |
2018 | Blue Point | William Buick | Charlie Appleby |
2017 | Lady Aurelia | John Velazquez | Wesley Ward |
This year will see the Wesley Ward trained Golden Pal likely to go off favourite and Ward has been quoted as saying that this is the fastest horse he has ever trained, high praise indeed.
He was second as a two-year-old in the 2020 Norfolk Stakes and comes here off the back of an easy success in his warm-up race at Keeneland back in April.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Trying to pick the winner of the Kings Stand Stakes is maybe a little easier than other races, due to the fact that the sprinters tend to run to form more often than not.
Below are a few of the key ten-year trends that might help you in making your betting picks for the race.
- Eight of the last ten runnings have been won by a horse aged 5 or older.
- There has been only one winning favourite in the last ten years.
- Only two of the last ten runnings have been won by a horse returning bigger than a starting price of 10/1.
- American trainer Wesley Ward has sent out 11 winners at Royal Ascot, including Lady Aurelia in this race in 2017.
- No jockey has won the race more than once in the last ten years. However, Jim Crowley did win in 2011 and 2020.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TRENDS PICK
With the trends strongly against the Ward runner Golden Pal, we need to look at some of these runners more closely.
9 of the 18 runners are four-year-olds so that reduces us down to a possible nine-runner shortlist. However, that is reduced by one as Golden Pal is sure to go off favourite leaving us eight to choose from. Of those, only one fits the remaining criteria and that is NATURE STRIP who is our clear trends pick for the Kings Stand Stakes. Trainer Chris Waller will be aiming to bring another Group 1 sprint title back to Australia.
FORM PICK
Last year saw a red hot Wokingham handicap won by Rohann and back in third was KINGS LYNN. The Queen’s horse finished so strongly that day that 5 furlongs here may just be against him. This season he has taken his form to a new level, winning last time off a rating of 108 and he is one that could benefit from the certain lightning pace that will be set by Golden Pal. He looks the each-way value here.
4.20 pm The St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1)
The highlight of Day 1 is the St James’s Palace Stakes and this is the premier race at Royal Ascot for the three-year-old milers. 2000 Guineas winner Coroebus is a short-price favourite to follow up his classic win at HQ and will surely be very difficult to beat.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Poetic Flare | Kevin Manning | Jim Bolger |
2020 | Palace Pier | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden |
2019 | Circus Maximus | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien |
2018 | Without Parole | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden |
2017 | Barney Roy | James Doyle | Richard Hannon Jr. |
Godolphin and Sheikh Mohammed hold all the aces in this race on paper. Trainer Charlie Appleby who houses the 2000 Guineas winner Coroebus has sent a strong signal by only fielding the one runner.
This year sees a strong Irish contingent, however, Aiden O’Brien only has the one runner with Shiela Lavery fielding one and Jim Bolger (no stranger to Ascot success) fielding the other.
Check out the race trends from the last ten years below.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
The St Jame’s Palace is more often than not won by one of the existing classic generation from the previous months 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. So what do the trends tell us about the chances of Coroebus
Let’s look at some of the trends from the past ten years that could help you to pick out the winner.
- Only one of the last ten winners has returned at a double-figure SP.
- Seven of the last ten winners have returned at odds of 4/1 or less, with favourites having a good record in the race.
- Leading jockeys in the last ten years have been Frankie Dettori (3) Ryan Moore (2) James Doyle (2) Kevin Manning (2) and Kieran Fallon (1)
- Trainer John Gosden is the winning most trainer with three wins in the last ten years.
- 5 of the last 10 winners had previously won either the English or Irish 2000 Guineas.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TRENDS PICK
The trends do not really give us a clear pick, but COROEBUS gets the vote here based on the clear trend of Guineas winners being successful.
FORM PICK
With Coroebus looking the most likely winner and the odds not being attractive for general punters then we have picked out a couple of horses that could be backed each way at much bigger prices.
The first of those is NEW ENERGY who was runner-up behind Native Trail in the Irish 2000 Guineas and that is very smart form with Native Trail having finished runner-up behind Coroebus. At 25/1 he looks a very fair price.
The second of our big-priced selections is ANGEL BLEU which finished third first time up this year looking in need of a step up to a mile. That race would have sharpened him up nicely for this and at 33/1, he looks another that can go well.
5.00 pm The Ascot Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) (0-100)
The Ascot Stakes is one of the most eagerly anticipated handicaps of the season for the flat race stayers at a distance of just short of 2 1/2 miles.
It is always highly competitive and in the last ten years we have seen near-total domination of the race by jump racing trainers with Willie Mullins from Ireland being particularly successful.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Reshoun | William Buick | Ian Williams |
2020 | Coeur De Lion | Thore Hammer Hansen | Alan King |
2019 | The Grand Visir | Richard Kingscote | Ian Williams |
2018 | Lagostovegas | Andrea Atzeni | Willie Mullins |
2017 | Thomas Hobson | Ryan Moore | Willie Mullins |
Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliot who are normally mob-handed in this both rely on just one runner each, so it is worth looking at those in more detail.
Mullins more often than not has the favourite for this race with an unexposed jumper getting into the race on a much lower flat racing mark, one thing many punters have picked up on in the last few years.
The race always attracts a big field and this year is no exception with 20 runners, so let’s look at some of the stats to help you narrow the field down to a shortlist.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Picking the winner of the Ascot Stakes needs a strong study of the form guide. Staying race form is usually very solid as these horses run against each other quite often.
So let’s look at some of the main trends from the past ten years that could help you to pick out a bit of value.
- Eight of the last ten winners have been aged between five and seven years old.
- Two of the last three winners were trained by Ian Williams while Willie Mullins has trained four of the last ten winners.
- All of the last ten winners had already won at least twice on the flat.
- The last five winners have all had a handicap rating of 91 or higher, meaning this is likely won by a classier horse.
- Eight of the last ten winners were trained by jumps (National Hunt) trainers.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TRENDS PICK
Looking at the trends, this is one of the strongest picks of the day, and it is the Willie Mullins trained BRING ON THE NIGHT that matches all five of these trends.
FORM PICK
Although the four-year-old stats are not great for this race, Mark Johnston’s TRIBAL ART looks like a horse who has been crying out for a step up in distance. Johnston has seen much success here at Ascot with stayers, and this son of Farrh certainly is bred to stay and could be underestimated off a mark of 96 and looks value with many bookmakers going six places. A general 20/1 is available.
Another at bigger prices that looks potentially interesting is the Gary Moore trained MAKE MY DAY who has finished runner-up on his last two tries, including here at Ascot on his penultimate start. Rhys Clutterbuck claims a valuable 3lbs and at 16/1, he is another for each-way punters to look at.
5.35 pm The Wolferton Stakes (Listed)
Always a fiercely contested Listed event, The Wolferton Stakes is run over just short of a mile and a quarter and always draws a very competitive field. It is a limited race in that Group 1 and Group 2 winners are not allowed to enter under new conditions.
This limitation means you have a mix of top handicappers, conditions and listed race winners as well as Group 3 winners.
Below you can see the winners of the race since it changed it’s format from a handicap to a listed race in 2018.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Juan Elcano | Andrea Atzeni | Kevin Ryan |
2020 | Mountain Angel | James Doyle | Roger Varian |
2019 | Addeybb | Daniel Tudhope | William Haggas |
2018 | Monarchs Glen | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden |
As you see from the above table, trainers William Haggas and Roger Varian have been successful in recent renewals and because their stables house these classy types, it is a race they target specifically.
John Gosden won the race with Monarchs Glen in 2018 and has now trained 3 of the last 10 winners of the race.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
As you look at these trends, make sure to take into account that the race has only been running for four years in its current format.
However, the stats will help you try to narrow the field with some interesting trends over the last 10 years.
- Three of the last ten winners have been trained by John Gosden and he and his son Thady are sure to have runners under their shared license this season.
- Six of the last ten winners were four-year-olds. This stat is important as you should look for younger improving horses moving up in class.
- Only two of the last ten favourites have been successful, so a race to try and find value in the betting market.
- Seven of the last ten winners have returned at odds of 7/1 or bigger, with three of those returning at double-figure SP’s.
- Horses with previous course form have a strong record in the race
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TRENDS PICK
A couple here with shouts on the trend analysis but it is the top-weight CADILLAC who gets the vote. A Group winner at 2 and a fine fourth in the 2020 Breeders Cup juvenile. This four-year-old colt is around the 7/1 mark in the betting and looks to be coming into this in fine form after a Listed win last time out.
FORM PICK
The horse that stands out at the Each Way prices is ARISTIA from the Richard Hannon yard. She was second in a Group 2 last time, and as the only filly, she gets a nice 5lb fillies allowance which should help her cause. Clearly coming here at the top of her game, she has been backed in recent days but is still available at 22/1 in places.
6.10 pm The Copper Horse Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) (0-105)
The last race on Day 1 is The Copper Horse Stakes which is a Class 2 handicap run over 1 mile and 6 furlongs. This is a new race introduced to the meeting for 2022.
The race provides an opportunity for up-and-coming stayers that are rated up to 105 to test out their credentials for the 2023 Ascot Gold Cup and the other major staying races for the next season.
The make-up of the race means a big field and we look like having up to 19 runners, as this type of race is an intermediate distance for stayers and we don’t see many races of this distance in the racing calendar.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
New Race – No trends available
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
FORM PICK
We have picked out a couple of runners here against the field. One at a shorter price and a double-figure outsider that could go well.
Our first selection is STOWELL from the John and Thady Gosden team. This lightly raced (6 careers starts) type was third here last year and has been running consistently since then. He is stepping back up in trip today which is a big plus and 6/1 looks a very fair price.
Our second selection is the enigmatic hurdler NOT SO SLEEPY. His form bares close inspection as he has won on his last three visits to Ascot. His handicap mark of 99 is very fair and after a break from hurdling, he’ll come here fresh and ready to go. He looks a solid option at 16/1 each way and will surely try to make every post a winning one.
Conclusion
Day 1 promises some cracking action with Baaeed likely to be all the rage in the Queen Anne Stakes and Coroebus hoping to add The St James’s Palace Stakes to his CV.
As always a cracking day’s racing and for punters, make sure to check out all of the best Royal Ascot sign-up offers from all of the bookmakers and make sure that you hunt out the best place terms if you are betting in the big field handicaps, with many bookmakers going 6, 7, and 8places.
Day 2 – ROYAL HUNT CUP DAY – Wednesday 15th JUNE 2022
The highlights on Day 2 at Royal Ascot are undoubtedly the Prince of Wales’s Stakes which is a Group 1 with a prize fund of £1,000,000, and one of the biggest betting races of the season, The Royal Hunt Cup with its big field of milers.
Royal Ascot is not just about horse racing, with fashion being a large part of the whole Ascot experience. Whether you are in the Royal Enclosure or one of the other enclosures, make sure to get your outfit sorted the week before at the latest.
The Royal Hunt Cup is one of the most exciting races of the meeting with 25 – 30 horses hurtling down the straight mile at Ascot.
2.30 pm The Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2)
Day 2 kicks off with the main sprint event for the two-year-old fillies, The Queen Mary Stakes.
The event is named after Queen Mary and the first running of the event took place in 1921, and for a period the Queen Mary Stakes was a Group 3 level event. It gained Group 2 status in 2004.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Quick Suzy | Gary Carroll | Gavin Cromwell |
2020 | Campanelle | Frankie Dettori | Wesley Ward |
2019 | Raffle Prize | Frankie Dettori | Mark Johnston |
2018 | Signora Cabello | Oisin Murphy | John Quinn |
2017 | Heartache | Adam Kirby | Clive Cox |
Trying to pick the winner of this race is always tricky as there is a mix of lightly raced and first-time out fillies which makes it very difficult from a betting perspective.
One trainer who you should keep a close eye on is Clive Cox who often does well with his two-year-old fillies, and the genius from the United States Wesley Ward, who always makes a point of targeting this particular race.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
The Queen Mary form is usually difficult to unravel as all of the horses taking part are very lightly raced with many not even having had three appearances on a racecourse.
We mentioned Wesley Ward above and you will often find that his horses have had one or two starts back in the US over 4 or 4 1/2 furlongs before being shipped across the Atlantic. They are very much bred for pure speed.
- Three of the last ten winners have been trained by Wesley Ward.
- Frankie Dettori is the winning most jockey in recent times, winning three of the last ten (two for Wesley Ward)
- Six of the last ten winners have been drawn in stall 16 or higher. This is usually the Grandstand side of the track.
- Six of the last ten runnings have been won by either the favourite or second favourite.
- Nine of the last ten winners had already won during the current season before winning the Queen Mary Stakes.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
Looking at the trends and how the draw plays a big part on the straight course, the pick is DRAMATISED which fits with three of our key trends. She was a very impressive winner on debut and is currently priced up as the second favourite.
FORM PICKS
Wesley Ward has the favourite here in LOVE REIGNS and she is drawn really well. Her opening quarter split of 22.04 seconds on debut was sensational and she cleared away to win by more than 10 lengths easily on turf. At around the 3/1 mark, she might be fair value, but we are trying to find some value against her.
Two horses from the home team that may run well are MARIA BRANWELL who won the Listed National Stakes last time out at Sandown. She is priced up at around 8/1 and will appreciate the stiffer test. She is drawn well and should get a good tow into the race being placed on the same side as the Ward horse.
At a bigger price, ONE MORE OLLY trained by Richard Hughes and with a significant jockey booking in Ryan Moore looks to hold strong claims. Drawn well and at around 25/1, looks a nice each-way price. The debut win came at Chelmsford so a different track and surface, but it was a decent race and they certainly seemed to expect a big run.
3.05 pm The Queen’s Vase (Group 2)
The Queens Vase is a Group 2 event for stayers. It was first run in 1838 when the distance of the race was two miles.
The original race was named after Queen Victoria who provided a gold vase as the trophy for the race. It is now one of three races at the Royal Ascot meeting to have a perpetual (lifetime) trophy. The other two races to have perpetual trophies at the meeting are the Royal Hunt Cup and The Gold Cup.
The Queens Vase was originally a listed class race, but in 2017 it was elevated to Group 2 status and is one of the most important staying races in the British racing calendar.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Kemari | William Buick | Charlie Appleby |
2020 | Santiago | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien |
2019 | Dashing Willoughby | Oisin Murphy | Andrew Balding |
2018 | Kew Gardens | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien |
2017 | Stradivarius | Andrea Atzeni | John Gosden |
Stradivarius won the race in 2017 and has since proven himself one of the top stayers of the last century winning multiple Gold Cups.
This race is one targeted by trainers who have had runners in The Derby who might not have had the speed to win that race but had shown strong stamina. The extra two furlongs of the Queen’s Vase suits this type of horse very well.
Let’s look at some stats from the last decade that may help in picking out a potential winner for the 2022 renewal.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Trying to pick the winner of any race at the Royal meeting is a tough task but this is one race where you use trainer stats to your advantage with one trainer dominating in the last ten years with a 50% strike rate.
- Five of the last ten winners have been trained by the master of Ballydoyle, Aiden O’Brien.
- Eight of the last ten winners have been either the favourite or second favourite.
- Nine of the last ten winners have been drawn in stall 9 or lower.
- Only one of the last ten runnings has been won by a horse bigger than 6/1 in the betting.
- Ryan Moore has ridden four of the last ten winners, including the Queen’s Estimate in 2012.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
The trends point to a shortish-priced runner here in HAFIT trained by Charlie Appleby and he is around the 7/2 mark in the early prices. Very unexposed over this trip and a quartet of near misses seem to suggest he has been looking for a stronger stamina test and being the highest rated in the race, he looks a solid enough bet.
FORM PICKS
From a form perspective, we have to take the ratings into account and the one who looks to be improving and may really appreciate the step up in distance is the Jamie Spencer ridden RULER LEGEND. He was a very impressive winner last time out beating a 90-rated rival of Aiden O’Brien’s by 5 1/2 lengths receiving 9lbs. That gives him a potential rating of 96. Could he improve 10lbs and bustle up HAFIT? At around the 10/1 mark, he looks great each-way value.
The other horse to take note of is ELDAR ELDAROV (7/1) who was a facile winner on debut as a two-year-old over a mile. Any two-year-old that can win over a mile has stamina in abundance. The horse he beat that day has since gone on to finish placed again and won last time out. The Varian horse followed up on his second start beating the William Haggas trained Post Impressionist who had won his previous race.
3.40 pm The Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1)
A Group 1 and the highlight of the day. The Prince of Wales’s Stakes is open to four-year-olds and upwards and is run on the round course at Ascot at a distance of just short of 1 1/4 miles.
We can expect to see last year’s classic crop turn up here and it will be interesting to see if previous Royal Ascot winner Lord North who won this in 2020 and has had a pre-season running in Dubai can beat the four-year-olds here.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Love | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien |
2020 | Lord North | James Doyle | John Gosden |
2019 | Crystal Ocean | Frankie Dettori | Michael Stoute |
2018 | Poet’s Word | James Doyle | Michael Stoute |
2017 | Highland Reel | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien |
This is bound to be a very competitive renewal with the likes of Lord North and Sharyar taking on Bay Bridge from the Sir Michael Stoute yard.nd Vin De Garde, both from Japan.
Favourites do not have a great record in the race, however, lots of recent winners have come from the top 3 in the betting market and with a small field of five and doubts about Bay Bridge on the going, we could see another favourite beaten in this race.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Trying to pick the winner of the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes is probably a lot easier than many other races over the week. As a Group 1, the cream does tend to rise to the top and the trends suggest that a runner near the top of the market will win this.
- Nine of the last ten winners have been in the first three in the betting.
- Trainer Sir Michael Stoute has won two of the last four runnings and targets this race specifically with his older horses.
- Six of the last ten winners have been aged five with the other four races being won by four-year-olds.
- Eight of the last ten winners had run within 32 days of taking part in the race, so look for a horse with a recent run under its belt.
- Only one horse in the last ten runnings has returned at a bigger price than 11/2.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
The clear pick, if we are looking at trends, is the Sir Michael Stoute trained BAY BRIDGE who has had a recent run and won The Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown very easily last time. He fits the trends on age, trainer form and the stat of having a recent run. He should be difficult to beat but there is one possible issue. The ground may be the quickest he has ever encountered so that is one thing to watch for.
FORM PICKS
A very disappointing turnout with only five runners, but there is some real quality in the line-up. BAY BRIDGE will be a very short-price favourite but is there one we can take him on with. With question marks about the ground, we like the chances of the Japanese raider SHAHRYAR who won The Dubai Sheema Classic in March, form that is as good as anything in the field.
2020 winner LORD NORTH should run another big race but may find the four-year-olds a little too strong this time and trends are against the six-year-old
4.20 pm The Duke of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2)
The Duke of Cambridge Stakes which is a Group 2 event is restricted to fillies and mares (girls) who are 4 years or older.
The race is run over a distance of 1 mile and attracts the previous year’s classic crop. Many horses who have run in the previous years 1000 Guineas in England, Ireland or France will be taking part here.
The French trainers like to target their best fillies for this race as proven by wins from Andre Fabre and Jean Claude Rouget in recent seasons.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
Winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Indie Angel | Frankie Dettori | John & Thady Gosden |
2020 | Nazeef | Jim Crowley | John Gosden |
2019 | Move Swiftly | Daniel Tudhope | William Haggas |
2018 | Aljazzi | William Buick | Marco Botti |
2017 | Qemah | Gregory Benoist | Jean-Claude Rouget |
This year is sure to see a very strong cast of runners with England, Ireland and France sure to be represented.
The race was previously titled the Windsor Forest Stakes but the title was changed in 2013 in honour of Prince William who became the Duke Of Cambridge.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
This race is a very high-quality event with the speedy fillies and mares running over the mile at Ascot. Four-year-olds have been dominant in recent seasons and it is this age group that you should look at when trying to unravel this betting conundrum.
- Nine of the last ten winners have been four-year-olds, with one five-year-old winning the other race.
- Trainer John Gosden has won three of the last ten runnings, including jointly training last year’s winner Indie Angel with his son Thady Gosden.
- Seven of the last ten winners had not won a race in the current season before securing victory here.
- Only three of the last ten favourites have been able to win the race, with second-favourites having a good record.
- Winners over the last ten years have been rated between 103 and 117.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
Only three of the last ten favourites have won the race so trends are against the top one SAFFRON BEACH. So looking at other trends, the one that looks to have a very solid chance and looks value at around 11/2 is NOVEMBA. The German raider was fourth in last year’s Coronation Stakes just behind another of today’s rivals Mother Earth.
She has clearly been laid out for this after just the one run this season and she could get an easy time on the front end.
FORM PICKS
The one that takes the eye here is KENELLA who finished just a neck behind MOTHER EARTH last year at Longchamp and had a very troubled passage. She may have won in another 50 yards, and at roughly eight times the price (25/1) of Aiden O’Brien’s runner. She looks extraordinary value here.
5.00 pm The Royal Hunt Cup (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (Open)
Race 5 on Day 2 is one of the big betting races of the week. The Royal Hunt Cup often throws up an unexposed Group calibre horse running in a handicap, and watching the market in the morning will often show horses gambled on that are relatively unexposed.
The race is run over one mile and usually has a maximum field of 33 runners, so, of course, a tough race to pick the winner from. A sound betting strategy is to watch the first race (The Queen Mary Stakes) very closely to see if there is any significant bias for horses drawn low or high.
In recent years middle to high draws have been preferable.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Real World | Marco Ghiani | Saeed bin Suroor |
2020 | Dark Vision | William Buick | Mark Johnston |
2019 | Afaak | Jim Crowley | Charles Hills |
2018 | Settle For Bay | Billy Lee | David Marnane |
2017 | Zhui Feng | Martin Dwyer | Amanda Perrett |
A race run at a helter-skelter pace and often looking for horses that stay further than a mile and already have proven course form is a good betting strategy to employ.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Trying to pick the winner of The Royal Hunt Cup is like trying to pick the winner of the lottery. For those of you reading this who might be going to Ascot for a fun day out, then the tried and trusted methods of the lucky pin stick, choosing a name you like or picking your favourite horse by the colour of the jockey’s silks is one way to go.
For you guys who are more expert horseplayers and bettors, then our ten-year stats below may help you narrow down to a shortlist you can choose from.
- Six of the last ten winners have been four-year-olds, that includes six from the last seven. A very strong statistic backing up the unexposed Group horse in a handicap theory.
- Seven of the last ten winners have been drawn stall 11 or higher.
- Eight of the last ten winners have returned at odds of 10/1 or greater. This includes four at odds of 20/1 or higher.
- Not a single favourite has won the race in the last ten years.
- Seven of the last ten winners ran from a rating of 100 or higher.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
A huge field but the trends point very strongly to the Roger Varian-trained GREATGADIAN. A winner of both starts so far this year in small field handicaps, he is progressing sharply and as the only four-year-old rated at 100 or above (101) he is the pick that fits our trends analysis. He matches the rating, age, draw and price trends and at around 16/1, that looks a very fair price.
FORM PICKS
A minefield for punters with 33 runners going to post and it really is like a lottery. However, we have picked out a shortlist of three that we think could outrun their huge odds, and with most bookies paying at least 6 places. It is a race to be playing each-way.
The Royal Hunt Cup needs a horse that stays a mile well and the in forn SINJAARI (20/1) fits the bill here. The horse is in decent form and with plenty of form over a mile and a quarter will not be lacking for stamina at the business end of the race. We are looking for horses rated 100 or higher and the Roger Charlton trained gelding is in here off a mark of 106.
Our second on the shortlist is SYMBOLISE (16/1) who has some very solid form here at Ascot finishing 2nd of 20 in The Balmoral Handicap back in October and was also second here three runs back as well. The run in The Balmoral was the horses only run over a mile but stayed on strongly and the return to that distance should see a solid effort here.
Our third and final selection for the shortlist, and our main fancy as a big price each-way horse is ARATUS. The horse is very unexposed after just seven career starts and has already reached a mark of 100 in that short period. Was a solid 9th of 27 here in The Victoria Cup on his last start (second run this year) and surprisingly has been dropped a pound in the ratings which is extremely fair. At 28/1 (40’s in places) he looks a very interesting bet.
5.35 pm The Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed)
A race named after the famous castle owned by the Royal Family and another race for the two-year-olds. This is a Listed race over 5 furlongs so a slightly lower level than some of the other two-year-old races run during the week.
Once again, the draw can be a very big advantage as you will see from our ten-year stats just below the table of recent winners
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Chipotle | Charles Bishop | Eve Johnson Houghton |
2020 | Tactical | James Doyle | Andrew Balding |
2019 | Southern Hills | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien |
2018 | Soldier’s Call | Daniel Tudhope | Archie Watson |
2017 | Sound and Silence | William Buick | Charlie Appleby |
A speed test for the two-year-olds and always a highly competitive race and this year we see 24 runners facing the starter.
The draw is very important and the stats show that you should be looking for a horse that has already run and won this season.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Trying to pick the winner of this two-year-old Listed event is always tricky, with favourites not having a particularly strong record. So let’s check out some of the trends from the past 10 years and see if we can spot some possible clues to help you pick the winner.
- Seven of the last ten winners have been drawn in stall 12 or higher.
- Trainer Aiden O’Brien and jockey Ryan Moore have teamed up to win twice in the last ten years (twice in the last 7 years)
- Eight of the last ten winners had already won a race this season before Royal Ascot.
- Only two of the last ten runnings have been won by a horse sent off as the favourite for the race.
- All of the last 10 winners had run within the previous 34 days before running in the Windsor Castle Stakes.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
A big field of two year olds with 24 due to go to post and the trends point strongly towards two runners here with slight preference for the former.
BOLT ACTION (around 10/1) trained by Roger Varian made his debut just over two weeks ago when landing a 6 runner Novice Stakes to beat the odds on New Definition who had finished runner-up on debut. The Varian runner did not go unsupported in the market and there should be plenty more to come.
The second horse that hits the trends button is the John and Thady Gosden trained FAR SHOT who is turned out very quickly after winning just 7 days ago at Yarmouth. He was sent off the 1/2 favourite and travelled nicely before quickening to win comfortably. Falls into the “could be anything” bracket but will need to produce much more to win here.
FORM PICKS
Our trends picks have pulled out two horses near the head of the betting but from a form perspective, there are two here that look interesting.
The first of those is GUITEAU who has had the one run (very unlucky) when finishing off very strongly after meeting trouble in running. That came at Windsor over 6 furlongs and although the drop to 5 furlongs is not ideal, the experience of that first run will stand him in good stead for this tougher assignment. He is definitely one who will appreciate the stiff five here at Ascot and at 33/1, looks very fairly priced up.
Another big priced runner we like is JUMBEAU ridden by Hayley Turner. Turner has done well at Royal Ascot in recent years and it is a track she rides very well. JUMBEAU won on debut at Brighton before being pitched in deep next time in a Listed contest at York. That run when finishing strongly augurs well for this stiffer stamina test and that piece of form is about as good as anything else in this field so far. This one looks way overpriced at 25/1.
6.10 pm The Kensington Palace Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) (0-105)
The concluding race on Day 2 is another top-class handicap. The Kensington Palace Stakes is a Class 2 event for horses rated 0-105 and is only the second running of the event after being introduced last year.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Not Available – only the second running of the race
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
FORM PICKS
The horse that stands out clearly here both on form and ratings is WHITE MOONLIGHT (6/1) trained by Saeed Bin Suroor. This five-year-old is very lightly raced and after winning on its’ first two starts was given a provisional rating of 94. Stepped up in trip to a mile and a quarter and only gave best to two very promising three year olds, including the J&T Gosden trained Queen Of The Skies. That one was receiving 23 lbs from the Godolphin horse and the drop back down to a mile is positive and the handicapper looks to have been very fair in giving the horse a mark of 92.
At bigger prices, the other we like against the field is DON’T TELL CLAIRE which has run well here at Ascot on three occasions, including when winning over course and distance back in September 2021. The horse has run well on other occasions too and is improving. The handicapper has dropped the horse a pound in the ratings and this mare should give a very good account at around the 28/1 mark.
Conclusion
We are really looking forward to the two highlights of the day and The Royal Hunt Cup is always an exciting race because of the large number of runners. Make sure to check out all of the best Royal Ascot sign-up offers from all of the bookies and make sure that you source the best place terms when betting in the big field handicaps like The Royal Hunt Cup.
Day 3 – GOLD CUP Day – LADIES DAY – Thursday 16th JUNE 2022
The Gold Cup is one of the most historic races run in the English flat racing calendar and has always been a favourite of Queen Elizabeth II.
Her Majesty’s Estimate was the winner in 2013 and it would be amazing if we were to see a Royal winner at the meeting this week, especially as it is Platinum Jubilee Year. She has a great chance of a winner in The Hampton Court Stakes.
2.30 pm The Norfolk Stakes (Group 2)
The Norfolk Stakes kicks off the action on Day 3 and this is an important race for many trainers as it forms part of the Breeders Cup “Win And You’re In” series where the winner gets an automatic spot for the Breeders Cup in the US in November.
The race was previously a Group 3 event but was upgraded in 2006. The race honours the 16th Duke of Norfolk who was for some time Her Majesty’s representative at the racecourse at Ascot.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Perfect Power | Paul Hanagan | Richard Fahey |
2020 | The Lir Jet | Oisin Murphy | Michael Bell |
2019 | A’Ali | Frankie Dettori | Simon Crisford |
2018 | Shang Shang Shang | Joel Rosario | Wesley Ward |
2017 | Sioux Nation | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien |
The Norfolk Stakes does not usually draw a very big field and that is the case today with 11 runners, this is due to the fact it is a Group 2 and there will not be too many horses that have yet reached that level of ability to run.
Favourites have an abysmal record in the race as you will see from our 10-year stats. This means there is always value to be found when placing bets on the Norfolk Stakes.
Also, keep an eye out for anything trainer Clive Cox enters. He often fires some of his very best two-year-olds at this race.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Trying to pick the winner of any race at this meeting is tough, but the stats may make it a bit easier as there are some very key trends to take notice of. Just the top two trends will help you narrow the field.
- Not a single favourite has been able to win The Norfolk Stakes in the last ten years.
- Seven of the last ten winners have been either the second or third favourite.
- Aiden O’Brien and Wesley Ward have won four of the last ten runnings between them.
- Eight of the last ten winners have returned at odds of 5/1 or bigger.
- Nine of the last ten winners had at least one flat win.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
We have eleven runners going to post but the trends are not showing a strong choice here. We have to discount the favourite due to the strong trend against them. This leaves us with a possible 3 runners to choose from and BRAVE NATION gets the call as he was a ready winner of what looked like a decent maiden at Doncaster. James Doyle takes the ride. The horse quickened right away to win by 6 lengths and the time was good.
FORM PICKS
A very tricky race to unravel with nearly all of these very lightly raced. Aiden O’Brien’s ANTARCTIC is the strong favourite to notch up a hat-trick, but at around 6/4 he is very short. The one that has solid form is CRISPY CAT which finished just behind Tuesday’s Coventry Stakes fourth Blackbeard and that is very solid form. Expect to see this one use his early pace and at around 14/1 he looks great each-way value with many bookmakers offering extended places.
3.05 pm The King George V Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) (0-105)
The King George V Stakes is a Class 2 Handicap for 3-year-olds run over a distance which is just short 1 mile and 4 furlongs.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
WINNING year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Surefire | Hector Crouch | Ralph Beckett |
2020 | Hukum | Jim Crowley | Owen Burrows |
2019 | South Pacific | Seamie Heffernan | Aidan O’Brien |
2018 | Baghdad | Andrea Atzeni | Mark Johnston |
2017 | Atty Persse | Kieran Shoemark | Roger Charlton |
This race is targeted at horses with a handicap rating of up to 105. It is one of just a few races that are run over this distance for the better class 3-year-old handicappers. It gives horses a chance to run their ideal distance.
You often see horses competing that cannot quite win over a mile and a quarter but have the stamina for a mile and a half.
Check out the trends below to give you some ideas of how you might be able to pick the winner.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Trying to pick the winner of any race at Royal Ascot can be difficult and the King George V Stakes is no exception. Because the race is limited to three-year-olds it means you will often have many unexposed horses that could be well ahead of their handicap marks.
Let’s check out some of the trends from the past ten years that might help you to pick out the winner.
- Eight of the last ten winners have carried less than 9 stones to victory.
- In the last ten years, there has not been a single winner rated higher than 95 which is a very key stat.
- Nine of the last ten winners had run at least twice before running in the King George V Stakes that year.
- Only one of the last ten runnings has been won by the favourite. That was 4/1 shot Elite Army back in 2014.
- Trainer Mark Johnston has won two of the last ten runnings of the race.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
The trends actually eliminate the top sixteen runners on the racecard and the pick is the improving BALHAMBAR who is trained by Sir Michael Stoute who is a master at bringing his horses along slowly and peaking for the big day. This horse has had three runs and broke his maiden last time by a head with five lengths back to the third. The form looks strong and at around 16/1, that looks a juicy price for a Stoute horse first time in a handicap.
FORM PICKS
The Frankie Detorri ridden FRANZ STRAUSS looks an ideal type for this step-up in trip and the form of his fourth at Sandown in April to Westover is very solid following that ones exceptional run in The Derby at Epsom. He has since finished third over an inadequate trip and this extra quarter of a mile should bring about more improvement.
The second of our picks here is one at a much bigger price and INVERNESS at around 25/1 looks to have sneaked under the radar here. Yes he was only 6th of 8 last time but that was in Listed company and this should be a little easier. He won on his second of three starts in impressive style at Goodwood and is another that looks sure to enjoy the extra distance here.
3.40 pm The Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2)
The Ribblesdale is a Group 2 in status but you will often see Group 1 performers running here. This race is for the classic generation of three-year-old fillies and is run over just short of a mile and a half.
You are likely to see horses here that have run in The Oaks just a couple of weeks earlier and most of the runners in this race are top-class fillies.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Loving Dream | Robert Havlin | John and Thady Gosden |
2020 | Frankly Darling | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden |
2019 | Star Catcher | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden |
2018 | Magic Wand | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien |
2017 | Coronet | Olivier Peslier | John Gosden |
This year sees a strong Irish contingent represented by leading trainer Aiden O’Brien and Jessica Harrington plus entries from the in form William Haggas yard.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
The Ribblesdale throws up some interesting stats for horses that are near the top of the betting market. Due to the class of horse competing, you are more likely to see something that is either favourite or second favourite going close.
Looking at the top trainers, two have dominated this race over the last decade, so let’s look at some of the trends from the past ten years that could help pinpoint the winner.
- Seven of the last ten winners have been trained either by John Gosden (4) or Aiden O’Brien (3) so anything from those yards has to be taken seriously.
- The last ten runnings have seen two favourites and four second favourites emerge victorious.
- Eight of the last ten winners were drawn in stall 6 or lower (low draws are an advantage on the round course)
- Eight of the last ten winners had already had at least two runs before tackling The Ribblesdale Stakes.
- Eight of the last ten winners were rated 94 or higher.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
Just the six runners for this Group 2 and the trends point to LIFE OF DREAMS from the Godolphin team. This one won her maiden in good style first time up but took a huge step forward when finishing second to Emily Upjohn at Sandown. We all know how unlucky the latter was in the Oaks and she looks sure to progress further stepping up in distance here.
FORM PICKS
Favourites and second favourites have a very good record in this so the dual winner SEA SILK ROAD has to be respected but the best form looks to be held by our trends pick LIFE OF DREAMS and she gets a confident vote. HISTORY from the Aiden O’Brien yard should also be in the mix stepping up in trip.
4.15 pm The Gold Cup (Group 1)
The highlight of the day and the pinnacle of the season for the stayers on the flat. Over recent seasons the race has been dominated by the John Gosden trained Stadivarius who won the race three times on the trot between 2018 and 2020.
It will be interesting to see if he can regain his crown this year after finishing fourth in the 2021 race. He once again won the Yorkshire Cup in May and will bring the house down if he can win again.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Subjectivist | Joe Fanning | Mark Johnston |
2020 | Stradivarius | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden |
2019 | Stradivarius | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden |
2018 | Stradivarius | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden |
2017 | Big Orange | James Doyle | Michael Bell |
The previously mentioned Stradivarius is now eight years old so it will be very interesting to see if he can repel the new brigade of stayers coming through the ranks. For sure, it would be the most popular win of the week in what is the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Ridden by Frankie Dettori, himself no stranger to breaking records, but this might be the greatest of all. Stradivarius will be aiming to emulate the great Yeats who won four Gold Cups.
There won’t be a dry eye in the house if he pulls it off.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Trying to pick the winner of the Gold Cup can be a bit easier than many other races at the Royal meeting due to the fact that once a stayer reaches this level, they usually dominate like Yeats and Stradivarius have done.
This really is a race for favourite backers and it is often very tough for bigger-priced runners to have a chance.
- Six of the last ten winners have been sent off as favourite for the race. Two of the other four winners were second favourites.
- Aiden O’Brien who trained the mighty Yeats to win four consecutive Gold Cups has also trained two winners in the last ten years and seven overall.
- Seven of the last ten runnings have been won by four-year-olds.
- Only one of the last ten runnings has been won by a horse bigger than 6/1 in the betting.
- Previous course winners have a very strong record in the race
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
Of course, the house will come down if STRADIVARIUS can win yet another Gold Cup and although most of us want to see him win, the trends are against the eight-year-old and it is two of the four-year-olds we focus on. KYPRIOS from the Aiden O’Brien yard has carried all before him winning the Vintage Crop before routing his field by 10 lengths in the Group 3 Levmoss Stakes. He now stretches out in distance as does MOJO STAR, and it is Richard Hannon’s horse that gets the vote. Runner up in both The Derby and The St Leger as a three-year-old. Another who stretches out in trip and if he stays then 14/1 is a huge price.
FORM PICKS
The trends are against TRUESHAN, but he is the clear form pick both on ratings and bare form. He beat Stradivarius twice last year and won a hat-trick of Europe’s top staying races to cement his position as the best in Europe. He has already come out and proven his well-being with an easy win in a Listed contest at Nottingham and if he takes his place (ground concerns) then he is the proven class in the race over the distance.
5.00 pm The Britannia Stakes (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (0-105)
One of the most competitive handicaps of the week is run over a mile and is limited to three-year-olds with a maximum rating of 105.
Sure to attract a big field and always one of the races that bookmakers offer extended place terms on. Keep an eye on bookmakers that offer six and seven places.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Perotto | Oisin Murphy | Marcus Tregoning |
2020 | Khaloosy | Jim Crowley | Roger Varian |
2019 | Biometric | Harry Bentley | Ralph Beckett |
2018 | Ostilio | Silvestre de Sousa | Simon Crisford |
2017 | Bless Him | Jamie Spencer | David Simcock |
Again, when we are talking about the combination of a handicap that is limited to 3-year-olds, then we want to be looking for a horse that has shown decent form yet may have only had a small number of career starts.
It is this type of combination that will allow us to find some of the more unexposed runners in the race.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Trying to pick the winner of any handicap at Royal Ascot can be tough, but these handicaps are a jigsaw puzzle that many punters like to take on. Finding a big price is always a challenge, so let’s look at some of the trends from the past ten years that could help you to pick out that big-priced winner.
- Only three of the last ten winners have returned at an SP of less than 10/1 so dismissing this group of horses is a good starting point to narrow the field.
- Jamie Spencer is always a jockey to look out for in these big handicaps, and he has won two of the last ten runnings of this race.
- Eight of the last ten winners had already won a race in the current season.
- Seven of the last ten winners had run at least three times in the current season.
- Eight of the last ten winners have been drawn in stall 11 or higher.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
It’s a huge field (30 runners) going to post for The Brittania Handicap and some interesting trends that knock out a lot of these. The trends leave us with a shortlist of four runners and they are the Godolphin pair TRANQUIL NIGHT and the unbeaten KING OF TIME as well as SPINAROUND from the Gosden team and BARLEY trained by Martyn Meade. Odds trends count out the two Godolphin runners so our two against the field are SPINAROUND at 20/1 and BARLEY at 20/1.
FORM PICKS
30 runners and the draw plays a significant role in this race with eight of the last ten winners being drawn in stall 11 or higher.
However, there is one horse drawn in stall 1 that jumps off the page a bit here and that is MALEX (20/1). This one won on debut but was then pitched up in grade and ran creditably when 4th of 7 in a Listed contest and was then thoroughly outclassed in the Irish 2000 Guineas behind the 122 rated Native Trail. Although finishing 8th of 9 runners, he was only beaten 12 lengths which would give him a rating in the low 90’s and he runs here off of a handicap mark of 98. Needs to improve but that is a distinct possibility dropped massively in grade here.
The other horse we like here is another Irish-trained runner and that is Joseph O’Brien’s AMORTENTIA (12/1) who clearly improved back to a mile last time and his astute young trainer has him in here off just a 7lb higher mark and this Carravagio gelding looks to be improving rapidly.
5.35 pm The Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3)
A Group 3 that has drawn a small but select group of 6 runners and we could see a Royal winner which would top off a great Platinum Jubilee year for The Queen.
This is always a very good betting race as the conditions of the race do not allow Group 1 or Group 2 winners to take part.
Group 3 winners can take part but they have to carry a 4lb penalty. Fillies also receive a 3lb allowance. These conditions always make this a really tight race.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Mohaafeth | Jim Crowley | William Haggas |
2020 | Russian Emperor | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien |
2019 | Sangarius | Frankie Dettori | Michael Stoute |
2018 | Hunting Horn | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien |
2017 | Benbatl | Oisin Murphy | Saeed bin Suroor |
This year will see a strong home contingent and of course, Aiden O’Brien is represented here by Howth.
The conditions of the race mean that favourites have a very good record in the event.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Like a number of races at the Royal Meeting, some races are set up in such a way that the conditions favour the horses that are shorter prices in the betting market, so let’s look at some of the trends and stats from the past 10 years that could help you to choose your fancy.
- Eight of the last ten winners have been sent off as favourite (4) or second favourite (4).
- Ryan Moore is the leading jockey over the last ten years with three wins.
- All ten recent winners had at least one run that season. First-time out horses have a very poor record.
- Only one horse rated lower than 100 has won the race in the last ten years.
- None of the last ten winners had a previous run or win at Ascot.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
Just the six runners here for The Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes and the trends point heavily toward the top of the market and a strong vote goes to the John and Thady Gosden trained REACH FOR THE MOON owned by Her Majesty The Queen. What a day it would be if we could see a Royal winner.
FORM PICKS
The favourite does look very difficult to beat and Lusail’s second in the St James Palace Stakes on Tuesday gives the Queen’s horse a form boost on their running in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster last year. However, the one we like to possibly cause an upset is KINGMAX who has been very highly tried and was only 8 lengths behind the Derby winner Desert Crown in the Dante at York. At around 20/1, that looks very good value.
6.10 pm The Buckingham Palace Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) (0-105)
The Buckingham Palace Stakes has a bit of a chequered history as between 2015 – 2019 it was replaced by the sprint which is the Commonwealth Cup.
As a 7 furlong handicap, the race was sorely missed and was reinstated in 2020 when the meeting expanded the number of races to seven per day.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Highfield Princess | Jason Hart | John Quinn |
2020 | Motakhayyel | Jim Crowley | Richard Hannon |
2014 | Louis The Pious | Silvestre de Sousa | David O’Meara |
2013 | Lightning Cloud | Neil Callan | Kevin Ryan |
2012 | Eton Forever | Neil Callan | Roger Varian |
This year we are sure to see a full-capacity field of up to 32 runners and punters should keep a close eye on the entries and watch for any horse that trainer Kevin Ryan enters. He has seen success on a couple of occasions since the race was introduced.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Trying to pick the winner of any handicap at Royal Ascot is difficult, especially this one, where in the last 7 runnings we have never seen a winner return at less than 12/1.
- The last seven winners have returned at double-figure odds with the shortest at 12/1 and the biggest at 33/1.
- Trainer Kevin Ryan is the winning most trainer with two wins.
- Six of the last ten winners carried less than 9 stone.
- Only one three-year-old has been successful in the last ten runnings of the race.
- Only one horse aged older than 6 has won the race in the last ten years.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
We finish Day 3 with a 32-runner handicap so let’s see what the trends are telling us here.
Our weight trend knocks out 25 of these runners and the one that looks interesting from the trends perspective is FASTNET CROWN. This one finished third in the Irish Cambridgeshire last season and then followed that up with an even better performance to finish 5th in the English version. He has dropped a pound in the handicap and we can expect to see him charging late from a decent middle draw.
FORM PICKS
A lot of these ran against each other here in The Victoria Cup last month and the ones to focus on include STAR OF ORION who was 8th of 27 in that race but gets a weight pull with some of his rivals, and that should allow him to run another big race. Still only a four-year-old so probably plenty of improvement to come. That was his first run of the season so sure to improve fitness wise and at around 25/1, that looks a decent each-way price.
The next one we’ll look at is a bigger price at around 33/1 and that is the Jamie Osbourne trained OUZO who has some solid back form. Was a good second of eight at Sandown first time up this season and is up 4lbs for that run. However, the horse is still 2lbs lower than when a very good 4th of 30 in last year’s Royal Hunt Cup and that is some of the best form in the race. Cheek pieces go on to eke out a little bit more.
Finally and our main pick has to be FASTNET CROWN who we highlighted as our trends pick. At 20/1 he looks outstanding each-way value.
Conclusion
It really is another great day of racing and it really revolves around Stradivarius who will be aiming to make history by winning the Gold Cup for the fourth time. And of course, we cannot mention Stradivarius without mentioning Frankie Dettori, who will surely be delighting the crowd with at least one of his famous flying dismounts during the week.
Day 4 – CORONATION STAKES Day – Friday 17th JUNE 2022
Day 4 is highlighted by two Group 1 events with the Coronation Stakes and The Commonwealth Cup taking centre stage.
The Coronation Stakes is a one-mile contest and this year boasts prize money of half a million pounds. The Commonwealth Cup, a sprint over 6 furlongs for three-year-olds also has a prize pot of £500,000.
The Commonwealth Cup has become one of the biggest sprints in the European calendar and always attracts a very high-quality field.
2.30 pm The Albany Stakes (Group 3)
Another race for the two-year-olds and this one has attracted a highly competitive field as usual.
In recent years we have seen fields average around 18 runners and that is the number of entries for today’s 2022 renewal.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Sandrine | David Probert | Andrew Balding |
2020 | Dandalla | Ben Curtis | Karl Burke |
2019 | Daahyeh | David Egan | Roger Varian |
2018 | Main Edition | James Doyle | Mark Johnston |
2017 | Different League | Antoine Hamelin | Matthieu Palussiere |
The Albany Stakes is restricted to two-year-old fillies carrying 9 stone and is run over the straight 6 furlongs at Ascot.
The race used to be a Listed event but from 2005 it was awarded Group 3 status. many trainers now use this race as a stepping stone for the following years 1000 Guineas, so expect to see some of the best two-year-olds and multiple winners taking part.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Trying to pick the winner of the Albany is a tough call with favourites not having a great record and some big-priced winners in recent seasons including at odds of 14/1, 16/1 (twice), and 20/1.
So let’s take a look at some of the stats from the past ten years that might help us to pick out the winner.
- Eight of the last ten winners were unbeaten that season when heading into the race.
- Nine of the last ten winners were drawn in stall 12 or higher.
- Eight of the last ten winners had already won over 6 furlongs.
- Only one winner in the last ten runnings has returned at odds shorter than 4/1 in the betting.
- Five of the last ten winners were in the top 3 in the betting.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
Eighteen runners go to post and our main trends eliminate fifteen of these straight away leaving us with a shortlist of CATHY COME HOME, FULLY WET, and QUEEN OLLY.
It is the latter two that have the best form and it is difficult to seperate them with FULLY WET getting the vote as that form looks a little bit stronger.
FORM PICKS
BEAUTIFUL EYES won her first two starts before finding it tough in a Class 1 last time when finishing fourth. There was no disgrace in that and she finished just behind JUMBEAU who ran very well in Wednesday’s Windsor Castle Stakes and she looks so to run a decent race. 25/1 looks a very attractive price.
The other one we like is IVORY MADONNA who has had just the one start when showing plenty of promise when third against another of today’s rivals FULLY WET. That run over 6 furlongs at Goodwood may have been too sharp and this stiffer track can see her turn the form around. At around the 33/1 mark, she is another value EW play.
3.05 pm The Commonwealth Cup (Group 1)
The big sprint over 6 furlongs for the top Group 1 level sprinters and always a fascinating race to see the top 5 furlong horses stepping up in distance and some of the top milers stepping down to a sprint trip. This mix always produces a very exciting race.
This will be only the eighth running of the race as it was added to the schedule in 2015
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | HORSE | JOCKEY | TRAINER |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Campanelle | Frankie Dettori | Wesley A. Ward |
2020 | Golden Horde | Adam Kirby | Clive Cox |
2019 | Advertise | Frankie Dettori | Martyn Meade |
2018 | Eqtidaar | Jim Crowley | Michael Stoute |
2017 | Caravaggio | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien |
We have mentioned various trainers throughout this page but two to take note of here are Clive Cox and Richard Fahey. Both are known to be master trainers.
This year we have a field of 20, andmore fillies taking part as they get a 3lb allowance from the boys. In the seven years, the race has been run, fillies have been successful on three occasions so it is always worth considering the girls against the boys here.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS (Race has only been run 7 times)
We already mentioned a few stats above but let’s look at some of the stats in a bit more depth and see if the trends from the past seven years can help you to pick out the winner.
- Six of the seven winners had won at least 2 races on the flat.
- Six of the seven winners had previously won at either Group 1, 2 or 3 level.
- The last four winners had not won that season prior to winning the race. Two of those had not run that season.
- The record time for the race was set by Advertise in 2019 when clocking 1 min 11.88 secs. No other winner has gone under 1 min 12 secs.
- Six of the seven winners have been rated at 113 or higher.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
20 runners go to post for this race that only has seven years of trends, however, a couple of these are so strong that we can immediately rule out 18 of the runners in this year’s race leaving just two. Those are PERFECT POWER and TWILIGHT JET.
The Fahey runner won well on his return at Newbury before a solid display in the 2000 Guineas when finishing seventh beaten six lengths behind The St James Place Stakes winner from Tuesday, COROEBUS. He has a clear win over TWILIGHT JET in last year’s Norfolk Stakes and dropping down in trip should not be an issue. Expect him to be on the scene late over this shorter trip.
FORM PICKS
This looks like a great opportunity for PERFECT POWER and it looks very difficult seeing him getting beat. His run in the 2000 Guineas was a top-class effort. For a horse that his trainer thinks he is a better sprinter, then this drop to 6 furlongs looks ideal. He certainly has plenty of speed and he’ll see out the stiff 6 furlongs strongly. At around 3/1, he looks a solid win bet here as he comes out top on the trends as well.
3.40 pm The Duke of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) (0-105)
Another great-looking handicap with a big field due to go to post. This year’s renewal will hold even more significance. In 1999 the race was renamed in honour of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh who of course passed away last year.
This will be a very sentimental occasion for the Royal Family and one we are sure racegoers will respect during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebration year.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | Rare Rhythm | William Buick | Charlie Appleby |
2018 | Dash of Spice | Silvestre de Sousa | David Elsworth |
2019 | Baghdad | Ryan Moore | Mark Johnston |
2020 | Scarlet Dragon | Hollie Doyle | Alan King |
2021 | Quickthorn | Oisin Murphy | Hughie Morrison |
Always a mightily competitive handicap for the 3-year-old and older horses over the stamina-sapping mile and a half on the round course.
This is a race that needs a horse that ideally stays much further as they go a strong gallop all the way and once they start the turn up towards the home straight, it is all uphill and requires a horse with speed and stamina.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Trying to pick the winner of the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes is a tough ask. The handicap is compressed, but as you can see from the trends below, it is interesting to look at handicap ratings as a way of narrowing down the field.
- Seven of the last ten winners have carried between 9 st and 9 st 4 lbs.
- Ryan Moore has won the race three times in the last ten years with two of those coming for trainer Sir Michael Stoute (watch out for this combination)
- Six of the last ten runnings have been won by the favourite.
- Seven of the last ten runnings have been won by four year olds.
- Eight of the last ten winners have been rated between 95 – 99 (a very strong statistic)
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
Another big field handicap with 19 runners set to go to post and we have an absolute stand-out that matches all of our 5 trends and the horse we are talking about is the Sir Michael Stoute trained and Ryan Moore ridden JUST FINE. The trainer/jockey combo have a great record in this, and the horse may be around the 4/1 mark.
Another great chance for Her Majesty The Queen to bag another Royal Ascot winner.
FORM PICKS
We have already picked out JUST FINE as a very likely winner of this, and no doubt that one will shorten in the run-up to the race. For punters looking at a value bet as an each-way outsider may want to look at the bottom one AJERO. Trained by Kim Bailey who is better known as a jumps trainer, this 140 rated hurdler has had three runs on the flat finishing second each time. All the horses that he has run against look to have huge potential and he could be let in lightly off a mark of 89 here and at around 25/1 looks value as he’ll appreciate stepping up to a mile and a half after three runs over a mile and a quarter or thereabouts.
4.20 pm The Coronation Stakes (Group 1)
It’s the highlight of the week for the 3-year-old fillies division with a classy field sure to be entered. The race is sure to involve horses that have taken part in the 1000 Guineas and The Oaks
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Quickthorn | Oisin Murphy | Hughie Morrison |
2020 | Scarlet Dragon | Hollie Doyle | Alan King |
2019 | Baghdad | Ryan Moore | Mark Johnston |
2018 | Dash of Spice | Silvestre de Sousa | David Elsworth |
2017 | Rare Rhythm | William Buick | Charlie Appleby |
We are sure to see a strong Irish contingent yet again. Irish-trained fillies have been dominant in the race over the last few years with Jessica Harrington training two of the last four winners of the race and she runs Discoveries
France always has a strong team here and have won the race three times in the last ten years with trainer Jean Claude Rouget winning back-to-back runnings in 2015 and 2016.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
The Coronation Stakes form is usually very reliable, so let’s look at some of the trends from the past ten years that could help you to pick out the winner.
- Eight of the last ten winners had at least two runs that season before winning The Coronation Stakes.
- Eight of the last ten winners were in the top 3 in the betting.
- Three of the last ten runnings have been won by the favourite.
- Eight of the last ten runnings have been won by a horse no bigger than 6/1 in the betting.
- Nine of the last ten winners had a rating of 108 or higher.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
It’s the major race of the week for the three-year-old fillies and here we see the return of INSPIRAL from the John and Thady Gosden team and this one is currently trading as favourite at around 7/4. However, favourites do not have a great record and the trends speak against this filly who is having her first run of the season.
The trends pick is CACHET who was only just touched off in the French 1000 Guineas last time after winning the English equivalent at Newmarket, there is a question mark on stamina but she ticks a lot of boxes and edges the trends pick.
FORM PICKS
This is a mighty tight race but you have to like the way MANGOUSTINE traveled into the race when beating CACHET narrowly in the French 1000 Guineas. The French have an excellent record in this race and at twice the price of her rival at around 8/1, she looks tremendous each-way value in what looks a very good renewal.
We also have the 2000 Guineas runner-up PROSPEROUS VOYAGE who has yet to be out of the first four in seven runs.
5.00 pm The Sandringham Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) (0-105)
Another belting good handicap for punters to get stuck into and a great race for the novice punter to pick out a name or one of the sets of silks they like.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Create Belief | Ben Coen | Johnny Murtagh |
2020 | Onassis | Hayley Turner | Charlie Fellowes |
2019 | Thanks Be | Hayley Turner | Charlie Fellowes |
2018 | Agrotera | Jamie Spencer | Ed Walker |
2017 | Con Te Partiro | Jamie Spencer | Wesley Ward |
Considering this is a big field handicap, favourites have quite a decent record over the last decade, however, the last few years have seen some very big double-figure priced winners.
The race usually draws a field of 25+ runners, so a tricky equation to solve and one that seasoned punters will love to analyse to try and find another big price winner.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Trying to pick the winner of any race at Royal Ascot can be difficult but The Sandringham Stakes is one of the most difficult and needs a good study of the form along with looking at past statistics to help you pick the winner.
- Six of the last ten winners have carried less than 9 stones with two recent winners carrying 8 st and 8st 1 lb.
- Three jockeys have dominated the race in recent years with six of the last seven runnings being won by Frankie Dettori (2) Jamie Spencer (2) and Hayley Turner (2).
- Four of the last ten runnings have been won by the favourite.
- Seven of the last ten winners have been rated 97 or lower.
- Eight of the last ten winners had at least two runs that season.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
29 runners for the big 3yo fillies handicap this week and the trends are very interesting here. Plenty match two key trends but only one horse matches four and that horse is FRESH HOPE.
Jockey Hayley Turner and trainer Charlie Fellowes have teamed up to great effect over the last couple of years and this one won on handicap debut and is only 4lbs higher here and looks sure to appreciate this stiff mile. Looks decent value at around 10/1
FORM PICKS
A cracking good fillies handicap with any number of improvers in the field. The first one we like is Andrew Balding’s WILDERNESS GIRL who will be making her seasonal reappearance here after last being seen in a Group 3 when finishing 7th of 9 but only beaten just over 4 lengths. Clearly well thought of and has been given time to develop from two to three years. The opening handicap mark looks fair and at 14/1, the bookmakers are taking no chances with this unexposed type.
The other one that looks very interesting is INVIGILATE who was beaten by another of today’s rivals WASHRAA but is now 2 lbs better off for a length beating. That was her seasonal debut and she looks sure to improve given this stiffer stamina test.
5.35 pm The King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2)
This Group 2 is a mile and a half contest and looks sure to attract a high-quality field. It is limited to 3-year-olds (colts and geldings) carrying 9 stones. Horses that have won a Group 1 or Group 2 race previously have to carry a 3lb penalty.
The history of the race has seen some very good horses win with recent winners including Japan and Pyledriver. as well as the great Nathaniel who won this in 2011.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Alenquer | Tom Marquand | William Haggas |
2020 | Pyledriver | Martin Dwyer | William Muir |
2019 | Japan | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien |
2018 | Old Persian | William Buick | Charlie Appleby |
2017 | Permian | William Buick | Mark Johnston |
The race always brings together some of the very best 3-year-olds and having formerly being known as the Ascot Derby, is sure to attract horses that will have run in the Epsom Derby a couple of weeks earlier.
Strangely, favourites do not have a good record in the race, as you will see from our ten-year trends below, and it is also interesting to note that the top-rated horses are also not prolific here considering it is a Group 2 event.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Not a race for favourites, although quite a few have finished placed. Looking at some of the trends leads us to think the winner may come from a horse rated below 110. So let’s check out some of the trends from the past 10 years and pinpoint where the winner may come from.
- Seven of the last ten winners had at least two runs that season before winning The King Edward VII Stakes.
- Five of the last ten runnings have been won by the second or third favorites.
- Only two of the last ten runnings have been won by the favourite.
- Only two of the last ten runnings have been won by a horse at double-figure odds. 12/1 in 2014 and 18/1 in 2020.
- Eight of the last ten winners have been rated at 108 or lower.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
A really disappointing turnout here with just six runners, and from our trends analysis, we can dismiss the likely favourite CHANGINGOFTHEGUARD trained by Aiden O’Brien.
The clear pick of the other five is the Godolphin inmate OTTOMAN FLEET who was behind stable mate NATURAL WORLD on debut at Newbury and then won second time up in a Listed event at Newmarket. He has the beating of another of today’s rivals LYSANDER with both having come up against LIONEL.
FORM PICKS
The trends go against CHANGINGOFTHEGUARD but the formbook says he should win comfortably unless OTTOMAN FLEET is something special. We cannot fault the Godolphin runner after just two runs, but the O’Brien horse has the form in the book and should be tough to beat here.
6.10 pm The Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) (0-105)
Today’s racing finishes off with the ultra-competitive Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes which is a Class 2 event over 5 furlongs.
This race was only introduced a couple of years ago and has seen one favourite and one 10/1 shot win.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Not available – Race has only had two editions run
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
FORM PICKS
We close Day 4 with a big field 5-furlong handicap and it certainly is a tough puzzle to solve with many having sound claims.
The first one we look at is NYMPHADORA who at first glance does not look anything special if looking at the racecard form figures. However, if we dig a little deeper and we’ll find a couple of nice pieces of form. The 7th of 12 in the Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes on the final run last year was very encouraging and seems to have improved with a good second on handicap debut at Chester in May. Trainer Andrew Balding utilises 5lb claimer Harry Davies and this one could be sneaking in on a decent enough mark here.
The second horse of interest is BOND CHAIRMAN who is another with ordinary form figures on the racecard but has some very decent back form. This one was 4th of 27 in The Windsor Castle Stakes at last year’s meeting and had the American runner RUTHIN behind in seventh conceding 5lbs.
BOND CHAIRMAN is coming back from an eight-month break so will need to be at his sharpest to be in the money. It just seems strange they come here for seasonal debut and at around 28/1, this one is a speculative play each-way.
Conclusion
Another tremendous day of racing and the Commonwealth Cup promises to be a real classic. We could also see a star of the future in Mangoustine in the Coronation Stakes who won the recent French 1000 Guineas.
Make sure to check out all the latest offers here at Ontheballbets with many bookmakers offering plenty of promotions for day four of the 2022 Royal Ascot meeting.
Day 5 – PLATINUM JUBILEE STAKES Day – Saturday 18th June 2022
The final day of the meeting is always one of the best of the week and this year is a very special occasion with a party for the Queens Platinum Jubilee and some of the most exciting racing of the week.
Today has something for every racing fan including the Group 1 Platinum Jubilee Stakes over 6 furlongs with a prize fund of £1,000,000 which is followed swiftly by one of the biggest handicaps of the season, The Wokingham Handicap.
And the racing is capped off by the Queen Alexandra Stakes which is the longest official professional flat race in the world at 2 miles and 6 furlongs.
2.30 pm The Chesham Stakes (Listed)
Always a good race to watch as the staying two-year-olds put their credentials on the line for the following seasons 2000 Guineas and Derby.
Run at 7 furlongs, this is a real test of stamina on Ascot’s stiff track and can be a good pointer to see if horses will have the stamina for the next season’s Derby over a mile and a half at Epsom.
It is a Listed event but still attracts some very good horses. As an example, last year’s race was won by Point Lonsdale who was one of Aiden O’Brien’s leading Epsom Derby fancies for 2022
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Point Lonsdale | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien |
2020 | Battleground | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien |
2019 | Pinatubo | James Doyle | Charlie Appleby |
2018 | Arthur Kitt | Richard Kingscote | Tom Dascombe |
2017 | September | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien |
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Trying to pick the winner of the Chesham is sometimes not so difficult with favourites having an excellent record in the race due to the fact it is a race heavily targeted by top trainer Aiden O’Brien.
The Chesham Stakes form is usually very reliable, so let’s look at some of the trends from the past ten years that could help you to pick out the winner.
- Nine of the last ten winners have been drawn in stall 8 or lower (a very significant trend)
- Trainer Aiden O’Brien has won four of the last ten runnings and 5 of the last eleven.
- Four of the last ten runnings have been won by the favourite and those have come in the last six years.
- The biggest-priced winner in the last ten years was Berkshire at 16/1. Only three winners have returned at double-figure odds in the last ten years.
- None of the last ten winners had previously run at Ascot.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
The trends point very clearly to the O’Brien runner ALFRED MUNNINGS. A race that the trainer targets with some of his better horses and a pointer towards a possible Derby contender for 2023.
FORM PICKS
It was only a five-runner race at Yarmouth but FAISAL ROAD showed great character to win on debut and the second and third (FINNS CHARM who reopposes here) both won next time to give that form a very solid look. That run came over 6 furlongs but he was always holding the other two and should progress even further.
3.05 pm The Jersey Stakes (Group 3)
Always an interesting race as we’ll see some of the horses that may have performed well or finished just outside the places in the 2000 Guineas.
The race is run over a furlong shorter trip than the Guineas, so 7 furlongs. It often sees a horse that is well fancied in the betting coming out on top, as you will see from the various trends over the last ten years.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Creative Force | James Doyle | Charlie Appleby |
2020 | Molatham | Jim Crowley | Roger Varian |
2019 | Space Traveller | Daniel Tudhope | Richard Fahey |
2018 | Expert Eye | James McDonald | Michael Stoute |
2017 | Le Brivido | Pierre-Charles Boudot | André Fabre |
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Trying to pick the winner of the Jersey Stakes can be relatively straightforward. If you are the kind of punter who likes to use statistics and trends to make your selections, then the last ten years throw up some pretty strong stats towards the horses at the top of the betting market.
- Eight of the last ten winners had at least two runs that season before competing in The Jersey Stakes.
- Trainer Richard Fahey has won two of the last ten runnings and he could well target Perfect Power for this race.
- Six of the last ten runnings have been won by a horse in the top three in the betting.
- Seven of the last ten runnings have been won by a horse drawn in stall 8 or lower. This is significant as this race often has between 17 – 22 runners.
- Previous course winners have a strong record in the race
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
Some strong trends in this race have pinpointed a couple of runners both owned by Shadwell Estate (The late Hamdan Al Maktoum) and they are MONAADAH and ALFLAILA, and it is the latter who gets the vote. This one only won a handicap last time, but that was from a career-high mark of 102. Had performed with credit last season in Group class and gets a narrow vote on the trends.
FORM PICKS
A very weak renewal here and the form standout is STAR GIRLS AALMAL for leading jumps trainer Henry De Bromhead. They must have thought a lot of the horse to enter her in a Listed contest on debut at Dundalk and she ran very well to finish 6th of 11, not beaten far. Two wins have followed plus her best career performance so far when 4th in the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas last time, and she looks the form pick here.
3.40 pm The Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2)
Always a very competitive race over the Derby distance of a mile and a half and is sure to attract a strong field.
The race is for the older horses of four years old and upwards, so we can expect to see horses from the previous year’s Derby and Oaks taking part.
Some of the older horses we have this year include Hurricane Lane and Broome.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Wonderful Tonight | William Buick | David Menusier |
2020 | Fanny Logan | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden |
2019 | Defoe | Andrea Atzeni | Roger Varian |
2018 | Crystal Ocean | Ryan Moore | Michael Stoute |
2017 | Idaho | Seamie Heffernan | Aidan O’Brien |
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Trying to pick the winner of any race at Royal Ascot is tough. However, The Hardwicke Stakes form is usually very reliable, so let’s look at some of the trends from the past ten years that could help you to pick out the winner.
- Nine of the last ten winners have been four-year-olds, with one five-year-old winning in 2019.
- Trainer Michael Stoute is one of the most patient trainers in the business, and his record in this race is impeccable. He has won five of the last ten runnings (six of the last twelve) so has a 50% strike rate.
- Eight of the last ten runnings have been won by a horse rated 114 or higher.
- Only two of the last ten runnings have been won by a horse bigger than 10/1 in the betting.
- Nine of the last ten winners had run in the preceding 49 days before taking part in The Hardwicke Stakes.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
A high-quality race and this all revolves around HURRICANE LANE. The trends point clearly to him and at 4/6 FAV he should be able to win this as he is clear on ratings.
FORM PICKS
HURRICANE LANE is of course the clear pick on form and should win, but if we want to try and look for some each-way value then LAFAYETTE trained by Noel Meade looks an interesting type at odds that should be around 16/1. Was an improver last season and started this campaign in Listed company when winning off a mark of 102. Took his form to a whole new level though on his next two starts winning a Group 3 and then a Group 2. Clearly in good heart and looks the value in this 8-runner field.
4.20 pm The Platinum Jubilee Stakes (Group 1)
It’s one of the highlights of the week with the Queens Platinum Jubilee being celebrated with the naming of the race.
Forgetting about the Racing for a moment as this is one of those times in life where you can say…..”I was there”
There is sure to be a rousing chorus of The National Anthem as the patriotic British Public celebrates their Queen, a woman who has borne the throne with such dignity and pride throughout her reign, and we’re sure she will be cheering on the runners just like everybody else will be.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Dream of Dreams | Ryan Moore | Michael Stoute |
2020 | Hello Youmzain | Kevin Stott | Kevin Ryan |
2019 | Blue Point | James Doyle | Charlie Appleby |
2018 | Merchant Navy | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien |
2017 | The Tin Man | Tom Queally | James Fanshawe |
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Trying to pick a winner of any race at Royal Ascot is usually an impossible puzzle, but this race tends to go to a horse close to the top of the betting market. It is not a great race for favourites, but as the stats show, you should be looking at the first three or four in the betting very closely.
- Only one three-year-old has been successful in the last ten years.
- Only one horse drawn lower than stall ten has won in the last ten years.
- Four of the last ten runnings have been won by the favourite. The favourite has finished in the first three on a further four occasions in that period.
- Only two of the last ten runnings have been won by a horse in double figures in the betting.
- Eight of the last ten winners have been rated at 117 or higher.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
We have 27 runners here and yet only two fit the trends. A CASE OF YOU and the Australian raider HOME AFFAIRS. The vote has to go to The Australian raider who beat his stablemate NATURE STRIP in February and we all saw what that one did on Tuesday on the opening day. Forecast betting says 5/2 which looks like a very fair price.
Eight of the last ten winners have been rated 117 or higher and these two along with CREATIVE FORCE (badly drawn) are the only ones that fulfill that criteria.
FORM PICKS
Six furlongs and 27 runners and you only need one mistake and your race could be over. However, the clear form pick is HOME AFFAIRS and this could go off a very short price favourite come Saturday. Currently 5/2, but let’s take a look a bit deeper and see if we can find a value each-way play.
On ratings, this one clearly has his work cut out but at 25/1, then GREAT AMBASSADOR looks overpriced for a horse that goes well fresh and was on a steep upward curve when last seen. Finished second in The Ayr Gold Cup on the wrong side of the track and is sure to have more to offer this season. This is a tough ask but still relatively unexposed.
5.00 pm The Wokingham Stakes (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (0-110)
One of the biggest betting races of the week and the whole flat season will see up to 30 runners hurtling down Ascot’s straight six furlongs at nearly 40mph.
The race is open to horses 3 years old and upwards that have a handicap rating from 0-110. This is a race where favourites have a very poor record and one where you’ll want to be searching for a horse at double-figure odds.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Rohaan | Shane Kelly | David Evans |
2020 | Hey Jonesy | Kevin Stott | Kevin Ryan |
2019 | Cape Byron | Andrea Atzeni | Roger Varian |
2018 | Bacchus | Jim Crowley | Brian Meehan |
2017 | Out Do | Daniel Tudhope | David O’Meara |
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
Trying to pick the winner of any race at Royal Ascot can be difficult but the Wokingham is like a garden maze for punters. Trying to find the right one is near impossible such is the openness of the race. So let’s see if the trends from the past ten years can point us in the direction of a big-priced winner.
- Six of the last ten winners have been five-year-olds.
- Only one of the last ten winners was drawn lower than stall 10. The last three winners have been drawn in stall 10.
- Seven of the last ten runnings have been won by a horse that had not won that season.
- Nine of the last ten winners had run at least eleven times on the flat.
- Previous course form and course winners have a strong record in the race
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
28 runners set to go to post and last year’s winner ROHAAN tops the weights here. Let’s see what the stats say.
Our trends narrow this down immediately to just four of the 28 runners and these are ROYAL COMMANDO, COMMANCHE FALLS, TIGER CRUSADE and FRESH. All four of these are more or less equal on the key trends but our pick is FRESH based on the horse’s record here at Ascot.
4th of 27 here recently, the gelding has also won a big field handicap over course and distance and gets a narrow vote to come out on top.
FORM PICKS
As always, a very difficult puzzle to solve and our shortlist revolves around three horses. JUMBY, PRINCE LANCELOT, and DUBAI STATION.
JUMBY probably has the stronger form and was highly progressive last year when winning his last two starts and has come back this year in decent form. His 6th of 19 last time out at Newmarket was a strong effort and he is now 6lbs better off with Blackrod. That weight difference will certainly help, but it is his tendency to start slowly which hinders him. If getting away to a decent break then he has a very live chance over the same track he won on in his debut.
PRINCE LANCELOT jumps off the page having won two races this season and the French raider looks to hold a solid chance. Interesting that he gets in here off a mark of 103, the same mark as his last two victories. His last win came in a Listed contest and this will be his very first handicap start. Surely well handicapped and plenty of form over just short of six furlongs.
DUBAI STATION racked up a quartet and runner up finishes at the back end of last season and came back this year after a break to finish 6th of 7 at Newbury. Ran well until lack of fitness told in the final furlong and showed the benefit of that run next time when winning at Chelmsford. Picks up a 5lb penalty for that win but had run very well off marks of 100 at the back end of last season and it is interesting to note he was third in the Norfolk Stakes back in 2019.
5.35 pm The Golden Gates Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) (0-105)
This is a relatively new addition to the race roster at Royal Ascot. The race has only been run a couple of times with Highland Chief winning in 2020 and Foxes Tales winning in 2021.
The race is open to three-year-olds only and is a handicap over a mile and a quarter.
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
As the race has only been run twice there are no real trends to go on. The first two winners have returned at 20/1 and 13/2 so that does show us it is a highly competitive handicap and maybe best to look outside of the favourite. However, both favourites have finished in the first four so that could be a good strategy for punters who like to play the Tote Placepot pools.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
FORM PICKS
The one that still looks ahead of the handicapper is the Mark Johnston trained KNIGHTWOOD who has won his last two and they have come when making the running and against two solid yardsticks. He goes here off a mark of 88 but his penultimate run could easily be rated at 91 and therefore he looks a very decent each-way option.
6.10 pm The Queen Alexandra Stakes (Conditions) (Class 2)
Royal Ascot concludes as usual with the longest race in the British flat racing calendar.
This usually sees a strong Irish contingent, and this year we have Ireland’s top flat and jumps trainers with runners in the race yet again. But the home team will also have a strong hand if Alan King runs Trueshan.
Below you can see the last five winners of the race.
winning year | horse | jockey | trainer |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Stratum | Ryan Moore | Willie Mullins |
2020 | Who Dares Wins | Tom Marquand | Alan King |
2019 | Cleonte | Silvestre de Sousa | Andrew Balding |
2018 | Pallasator | Jamie Spencer | Gordon Elliott |
2017 | Oriental Fox | Joe Fanning | Mark Johnston |
10 YEAR RACE TRENDS
With this race being over such an extreme distance, you need an absolute stayer. The trends over the last ten years have been dominated by the national hunt trainers we mentioned, so let’s look at these trends from the past ten years that could help you to pick out the trainer with the best chance of producing the winner.
- Six of the last ten winners have been trained by the top national hunt trainers with Willie Mullins saddling three of those, Gordon Elliot two, and Alan King one.
- Of the other four winners, two of those have come from the flat trainer Andrew Balding, so keep a close eye on anything entered from that stable.
- Only two winning favourites in the last ten years, but we have also seen three second favourites and one third favourite win during this period.
- Seven of the last ten winners have been rated 102 or higher, including the last five winners.
- Nine of the last ten winners were aged 6 years or older.
RACE ANALYSIS & SELECTIONS
TREND PICKS
This is currently a very difficult race to call as we have TRUESHAN entered who was pulled out of Thursday’s Gold Cup due to ground conditions. The race is a conditions event which means the weights are compressed. If Trueshan runs on anywhere near suitable ground then he should win at the weights.
We will go with the trends but will update late Friday once the final field has been confirmed.
Our vote from the trends perspective is CALLING THE WIND, and as a placed horse in The Cesarewitch, he clearly looks to have the required stamina for this after staying on at one pace at Newmarket last autumn.
FORM PICKS
If TRUESHAN runs then he would have to be a clear form pick. We will update this post late on Friday.
Conclusion
A tremendous mix of racing on the final day at Royal Ascot 2022 and some of the best equine talent in the world on show. If you are going racing then be sure to enjoy one of the greatest celebrations ever seen on a UK racecourse.
Make sure to check out all the latest offers here at Ontheballbets with many bookmakers offering plenty of promotions for the final day of Royal Ascot 2022
Royal Ascot Is One Of The Richest Horse Racing Meetings In The World
Although there are many big meetings at weekends and during the season within the flat racing calendar, it is this mid-June race meeting that is revered the world over. Champions from every part of the planet assemble to compete in some of the most exciting racing you’ll ever see. Royal Ascot with its royal patronage and long history means that every owner, trainer, jockey, and stable hand wants to be connected in some way to a “Royal Ascot Winner”
This year’s meeting will see thirty-five races with £8.65 million in total prize money. Winning at Royal Ascot isn’t just about the money (there are bigger prize pots at other meetings). However, nothing beats the prestige of having a winner at Royal Ascot, with group race winners adding significant value to their potential stallion and broodmare status when they retire from racing.
With 2021 being run behind closed doors due to the pandemic, crowds will be returning for what is sure to be a huge party atmosphere during 2022 which is the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebration year.
The arrival of Royal Ascot coincides with the ladies and gents dressing to impress and fashion is sure to be a big part of the event as it always is.
Trainers To Watch This Year When Using Your New Customer Offers
Aiden O’Brien and John & Thady Gosden are most likely to be fighting it out for the top trainer accolade along with Charlie Appleby and it is always worth noting any Mark Johnston runners in the big handicaps. Other trainers to keep an eye on this year include Willie Mullins in the staying races and a special note to watch out for Clive Cox’s two-year-olds.
Factors To Take Into Account When Betting At Royal Ascot
Ground conditions – During mid-June, there is often a tendency for underfoot conditions to be on the quicker side of good and it is vital to keep an eye on the weather forecast. Any significant rain can make a huge difference, especially in the sprint handicaps on the straight course.
Save your sign-up offers and free bets to use on horses that are proven on good or good/firm ground.
Ascot is known as a stiff course, in layman’s terms, it means horses that possess stamina are likely to be favoured. Always look for horses that have run well over a further distance.
As an example, if the race is to be run over 6 furlongs then look for horses that have shown form over 7 furlongs. They will be guaranteed to be finishing off their race all the way to the winning line. Of course, any previous form at the course is always a big plus.
There is so much competition among the bookmakers, even on the High Street, that it pays to watch the offers available. Money-back when the favourite wins is one to note especially with several odds-on favourites winning in recent seasons from the big O’Brien and Gosden stables.
Which Are The Best Types of Offers to Take Advantage Of For Royal Ascot Betting?
Below, you’ll find some of the types of offers that the sportsbooks and bookmakers will be making for Royal Ascot 2022
First Race of the Day Refund On Losing Horses
If you’re planning on betting on more than one day at the Royal Ascot meeting, then this offer is perfect as it’s really a risk-free wager that gives you a great shot of landing a winner if you fail to pick the winning horse. The free bet is usually given within 24 hours, but usually, after your initial bet has been settled. Your refund can be used on any sport, so don’t worry if the meeting is over by the time you get your refund from Saturday’s first race.
Royal Ascot 2022 Non-Runner No Bet
It makes sense to place any ante-post bets with a bookmaker that offers their customers the insurance of getting a refund for any horse that fails to start the race after it has been entered. Nobody wants to see a bet being lost due to not getting a run. The majority of the bigger bookmakers will be offering this for 2022, probably around two weeks before the meeting starts.
Price Match BETTING For ROYAL ASCOT
Odds on different horses can fluctuate widely so depending on how much you bet on horse racing, getting the best odds can make a big difference to your potential win returns. Leading bookmakers will match any better odds with their nearest business rivals to ensure you get paid out at the best possible odds.
So having a number of accounts with a number of bookmakers gives you the best opportunity to grab the best price on your selection. You can also take advantage of multiple offers.
With the Royal Ascot meeting being over five days, means you take advantage of a bonus offer every day if you choose five separate bookmakers.
Best Odds Guaranteed BETTING For ROYAL ASCOT
The majority of UK betting sites will offer best odds guaranteed (B.O.G) throughout the meeting, as they normally do for UK and Irish racing. It’s now a standard offer from most bookmakers, aside from the sign-up bonuses, and one smart punters should take advantage of. If your horse starts the race at better odds than you took at the time you placed your bet, the bookmaker will pay you any returns at the better odds. Perfect for Royal Ascot betting offers.
Betting AT ROYAL ASCOT 2022: Getting Free Bets
Aside from the bonuses and offers for Royal Ascot 2022 like the new customer free bets as a welcome offer, look out for free bets on each race where you place a pre-race wager and then get some free bonuses to use on the next race. Look out for promo codes, bonuses, and any bookmaker specials on their own blog.
Bet365, Betfred, Betfair and Paddy Power often do this and a lot of bookmakers now offer a free bet in th next race if you pick a winner at 4/1 or higher. This offer is always on offer for races shown on terrestrial TV channels like ITV
Extra Places
One of the best things to look out for to make your betting more profitable, especially if you like to bet each-way, are the bookmakers that give enhanced places. Why bet on the first 3 when some are offering 4 places. And for the big handicaps, you will see a number of the major bookmakers paying 6, 7 and sometimes even 8 places.
Final Tip
Make sure to check out all the reviews on Ontheballbets and make sure whatever you are betting on to gamble responsibly.
Other Major Race Meetings
As well as Royal Ascot, our expert Richard Smith covers all of the big race meetings from across the World and you can also read his thoughts on Cheltenham, The Grand National, and Glorious Goodwood with more coming later this year including the Prix De L’Arc de Triomphe, The Breeders Cup and The Melbourne Cup.