Racing
Royal Ascot 2023: Five Favourite King’s Stand Winners
Battaash – 2020
My favourite winner of the King’s Stand, who is one of my favourite ever sprinters is the Batmobile, Battaash, who finally put his Royal Ascot hoodoo to bed in the 2020 renewal at the third time of asking, where he scored by over two lengths in the hands of regular rider Jim Crowley for trainer Charlie Hills.
He had previously chased home Blue Point in the two previous renewals but firmly put matters right three years ago and he went unbeaten in three starts that year. The way he travelled and quickened in good style to see off the field was electric at the Royal meeting, rewarding his supporters having been sent off a warm favourite.
Reflecting on his biggest success, with the exception of his two Nunthorpe wins, this was his career defining moment and it will go down in history as one of his best ever performances. He was one of the fastest horses I have seen over five furlongs and was a winner of 13 of his 23 starts, who won four King George Stakes as well.
Lady Aurelia – 2017
Who could forget Lady Aurelia’s performance in this race six years ago, where she took the race by storm under the guidance of John Velazquez. A year earlier she had won the Queen Mary at the Royal Meeting in breathtaking style and a year later, she was just as impressive in this very race.
The American-trained sprinter, who was trained by Wesley Ward, defeated the defending champion profitable by three lengths with Marsha, who won the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye in October, back in third. She didn’t make the best of starts but got herself into contention and quickened up nicely late on to land the honours.
Amazingly, she became the first American trained horse to win twice at Royal Ascot and both her wins could hardly have been any easier. Not only that, she also became the first 3-year-old to win the King’s Stand since Equiano in 2008 and did so against her male elders.
Blue Point – 2018 & 2019
Blue Point was a high-class horse for Charlie Appleby, who only finished out of the frame three times in a 20-race career. He won 11 times in total and his first Group 1 success came in this race in 2018, where he beat the front-running Battaash by one and three quarter lengths.
He then went from strength to strength the following year, winning all five starts, including the King’s Stand for a second consecutive year, in which he confirmed his superiority over Battaash, beating Charlie Hills’ great sprinter by an identical distance as he did a year earlier in the race.
It was a performance of the highest quality and it saw him add his name to the select roll of honour of dual winners of the race. He was a seriously talented horse who undeniably deserved more credit than he received for what he achieved in this contest. Both of his wins in this contest were exceptional.
Sole Power – 2013 & 2014
It would be foolish not to include Edward Lynam’s stable star Sole Power in the list, who became the first horse to win the race in back-to-back years, which came in 2013 and 2014, confirming himself as one of the best sprinters to have come out of Ireland.
Having caused a 100-1 shock victory in the Nunthorpe at York three years prior to winning his first King’s Stand, he adopted his usual hold-up tactics under the guidance of Johnny Murtagh in the first of those wins, as he came through strongly as he often does to grab success by a neck.
It was a much deserved win having knocked on the door in some of the other major sprint contests and a year later, he was given another masterclass ride, but this time by Richard Hughes, coming from last to first and winning with quite a bit in hand.
He is the only dual winner of the Nunthorpe and the King’s Stand, a rare feat for a sprinter and won 12 of his 65 races in a nine year career. He was brilliant to watch, as he liked to be held-up before showcasing his trademark turn of foot when asked to quicken and was a fabulous two-time winner of the race, too.
Takeover Target – 2006
Almost 17 years ago, one of Australia’s greatest sprinters, known as Takeover Target, contested the King’s Stand Stakes when the race was Group 2 category and successfully landed the spoils for trainer Joe Janiak and jockey Jay Ford.
A career that spanned across six seasons, he won eight Group 1 events in total, earning over $6,000,000 in prize money and won 21 of his 41 starts. He even won top sprinting races in each of the five major cities in Australia, a brilliant achievement.
However, his first visit to the Royal Meeting resulted in a winning one, and that came in the King’s Stand, which ultimately solidified his status as one of the best sprinting globetrotters of his era, in which he overcame 27 other rivals to take the spoils.
His longevity cannot be disputed as remarkably, he ran at the Royal Meeting in three consecutive years, where he attempted the King’s Stand and Jubilee Double and placed in all six renewals. That is an achievement in itself.
