Royal Ascot 2011
The Royal Ascot 2011 is coming up. The famous race meet will be held between Tuesday, June 14 and Saturday, June 18. As always, the meet will be held at the Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire England. The very first Royal Ascot meeting was held in 1711, shortly after the Ascot Racecourse was founded by Queen Anne. The meet is still attended by the Royal Family and is an important event in the country’s social calendar. It is the most popular racing meet in Europe, and over 300,000 people are expected to attend next week. The amount of prize money up for grabs tops ₤4,450,000.
From a betting perspective, the Royal Ascot offers both a lot of excitement and a lot of uncertainty. The upgraded racetrack is considered to be very fair with almost no bias. Some observers say that almost any horse can win on the Ascot track. This makes it hard to make an accurate analysis of the draw. Regardless, more than ₤300,000,000 of bets are expected to be placed on the meet. Most of these bets will be placed via the internet.
Thirty races will be held over the five days of the meet. Some of the more important races include the Queen Anne Stakes, the King’s Stand Stakes and the Gold Cup. The races are different lengths and each race has different competitors.
Ascot Day One
Queen Anne Stakes
The Queen Anne Stakes will be the first match of the 2011 meet. This Group One race is a mile long and is open to horses that are at least four years old. Canford Cliffs and Goldikova are the current favourites.
King’s Stand Stakes
Next up is the King’s Stand Stakes, a five furlong race which is open to horses three-years-old and older. This is also a Group One race. Right now Star Witness holds the favourite spot, with Lady of the Desert and Kingsgate Native fighting for second.
St. James’s Palace Stakes
This race is one of the highlights of the first day. Open only to three-year-old colts, the Group One race is a mile in length. Frankel, the colt who won this year’s 2000 Guineas race, is the dead-on favourite.
Coventry Stakes
The first Group Two race of the meet will be the Coventry Stakes, which will also be held on Day One. This is a juvenile race that often brings future stars to the attention of the public. The six furlong race is open to two-year-olds. Power is by far the current favourite, but Mezmaar, Crown Dependency and Gatepost are also in contention.
The Ascot Stakes
The betting is always extremely competitive for this handicap race. A race that is two and a half miles long is almost always an open competition, so picking a winner is tricky. In the last five years only one horse with less than 20-to-1 odds has won the race. The Ascot Stakes is open to horses aged four and up. Odds are not yet available for this race.
Other Races
The last race held on Day One is the Windsor Castle Stakes. Odds are still pending.
Ascot Day Two
Prince of Wales Stakes
One of the most important races of the event, this Group One race is a one mile and two furlongs long and is open to horses four or more years old. Currently, the betting favourite is So You Think, but this horse was also the favourite in last year’s Melbourne Cup and was soundly defeated.
Royal Hunt Cup
This mile-long Heritage Handicap, which is open to horses at least three years of age, will also be hard to handicap. Right now Star Right and Green Destiny are competing to be the favourite.
Queen Mary Stakes
The Queen Mary Stakes is a five furlong, Group Two race for fillies. This is another juvenile race that often highlights future stars. Shumoos, Miss Work of Art and Angels Will Fall are the current favourites.
Other Races
The Jersey Stakes, the Windsor Forest Stakes and the Sandringham Stakes are also held on Day Two. Odds will soon be available for these races.
Ascot Day Three
Ascot Gold Cup
This is the most important race of the entire meeting. The two and a half mile race is open to horses aged four and up. It is the most popular race of the meet. Rite of Passage is vying with Fame and Glory for the favourite spot.
Other Races
Day Three has many other races. The Norfolk Stakes, the Ribblesdale Stakes, the Britannia Stakes, the Hampton Court Stakes and the King George V stakes do not yet have odds available.
Ascot Day Four
Coronation Stakes
The Coronation Stakes is the only Group One race slated for Friday. It is a mile long race for three-year-old fillies. Unfortunately, betting odds are not yet available.
Other Races
The other races held on Day Four are the Albany Stakes, the King Edward VII Stakes, the Wolferton Rated Stakes, the Queen’s Vase Stakes and the Buckingham Palace Stakes, but unfortunately these races do not yet have odds available.
Royal Ascot Day Five
Golden Jubilee Stakes
Saturday’s best race will be the Golden Jubilee Stakes. This Group One race is always full of action for bettors. It is a six furlong spring for horses at least three years old. Delegator is by far the favourite.
Workingham Stakes
This Heritage Handicap will be another good race on Day Five. It is another six furlong sprint that is open to three-year-olds and up. The current favourite is Hoof, but Pastoral Player, Deacon Blue and Haweyethenoo are also well liked.
Other Races
Rounding out the final day of the meet will be the Chesham Stakes, the Hardwicke Stakes, the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes and the Queen of Alexandria Stakes. Odds are not yet available for any of these horse races.
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