We have more top-class action for the one mile performers on the opening day at Royal Ascot 2023 with the prestigious St James’s Palace Stakes. Often attracting the winner of not just the English 2000 Guineas, but also the Irish and French versions, this Group 1 affair has been with us since 1834 and is always a mouth-watering event. Another contest which features on the brilliant Frankel’s resume, the name of Brigadier Gerard also appears on the roll of honour. Read on for our betting tips and odds comparison for this cracking one mile contest for the three year olds.
This has gone the way of the 2000 Guineas winner in each of the past two years in the form of Gleneagles and Galileo Gold. It would take a brave man to bet against that trend continuing in 2023 as Aidan O’Brien’s Churchill looks set to make it eight wins in a row and sits at the top of our odds comparison list. Going in the same famous Michael Tabor colours as Gleneagles, and also headed here on the back of successes in both the English and Irish 2000 Guineas, he is the one they all have to beat.
The jolly may not be bombproof however, and if there is a horse to conquer him it may well be Godolphin’s Barney Roy. Hailing from the yard of Richard Hannon, there are those of the view that the 2000 Guineas runner up may get closer without the famed Newmarket dip to contend with here.
As we can see from the odds comparison below, the prices of both Churchill and Barney Roy aren’t exactly anything to get excited about. Those looking for a bigger return on their investment could do worse than consider the French raider Brametot. Jean-Claude Rouget’s colt may not be as fashionably bred as some, but he hasn’t let that stop him putting up a string of impressive displays at the track. A winner of five of his six starts to date, he won the French 2000 Guineas in tenacious style at Deauville and won’t go down without a fight.
Overall, it’s hard to see past Churchill, but with him trading at odds on, we also wouldn’t put you off an each way punt on the tough and classy Brametot at double figure betting odds. Whoever carries your cash though, be sure to consult our live odds comparison to ensure you obtain the best betting odds for your selection.
The St James’s Palace Stakes is one of the most exciting races at Royal Ascot. Often featuring the leading runners from the 2,000 Guineas from Newmarket (and the Irish and French equivalents), you are assured that this one mile trip will let you view the best three-year-old colts around. If you fancy a bet on this Group 1 contest, read on for our predictions and betting tips and be sure to make use of our live betting odds comparison table to get the best price for whichever runner you back.
Aidan O’Brien’s English and Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Gleneagles unsurprisingly heads the betting with Paddy Power offering the best betting odds of just 4/6. With six victories from his eight runs to date (it would have been seven had he not been disqualified at Longchamp in October), he is certainly the runner to beat and he looks to have everything required to prosper at Royal Ascot.
Given Gleneagles’ apparent superiority, you’d be forgiven for discounting the rest of the field as no-hopers, but we have the feeling that one or two of the runners might just have enough to challenge the favourite. For instance, Andre Fabre’s Territories – who is priced at best betting odds of 8/1 with Paddy Power – came second to Gleneagles at Newmarket in the 2,000 Guineas, staying on well. Okay, he was never a real threat to the winner, but if Gleneagles has an off day, Territories could be the one to pick up the pieces.
The positive consequence of an odds-on favourite, of course, is the prevalence of each way value further down the field. The runner that we predict will finish in the top three is Richard Hannon’s Ivawood, who was third in both the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket and who has, in fact, never finished outside the places in any of his seven runs to date. Priced at standout odds of 20/1 with Paddy Power, we fancy Ivawood has the determination and staying power to keep in touch with Gleneagles and bring home our St James’s Palace each way betting tip.