Which jockeys perform the best at Ascot? Which stallions’ progeny tend to achieve the most there? Which trainers regularly bring out the best in their runners, and which owners have the most consistent records, at Britain’s premier racetrack? With Royal Ascot beginning its five-day run next Tuesday, we checked the TRC Global Rankings database to compare the stats of the leading players in all four categories.
The algorithm looks at the achievements of all individuals with runners in Group races at all Ascot flat meetings since 2011. The total Ascot points (in the second column from the right in each table below) is an assessment taking into account total wins, strike rate, level of competition, rankings of opponents raced against and sample size.
The Ascot factor - the final column on the right - is the difference between the Ascot points and the individual’s total points for all Group and Graded races in the current TRC Global Rankings.
JOCKEYS
** Pat Smullen is out of action at present, recovering from illness.
The fact that world #1 Ryan Moore has the best Ascot record is to be expected, but note that he is the only rider in the top ten with a negative Ascot factor. He achieves so much elsewhere, but often the competition in the best races is at its fiercest at the Berkshire track.
Tom Queally has the highest Ascot factor. His two G1 wins were both on Frankel (2011 St James’s Palace Stakes, 2012 Queen Anne Stakes).
OWNERS
The Fred Archer Racing syndicate, which has the best Ascot factor, owes that honour to the James Fanshawe-trained 6-year-old sprinter The Tin Man, winner of two G1s at the track, last year’s Diamond Jubilee Stakes and the 2016 British Champions Sprint.
Note again that the highest achievers worldwide, Coolmore Partners and Godolphin, occupy the top two positions in this table too, but they are the only ones in the table with negative Ascot factors.
TRAINERS
World #1 Aidan O’Brien very nearly matches his overall total with his Ascot total, which is some achievement, but no-one approaches the Ascot factor of +84 - the highest in any of these charts - achieved by U.S. conditioner Wesley Ward.
SIRES
Stallion-of-the-moment Scat Daddy, sire of Triple Crown winner Justify, has an outstanding record on turf too, particularly at the Royal meeting, where he was represented by G1 winners Lady Aurelia and Caravaggio last year. Only Galileo has more Ascot points, and, unlike the other table-toppers, remarkably the Coolmore great has a positive Ascot factor.
Godolphin’s Shamardal has the highest Ascot factor, though, with a fine record despite a lack of G1 winners.