With under a week to go until the races start at the Royal Ascot, many punters will be scouring many different resources to find out who the favourites are, what the odds are, and what races may be the most exciting to follow. Whilst much of this is always a guessing game, even with an educated guess at that, but there are plenty of good tips to follow to ensure you’re looking at the right favourites – but are this year’s picks worth following, or are they a bust?
Stradivarius, Gold Cup – One of the big favourites for the whole race week is with three-time gold cup winner Stradivarius taking part in the Gold Cup race on the Thursday – having won the last three seasons in 2018, 2019, and 2020, he could be the second horse to take a fourth following previous winner Yeats who was able to manage the feat between the 2006 and 2009 racing seasons. Although previous results haven’t continued to same dominance following a ten-race winning streak, Stradivarius still goes into the week of Ascot as the Gold Cup favourite and is a safe favourite to follow. There will be close competition with Subjectivist though, with odds only coming slightly behind the favourite, so certainly a horse to keep your eye on if you are following the favourites too.
Lord North, Prince of Wales’s Stakes – A previous favourite having won the Prince of Wales’s Stakes in 2020, recent results have been a bit of a mixed bag since, and with a previous race at the Ascot seeing him come plum last after being third favourite beforehand could make this one of the Royal Ascot busts of the year. Although starting of 2021, and a lot of excitement going into race week as the favourite above others, results from the past year could certainly leave some fans disappointed if a similar result is to follow, although another win will certainly be a feather in the cap.
Battaash, King’s Stand Stakes – After being the runner up in both 2018 and 2019, Battaash finally saw a victory last year in 2020 and goes into this years Ascot as the favourite for the race – considered as one of the fastest horses on flat ground in the world there’s plenty of opportunity to defend his title. Whilst a great choice as a favourite for the races, his previous results do show there is a chance that he won’t be able to clinch the win, and a potential bust, although a very low potential at that. If you’re looking for a potential shoe-in for the whole race week, this could certainly be the option to go with.