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Royal Ascot 2021 – Guide to the Group 1 races

Royal Ascot is back with the 2021 meeting set to get underway on Tuesday. One of the highlights of the flat season, the five-day meeting at Royal Ascot features several high-class races including eight Group 1 contests. To make sure you’re ready for all the Royal Ascot action, we’ve put together a quick guide for each Group 1 race.

 

2021 Royal Ascot Group 1 guide

 

Tuesday

 

Queen Anne Stakes

The Queen Anne is the traditional curtain-raiser on day one of Royal Ascot and it’s run over the straight mile by horses aged four-years-old and older.

Over the years it’s been won by some high-class horses including Goldikova, Canford Cliffs, and the legendary Frankel who took the 2012 renewal.

2020 saw Circus Maximus take the honours but this year all eyes will be on Palace Pier who is a short-priced favourite following impressive victories at Sandown and in the Lockinge last time out.

 

King’s Stand Stakes

The King’s Stand is all about one thing – speed. Run over the minimum trip of 5f, the race regularly attracts runners from overseas – horses from the US and Australia have featured in recent years.

Lady Aurelia landed the glory for Welsey Ward and the US in 2017, while Choisir was victorious in 2003 for Paul Perry and Australia.

UK-based horses have won the last three renewals though, and Battaash is the current favourite for the 2021 Royal Ascot version as he looks to defend his 2020 crown.

 

St James’s Palace Stakes

The St James’s Palace Stakes is run over 7f and is restricted to three-year-old colts – it regularly features horses that ran in the 2000 Guineas.

It’s another race that has been won by some equine greats including Dawn Approach, Kingman, and Frankel.

Palace Pier took the race in 2020 and this year’s renewal looks a competitive affair with Poetic Flare and Highland Avenue heading the ante-post market.

 

Wednesday

 

Prince of Wales’s Stakes

Run over a mile and a quarter, the Prince of Wales’s Stakes is the most important middle-distance contest of the Royal meeting for older horses.

The race allows the older horses to compete amongst themselves at Group 1 level before races later in the summer in which three-year-old horses are also eligible.

The John Gosden trained Lorn North won the race last year at Royal Ascot and he’s a short-priced favourite to do the business once more in 2021 following his success in the Dubai Turf at Meydan at the end of March.

 

Thursday

 

Gold Cup

The Ascot Gold Cup is the feature race on day three and is run over the marathon trip of two miles and three furlongs.

This year sees Frankie Dettori and Stradivarius aiming to make history as they hunt down a fourth straight success in the race, looking to equal the record of Yeats who won the race from 2006-2009.

Following a disappointing Autumn, Stradivarius looked back to his best winning the Sagaro Stakes in April and he’s sure to be a popular choice come Thursday as he looks for yet another Royal Ascot victory in 2021.

 

Friday

 

Commonwealth Cup

The Commonwealth Cup has only been in existence since 2015 and is a sprint race over 6f for three-year-old horses. It allows younger horses to race against their own age group rather than taking on their elders in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes which is run over the same course and distance.

The six previous runnings of this race has seen six different trainers take victory – it was the Clive Cox trained Golden Horde who won in 2020. The current favourite for the 2021 renewal is the US-based Campanelle who won last year’s Queen Anne Stakes for trainer Wesley Ward and is fancied to do well at Royal Ascot.

 

Coronation Stakes

The Coronation Stakes is exclusively for three-year-old fillies and is run over 7f – it usually features horses that have run in the 1,000 Guineas, the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, and the Irish 1,000 Guineas.

The most recent filly to follow up a win in one of those races with victory in the Coronation Stakes was Irish 1000 Guineas winner Alpha Centauri, who won the race in 2018.

The current favourite for this year’s race is Mother Earth, who won last month’s 1000 Guineas at Newmarket for trainer Aidan O’Brien.

 

Saturday

 

Diamond Jubilee Stakes

The Diamond Jubilee Stakes is one of the biggest sprint races in the world and it regularly attracts competitors from around the globe, particularly Australia. Black Caviar won the race for Australia in 2012, one of her 25 victories in an impressive undefeated race career.

2020 saw Hello Youmzain take the glory but he’s now been retired and the current favourite for success in 2021 is the Ed Walker trained Starman who has won four of his five career races so far and will be hoping to add to that record at Royal Ascot.

 


 

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