Kings Stand Stakes Betting Guide

Kings Stand Stakes (5f)

The second race on the first day of Royal Ascot is the Kings Stand Stakes over the minimum distance of 5 furlongs. It’s truly an International race nowadays with entries from as far away as Australia and the USA. The King Stand since it regained its Group 1 status back in 2008 is part of the worldwide Global Sprint Challenge, a series of sprint races held throughout the year in countries such as Japan, Singapore and Australia.

The race is always on the opening day as this enables horses to run again on the last day of the meeting and try to do the sprint double in the Golden Jubilee Stakes. Australian wonder horse Choisir won both races in 2003, Irish jockey Johnny Murtagh rode him for trainer Paul Perry and the feat hasn’t been threatened since.

In the last twenty years two horses have manage to win the race twice, Elbio in 1991 and 1993 and last year’s winner Equiano was also victorious in 2008. No horse has won back to back since before the war.

The home contingent was well represented in the 2012 race but not for the first time in recent years the race went to an overseas runner. Little Bridge, trained by Danny Shum in Hong Kong and ridden by Aussie Zac Purton, triumphed at 12/1.

Kings Stand Stakes Previous Winners Since 2001

2012 Little Bridge (NZ) 12/1 Shum C S

2011 Prohibit 7/1 Cowell, R M H

2010 Equiano (FR) 9/2 Hills, B W

2009 Scenic Blast (AUS) 11/4 Morton, D

2008 Equiano (FR) 22/1 Sanchez, M Delcher

2007 Miss Andretti (AUS) 3/1 Freedman, Lee

2006 Takeover Target (AUS) 7/1 Janiak, J

2005 Chineur (FR) 7/1 Delzangles, M

2004 The Tatling (IRE) 8/1 Bradley, J M

2003 Choisir (AUS) 25/1 Perry, Paul

2002 Dominica 16/1 Tregoning, M P