The 5-day Royal Ascot extravaganza, which starts on Tuesday, is the best meeting in Britain. This year, it should be blessed with good weather and provide a great lift to fans all round the world.
Here, we use the powerful computer performance ratings that power TRC Global Rankings to examine the Group races for 3-year-olds and up on the opening day.
For each race subject to this preview, the horse’s best three ratings are listed, together with its current Official Rating (OR) provided by the British Horseracing Authority. Their figures and ours are on the same scale, with the exceptions of female horses in open-sex events to which 3lb has been added (TRC Computer Race Ratings make no assumption about the effect of weight).
The most obvious winner is capitalised in the analysis of each race and a value bet suggested at longer odds
2.30 Queen Anne Stakes (G1) 1m)
Palace Pier (OR 125) 128-127-126
Regal Reality (OR 116) 120-116-112
Lope Y Fernandez (OR 117) 119-115-114
Lord Glitters (OR 115) 117-115-113
Order Of Australia (OR 120) 115-109-108
Accidental Agent (OR 106) 113-108-107
Pogo (OR 112) 111-108-102
Top Rank (OR 113) 111-106-103
Bless Him (OR 105) 110-103-99
Sir Busker (OR 110) 105-101
Analysis: PALACE PIER is long odds on and should provide the meeting with a signature performance to get things underway. He proved his mettle over a straight mile in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville last year, and while the ground will be a lot faster than it was there, it should not hold any fears for him. He can add to his win over the round mile here in the G1 St James’s Palace Stakes last year.
Previous winners Accidental Agent (2018) and Lord Glitters (2019) are not in his class. Last year’s shock G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Order Of Australia has to prove he can reproduce the form on his reappearance and his trainer Aidan O’Brien has a much better chance with Lope Y Fernandez. It is unlikely that Regal Reality will reproduce the form of his third in the G1 Coral-Eclipse of 2019.
It would not be a surprise to see the hulking grey Top Rank (value bet) run another career-best. He was impressive in a listed race at Doncaster on his reappearance.
3.40 King’s Stand Stakes (G1) 5f
Battaash (OR 123) 126-126-126
Oxted (OR 117) 118-114-113
Liberty Beach (OR 112) 115-115-115
Keep Busy (OR 111) 114-108-104
Que Amoro (OR 115) 114-90
Extravagant Kid (OR 114) 113-113-111
Ornate (OR 97) 112-112-107
Ubettabelievit (OR 110) 110-107-87
Acklam Express (OR 110) 109-105-99
Arecibo (OR 104) 109-96-96
Winter Power (OR 117) 106-86
Maven (OR 105) 105-95-81
Stone Of Destiny (OR 103) 104-103
Glamorous Anna (OR 95) 103-94
Analysis: BATTAASH is the second superstar of British racing to be put to the test at Royal Ascot 2021. Last year’s winner was less than convincing on his last public outing, when winning the G1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York last August by a length from Que Amoro. He disposed of another Charles Hills-trained horse in Equilateral last year by 2½ lengths, with Liberty Beach a short-head back in third. The last-named filly is stronger now as a 4-year-old and warmed up for this by scrambling home in the G2 Temple Stakes by a neck.
The only lingering doubt over Battaash is whether he truly relishes a stiff five furlongs like this. Jockey Jim Crowley rated his energy very well last year, but he was outstayed by Blue Point when second in the 2018 and 2019 versions. He cannot afford to be too fresh on his reappearance.
Oxted owns the second-best performance in the field, according to our ratings. He won the 2020 G1 July Cup at Newmarket but has been beaten on all four starts since and has never tried five furlongs.
Official ratings have a huge figure on impressive York listed winner Winter Power. We did not cover that race, but she had signed off her juvenile campaign by winning the G3 Cornwallis Stakes at Newmarket, which we rated 106. It’s a huge step up in class for her regardless, but there is no doubt she is a lot better than we are able to rate her from the Global Rankings data.
Extravagant Kid (value bet) rates much higher than Maven of the American challengers. Trainer Brendan Walsh shipped him to Meydan to win the G1 Al Quoz Sprint in March and will have him ready for this.
4.20 St James’s Palace Stakes (G1) 1m
Poetic Flare (OR 118) 120-116-116
Lucky Vega (OR 117) 119-117-112
Chindit (OR 113) 115-112-106
Thunder Moon (OR 116) 114-109-86
Highland Avenue (OR 110) 111
Wembley (OR 113) 114-107-89
Battleground (OR 111) 111-105-88
La Barrosa (OR 108) 110-109-97
Ontario (OR 107) 109-103-98
Maximal (OR 107) 103-97
Analysis: POETIC FLARE is a super tough colt and sets a high standard. A stiff mile seems to suit him well, and there are reasons for believing he is better than both his last two runs – as described by his pattern of ratings. The ground was bottomless when he lost to soft-ground specialist Mac Swiney in theIrish 2000 Guineas last time, while in the French 2000 Guineas he was unsuited by a slowly-run race. Prior to that, he earned a career-best effort at Newmarket in the 2000 Guineas and that is a fast mile. He should bounce off the fast ground here.
We cannot rate the John Gosden-trained Mostahdaf. His trainer bemoaned a lack of top-class stock in the run-up to the meeting, so it would be ironic – though not entirely surprising – if he and son Thady were to land a top prize with a 3-year-old here.
Lucky Vega ran really well when third in the 2000 Guineas and has excellent 2-year-old form. It is easy to forgive his last-out fourth in the Curragh swamp.
Several of these are looking to bounce back from a flop in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, chief among them Battleground, who is sill unexposed, and the talented Chindit. Thunder Moon is another with smart juvenile figures but was woeful in the Newmarket Classic.
Highland Avenue is an interesting horse too. He was on the wrong side of the track when beaten last time and was previously a good winner of the listed Feilden Stakes at Newmarket, a race we included in TRC Global Rankings as it was worth G3 status.