Royal Ascot 2021: The early favourites for the King’s Stand Stakes

David Banks
Authored by David Banks
Posted: Wednesday, June 2, 2021 - 10:58

The countdown to Royal Ascot is on, and with less than a month to go until the prestigious five-day meeting, racegoers across the country will be scrambling for tickets as organisers plan to welcome 10,000 spectators back to the Berkshire-based course each day!

For those watching on from home and scouring the odds on sites like Smarkets, that will undoubtedly make for a much more enjoyable affair. Over the last 15 months or so, we have become accustomed to the eerie silence at sporting events, but recent pilots have reminded us how much of a difference spectators can make and there’s no doubt that the jockeys can’t wait for the urging roars as they race up the home straight.

Day one of Royal Ascot features three Group 1 races, headlined by the Queen Anne Stakes. However, in this article we’re going to zone in on the King’s Stand Stakes and evaluate the horses leading the way in the betting market. Read on to find out more…

Battaash – 11/4

Defending champion Battaash is the favourite for this year’s King’s Stand Stakes at 11/4. The Charles Hill-trained horse was the 5/6 market leader last year and duly delivered, beating Equilateral over the line by just over two lengths. He followed that up with a victory at Goodwood in July and another Group 1 victory in the Nunthorpe Stake at York in August. At seven years of age, he’s no spring chicken. However, he’s been saving his energy for this race and he should be there or thereabouts come the finish.

Glass Slippers – 4/1

Glass Slippers was somewhat of a mixed bag last season. However, she ended the campaign with an impressive victory stateside in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland, where she beat Wet Your Whistle over the line by just half a length. Along with a victory at the Curragh, that was the five-year-old’s second win in five outings, so it’ll be interesting to see how she fares at Royal Ascot. Will the Glass Slipper fit? Jockey Tom Eaves and trainer Kevin Ryan will certainly hope so!

Winter Power – 6/1

Tim Easterby-trained Winter Power will be heading to Royal Ascot with momentum on her side. The three-year-old was well raced across the course of last season, competing nine times in what was her debut campaign. She finished the year in fine fettle winning at Ayr and Newmarket and has carried that form into this year with a victory at York earlier this month. It’ll be a first outing for Winter Power at Group 1 level, so it’s certainly going to be a test.

Oxted – 13/2

Given that Oxted hasn’t won in four outings, it’s somewhat surprising to see the Roger Teal-trained horse at 13/2 — ahead of more in-form horses like Starman. The five-year-old won twice on the spin at Newmarket last summer. However, after undergoing wind surgery, he hasn’t won since. He ended the campaign with a fifth-placed finish at Ascot and started this season by finishing seventh at Riyadh. Ryan Moore has since taken the reins from Cieren Fallon, and has helped push Oxted further upfield — placing at Newmarket and York. However, there’s little reason to believe he can usurp the favourites at Ascot.