Royal Ascot is the biggest and best flat racing festival of the year. Spread over five days, it sees many of the finest thoroughbreds in training face off against each other in a string of top class races across a variety of distances.
There is an incredible amount of opportunity for punters in the week ahead. To help in your battle with the bookies, we’ve picked out the best bets from every Group 1 race at Royal Ascot 2019.
Fans will turn out in their 10s of thousands to experience the pomp, pageantry and top class racing of Royal Ascot 2019.
Queen Anne Stakes – Day One
Le Brivido 4/1 (bet365)
Mustashry 11/2 (Totesport)
Barney Roy 11/2 (Coral)
Laurens 7/1 (Betfred)
Accidental Agent 12/1 (888Sport)
(Please note all odds are correct at time of article publishing)
The Queen Anne Stakes is arguably the strongest opening race of any horse racing meeting in the world. This Group 1 is run over 1 mile and always attracts an incredibly talented field. That is most certainly the case for this year’s renewal in which Le Brivido is the narrow favourite at 4/1 with bet365.
Blue Point got the better of Battaash in a typically frenetic renewal of the King’s Stand Stakes. The pair are back to renew hostilities in this Group 1 which is one of the most prestigious sprints in the world. The horses will cover the 5 furlongs in scarily fast time and the principles at the head of the market are set to provide another thriller.
Battaash is the worthy favourite and should be able to reverse his Ascot form with Blue Point but perhaps the best bet is an each way play on Mabs Cross at 9/1 with bet365. She’s run very well in two starts so far this season and should be good for at least a place if the winner is just too quick.
St James’s Palace Stakes – Day One
Phoenix Of Spain 7/4 (Ladbrokes)
Too Darn Hot 5/2 (Paddy Power)
King Of Comedy 11/2 (bet365)
Shaman 11/1 (888Sport)
Circus Maximus 12/1 (Coral)
Phoenix Of Spain went into the Irish 2000 Guineas with a great deal to prove, that much was clear by his starting price of 16/1. Whilst some shrewd punters had him on board, few thought he would prove himself to be the strongest colt in the race by quite the distance he did at the Curragh.
This could be the strongest field of all at Royal Ascot 2019. The top four in the betting for the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes are capable of winning many of the race over the course of the week and it’s a real treat that they are all facing off over 1 mile 2 furlongs in this Group 1.
It is easy to make a case for any of the strongest four horses but at the prices you’d have to think that Crystal Ocean is a great bet. He’s another horse Sir Michael Stoute trained horse who came on leaps and bounds as a four-year-old and he’s achieved back to back wins as a five-year-old so is in very good form. This is a big challenge but one Crystal Ocean is up for at 4/1 with William Hill.
Ascot Gold Cup – Day Three
Stradivarius 6/4 (bet365)
Cross Counter 5/1 (Betfred)
Dee Ex Bee 6/1 (Ladbrokes)
Kew Gardens 7/1 (Coral)
Southern France 10/1 (Paddy Power)
Frankie Dettori and Stradivarius are much fancied to team up for more Royal Ascot success.
Aidan O’Brien has a couple of very interesting options in the Ascot Gold Cup. Both Southern France and Kew Gardens were eased into the longer trips during their three-year-old campaigns but they have each proven themselves as a classy stayers full of heart.
Whether they have what it takes to serve it up to Stradivarius is another matter. John Gosden’s five-year-old was the dominant stayer of last year, picking up the Stayers’ Million with a clean sweep of the biggest long distance races. He’s started well in that regard this season with a hard fought win in the Yorkshire Cup and should successfully defend the Ascot Gold Cup at 6/4 with bet365.
Commonwealth Cup – Day Four
Ten Sovereigns 13/8 (Unibet)
Hello Youmzain 5/1 (Coral)
Jash 13/2 (Coral)
Khaadem 7/1 (888Sport)
So Perfect 10/1 (William Hill)
After failing to live up to the billing in the 2000 Guineas, Ten Sovereigns looks destined for a sprinting career. He certainly has bags of pace and potential but just needs to prove himself at the top level. That is exactly the opportunity afforded to him in the Commonwealth Cup.
This 6 furlong contest has been an excellent addition to Royal Ascot since its inaugural running in 2015 and could be the making of Ten Sovereigns. That is, were it not for the presence of a real danger in the shape of Khaadem. Charlie Hills’ lightly raced colt was very good on his sole performance this season and looks the sort with bags of improvement so is very tempting at 7/1 with 888Sport.
Coronation Stakes – Day Four
Hermosa 11/10 (William Hill)
Jubiloso 4/1 (bet365)
Castle Lady 7/1 (Paddy Power)
Pretty Pollyanna 8/1 (888Sport)
Just Wonderful 16/1 (Paddy Power)
The Coronation Stakes sets the stage for the best three-year-old fillies to show what they can do. The last two winners – Winter and Alpha Centauri – were certainly up there with the best fillies of their generation and Aiden O’Brien is hopeful that Hermosa will have the class to become a third straight winning favourite.
Big, unexpected improvements are always possible with three-year-old fillies but it is surely a stretch to envisage any of Hermosa’s challengers stopping her following up successes in the English and Irish 1000 Guineas with another big win at 11/10 with William Hill.
Diamond Jubilee Stakes – Day Five
Invincible Army 3/1 (William Hill)
Inns Of Court 5/1 (Paddy Power)
City Light 8/1 (Ladbrokes)
The Tin Man 12/1 (Totesport)
Bound For Nowhere 12/1 (Sportingbet)
The Diamond Jubilee Stakes is the final Group 1 of Royal Ascot but it is well worth waiting for. Invincible Army is a fairly strong favourite and for good reason but this is a race which has thrown up some big surprises in recent years and we’re expecting another favourite to get beaten.
You don’t have to look too far down the betting to find a horse with the required calibre to get the better of Invincible Army. Inns Of Court had a reputation for only finding his best on softer ground but he’s won two strong races on good ground this season and enjoying a bit of cut in the ground could be just what’s required at Royal Ascot 2019 given the heavy rainfall in the area over the last couple of weeks so back Andre Fabre’s five-year-old to win at 5/1 with Paddy Power.
Betting Recommendations
Barney Roy to win the Queen Anne Stakes at 11/2 with Coral
Mabs Cross each way at 9/1 with bet365
Phoenix Of Spain to win the St James’s Palace Stakes at 7/4 with Ladbrokes
Crystal Ocean to win the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at 4/1 with William Hill
Stradivarius to win the Ascot Gold Cup at 6/4 with bet365
Khaadem to win the Commonwealth Cup at 7/1 with 888Sport
Hermosa to win the Coronation Stakes at 11/10 with William Hill
Inns Of Court to win the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at 5/1 with Paddy Power
