Ascot Stakes Betting Guide
Ascot Stakes (2m 4f H’cap)
The fifth race on the opening day of Royal Ascot is a class 2 handicap over the marathon trip of 2m 4f, after seeing the two year old sprinters in the Coventry Stakes half an hour earlier this couldn’t be any different. The race is for 4 year olds and upwards, and although Junior won the 2010 race as a seven year old the race has been dominated by the more progressive type which are usually the 4 and 5 year olds.
This race is interesting not only because it’s one of the longest flat races on the calendar but it’s the one race where National Hunt trainers can bring their best horses and take part in the festival. Legend Martin Pipe has won the race four times and his son David followed suit in 2010. The Irish trainer Tony Martin has won it twice as well as Paul Webber and Suzy Smith in recent years, with Nicky Henderson keeping the National Hunt flag flying when saddling Veiled last year.
The fields are usually at their maximum limit of 20 runners so the pace is quick despite the distance and horses need to stay every yard and more and the jumpers are suited to these conditions, they can also be still improving and and not reached their potential as far as handicap marks are concerned.
Not surprisingly favourites have a terrible record in the race, The Pipe’s Riyadh was the last one to win and that was a 7/1 chance back in 2002, we have had winners at 20/1 twice, 25/1 and 33/1 over the last six year’s so definitely a race bookmakers look forward to and for punters to find some value, especially with four places being paid out for each way backers.
The dominance of National Hunt trainers winning this race continued when the Willie Mullins trained Simenon took the 2012 renewal.
Ascot Stakes Previous Winners Since 2001
2012 Simenon 8/1 Mullins W P
2011 Veiled 11/2 Henderson, N J
2010 Junior 17/2 Pipe, D E
2009 Judgethemoment (USA) 13/2 Chapple-Hyam, Jane
2008 Missoula (IRE) 20/1 Smith, Miss Suzy
2007 Full House (IRE) 20/1 Webber, P R
2006 Baddam 33/1 Channon, M R
2005 Leg Spinner (IRE) 9/1 Martin, A J
2004 Double Obsession 25/1 Johnston, M
2003 Sindapour (IRE) 12/1 Pipe, M C
2002 Riyadh 7/1 Pipe, M C
2001 Cover Up (IRE) 12/1 Stoute, Sir Michael
Ascot Stakes Trends
12 of the last 16 winners have been 4 or 5 year olds.
9 of the last 12 winners have been trained by ‘Jump’ trainers.
Only one favourite has won in the last 20 years.
Only two horses with less than 9st have won in the last 17 years.
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