The Royal Ascot is one of the most beloved events in the horse racing calendar, and as such, it’s often exciting to try to predict which horses will be the most popular of the day. However, this isn’t necessarily an easy prediction to make, and as such, it’s worth knowing what the bookies currently think about the different horses in the lineup.
In line with this, today, we’re seeing which horses are the bookies’ current favourites, and what this means for the races; in particular, we’ll be looking at the St James Palace Stakes and the Ascot Gold Cup to see which horses are most likely to bring home a win.
Which Horses are the Bookies’ Favourites for the Royal Ascot?
There are currently several horses standing as clear favourites for the Royal Ascot, and for the Gold Cup and the St James Palace Stakes, the favourites are especially clear. Given this, it’s incredibly
The Gold Cup
The Gold Cup favourite at present is the hugely impressive young colt, Illionis, boasting odds of 11/8 (2.38) with Bet365, 6/4 (2.5) with Ladbrokes, and 5/4 (2.25) with Unibet. The Irish horse’s recent form sets him as a firm contender to be at the front of the race, having on his last two outings and placing in many more; in fact, Illinois has never placed less than third place, making him an incredibly impressive horse to follow for the Gold Cup.
This is significantly shorter than the next favourite to win, Candelari, which is currently sitting at 7/2 (4.5) with many major bookies, and Trawlerman in the third favourite spot at around 4/1 (5.0). Candelari in particular represents a potential opportunity; while he’s much less experienced, his recent form and numerous wins have certainly made him an appealing contender. Meanwhile, Trawlerman is a much more experienced racer, although we do have to question his inconsistent finishes last year.
Given this, while Illionois isn’t a guaranteed win by a long shot, he’s clearly the favourite to take home the title in the Gold Cup itself. However, Candelari and Trawlerman both potentially have it in them, based on form, to bring home a win.
The St James Palace Stakes
Meanwhile, for the St James Palace Stakes, which runs a little earlier on Tuesday, the odds are even clearer! Indeed, Field of Gold is currently the bookies’ favourite for this exciting race, with Bet365, Ladbrokes, and Unibet offering odds of ⅚ (1.83), 8/11 (1.73), and ⅘ (1.8), respectively. This indicates that the bookies are almost unanimous in their belief that Field of Gold will be up there at the front of the herd.
However, Ruling Court isn’t so far behind, currently sitting at odds of around 11/4 (3.75). So, while Field of Gold certainly is in a good position to win, he’ll probably have plenty of strong competition along the way. With that being said, having finished first in decent sized races over three of his last four outings, including on the 1st March and 3rd May, he undoubtedly stands in good stead to potentially lead the field.
Final Thoughts
When trying to decide which horses are likely to be the best candidates for a particular race, considering the bookies’ odds is one of the simplest ways. However, if you’re looking to place a bet, don’t consider just the bookmakers’ odds alone; make sure you’ve also considered other factors, such as the horse’s and jockey’s recent form, to help give you a clearer insight into the lay of the field.
In the end, though, it’ll all come down to chance on the day. So, don’t get too caught up on the odds!