Royal Ascot is here again with its top class racing, fashion and entertainment throughout the week.
The five-day fixture, summer's biggest occasion for fans of the sport, sees the best horses and jockeys chase the perfect results. On offer is £8,652,000 of prize money, up 18 per cent from the 2019 total.
Eight Group 1 races are staged, the highest level – and stars like unbeaten Baaeed will be on show.
The hot favourite is long odds on with the bookies to keep his record intact in the opener on Tuesday, the Queen Anne Stakes, which carries a first prize of £340,260.
Around 250,000 people will attend the racing extravaganza, expecting to find a winner or two.
And many will be hoping to catch a glimpse of the Queen, as she has the favourite a race on Thursday, Reach For The Moon.
Mirror Racing asked the bookmakers for the horses they fear winning throughout the week...
William Hill
Tony Kenny: “Plenty of horses have been well-backed ante-post ahead of Royal Ascot this year with Noble Style in the Coventry very popular since his easy win at the track in May.
“Ehraz has been well-supported in the Commonwealth Cup from an opening price of 50-1 to 10-1 currently, while the bets for Hurricane Lane in the Hardwicke suggest confidence is very high in the Godolphin runner. We’ve also seen a notable move for Perotto in the Wolferton in recent days with Marcus Tregoning’s four-year-old 6-1 from 20-1.
“In the opening Queen Anne, we laid Baaeed at 2-1 back in October and he’s been popular ever since. We’d certainly be behind if we were to get favourite backers off to a winning start on Tuesday.”
Coral
David Stevens: “The biggest week of the Flat season is almost here and as always it begins with a bang with a trio of Group Ones on Tuesday. The markets for both the Queen Anne and St James’s Palace Stakes are headed by red-hot favourites in Baaeed and Coroebus, and that pair, along with Golden Pal in the King’s Stand, are sure to feature in plenty of trebles on the opening day. There has however been some ante-post opposition to Coroebus, with current second favourite My Prospero backed at double figure odds.
"Looking further ahead, Bay Bridge has been all the rage for the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, Kyprios has been the best-backed for Thursday’s Gold Cup - no mean feat against that popular pair of stayers Stradivarius and Trueshan - while Statuette and Homeless Songs are two fillies punters will be rooting for in Friday’s Albany and Coronation Stakes respectively.”
Ladbrokes
Nicola McGeady: "The most popular selection has been Bay Bridge who is the 11-8 favourite in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes for Derby-winning trainer Sir Michael Stoute. He laid down the marker when winning the Coral Brigadier Gerard Stakes last month and has been the best backed horse for the royal meeting.
"Noble Style and Persian Force have been very well backed for the Coventry, at 11-4 and 4-1 respectively, while unsurprisingly Ireland’s highest rated three-year-old, Homeless Songs, has a lot of support behind her ahead of a potential clash with Inspiral.
"One of the biggest movers has been El Caballo in the Commonwealth Cup and his odds have tumbled right down to 6-1 from 20-1."
Paddy Power
Paul Binfield: “The best backed horse ante post for the royal extravaganza is Nature Strip in the King’s Stand Stakes. The Australian raider is now vying for favouritism with Golden Pal and was awfully impressive when last seen winning a Group 1 down under in April.
“Bay Bridge in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes is our second most popular and Sir Michael Stoute’s four-year-old is solid at the front of the market. He was a revelation last season winning all four starts and his five length demolition job in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes hinted that he may well be taking his place at the top table soon.
“Our top five before Tuesday’s much-awaited kick off is completed by William Haggas’ My Prospero in the St James’s Palace Stakes, exciting juvenile prospect Dramatised in the Queen Mary Stakes and Sea Silk Road, again for Mr Haggas, in the Ribblesdale Stakes which the Newmarket-based trainer won in 2006 courtesy of Mont Etoile.”
Betfair
Barry Orr: "The short price double of Baaeed and Coroebus is proving popular. Currently paying 9-10, so nearly even money.
"Twilight Calls has been the big springer in the Kings Stand. – 6-1 from 14-1 with Ryan Moore confirmed.
"Ehraz has attracted some money in the Commonwealth Cup and is now 8-1 from 10-1 but it’s a very competitive race.
"In the Chesham, Alfred Munnings, appears to be the Irish Nap for the Aidan O’Brien team and is a strong even money chance. We wouldn’t be surprised if he goes off big odds-on.
"Sticking with Aidan O’Brien and all the money is for Kyprios in the Ascot Gold Cup. With varying ground concerns for Stradivarius and Trueshan, he is now clear fav at 5-2, having been 7-2 at the start of the week."
Sporting Index
Neville Burdock: “Stradivarius will be the star attraction in Thursday’s Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, but Aidan O’Brien’s Kyprios is the horse catching the eye of our punters. He is currently among the best backed at the meeting and is now 11-4 favourite for the Gold Cup.
“In Friday’s Commonwealth Cup there has been money around for Go Bears Go, who just missed out in the Norfolk last season, while King’s Stand bound Twilight Calls is currently our best backed horse on day one.
“The handicaps are always lively betting heats and we’ve seen an interesting early move for Ken Condon’s Quarantine Dreams in Saturday’s Wokingham Stakes, with the Irish raider now 12-1 from 25s.”
