As racegoers begin to filter their way back through the gates of racecourses up and down the country after the easing of the government’s coronavirus restrictions, excitement is starting to build ahead of a thrilling summer of flat racing.
After the eerie silence at courses over the last 14 months or so, never again will we take the roar from the crowd as horses race down the home straight for granted. With Royal Ascot on the horizon, and 10,000 spectators expected on each of the five days, the meeting promises to be a hit.
Of course, the horses and jockeys will be urged on by the crowds, which after such a long absence will feel like a full house rather than a mere 10,000. However, it could also lead to an unlikely winner. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at three outsiders to watch in day one’s Group 1 races.
Queen Anne Stakes – Love
The Queen Anne Stakes — day one’s feature race —gets the action underway on June 15th and the one-mile outing promises to be a fantastic start to the meeting. John Gosden-trained Palace Pier, who will have Ascot Royalty Frankie Dettori in the saddle, is the odds-on favourite at 4/7 in the Smarkets horse racing betting .But Love looks like an interesting selection at 9/1. The Aidan O’Brien-trained horse had a fantastic season last year, winning the 1000 Guineas by over four lengths before a clear nine-length victory in the Oaks at Epsom Downs. A five-length triumph over Alpinista in the Yorkshire Oaks rounded off her season and you’d have to fancy her chances at Ascot. The Prince Of Wales’s Stakes is another option for the horse’s connections, where she is more fancied at 3/1.
King’s Stands Stakes – Winter Power
At 6/1, Winter Power is currently behind defending champion Battaash and Glass Slippers in the betting for the Group 1 King’s Stands Stakes. However, the Tim Easterby-trained horse ended last season with an impressive victory in the Listed Harry Rosebery Stakes at Ayr, where he won by just half a length, before following that up with a Group 3 triumph in the Cornwallis Stakes at Newbury to end the campaign on a high. He’s started this season with a comfortable three-length victory over Atalis Bay in the Listed WestowStakes at York and if he can carry that form into Ascot, then there’s no reason why he can’t push the favourites all the way.
St. James’s Palace Stakes – Highland Avenue
Highland Avenue (8/1) is joint-fourth alongside Battleground in the betting for the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes. However, it’s been an impressive start to his career thus far. After being beaten over the line by a neck in his debut at Kempton in December, the three-year-old won three races on the spin. The Charlie Appleby-trained horse won back-to-back races at Kempton, including the ‘Road To The Kentucky Derby’ Conditions Stakes, before a winning run on his turf debut at Newmarket. He was narrowly beaten at Sandown recently, but we expect him to bounce back at Ascot.
