As the summer months quickly approach, the British flat racing season is reaching its ultimate peak. The prestigious Derby Festival at Epsom Downs kicks things off on the first weekend of June, with the Oaks and the Derby itself — two British Classics — headlining the two-day meeting, which will also celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Then, just 10 days later, fans of the flat will be treated to five days of top-class racing from Royal Ascot. This will be the first time since 2019 that the iconic meeting will be allowed to welcome back a full-capacity crowd, which has been reduced from 51,500 to 44,100 to enhance the spectator’s experience, and that will make it all the better.
With 35 races spread out over the course of the five days, eight of which are Group 1 contests, there will be plenty of opportunities for bettors to dip their toes in the waters of the live racing betting markets. So, with so much to look forward to, let’s take this opportunity to look back at the big winners from the 2021 renewal of Royal Ascot.
St James’s Palace Stakes – Poetic Flare
There are few better cards on the flat racing calendar than the opening day of Royal Ascot, which boasts three Group 1 outings — The Queen Anne Stakes, King’s Stand Stakes and St James’s Palace Stakes.
The former were won by Palace Pier and Oxted before Poetic Flare landed the day one feature for Jim Bolger. Fancied as the 7/2 favourite, the then three-year-old went clear in the one furlong out and kept on to win by over four lengths.
Prince Of Wales’s Stakes – Love
The only Group 1 contest on the second day of Ascot, Love won the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes for the fantastic trainer/jockey duo of Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore.
The short-price favourite for the one-mile, two-furlong outing, the 11/10 chance held off the challenge of 10/1 outsider Audarya to win by just three quarters of a length. It was a fourth victory in Prince Of Wales’s Stakes for the master of Ballydoyle.
Gold Cup – Subjectivist
The highlight race of the entire week, the Ascot Gold Cup takes centre stage on day three of the meeting — also known as Ladies’ Day. And Subjectivist stole the spotlight from history-seeking Stradivarius.
The John & Thady Gosden-trained fan favourite was out to land a record-equalling fourth victory in the Gold Cup but fared no better than fourth on a rain-soaked day in Berkshire. Instead, Subjectivist won by an impressive five lengths for Mark Johnston and jockey Joe Fanning.
Coronation Stakes – Alcohol Free
The only other card at Royal Ascot that features more than one Group 1 race, the Commonwealth Cup sets the tone nicely for the penultimate day’s highlight contest — the Coronation Stakes.
There was drama in the Commonwealth Cup, as Dragon Symbol narrowly beat Campanelle over the line by a head. But the result was overturned after a stewards’ enquiry found that the Roger Varian-trained horse had hampered Wesley Ward’s runner inside the final furlong.
The ironically named Alcohol Free won the feature race for champion jockey Oisin Murphy and trainer Andrew Balding — pushed along to lead inside the final furlong and keeping on well to beat Snow Lantern by a length and a half.
Diamond Jubilee Stakes – Dream Of Dreams
Renamed the Platinum Jubilee Stakes to mark the Queen’s 70th year on the throne ahead of this year’s meeting, it was a second feature race victory of the week for Moore as he guided Dream Of Dreams to a victory in what was formerly known as the Diamond Jubilee Stakes.
The 3/1 favourite for the final day’s highlight, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained sprinter denied Hollie Doyle and Glen Shiel (7/1) — taking the lead inside the final 110 yards to win by a length.
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