Royal Ascot Golden Jubilee Stakes betting and odds

The Golden Jubilee Stakes betting preview

A pulsating royal week at Ascot concludes on Saturday with the Golden Jubilee Stakes, writes Mikey Mumford. The fifth leg of the QIPCO British Champions’ Series features a number of overseas contenders as they all slug it out over 6f for a share of the £450,000 purse. Ballydoyle won this race twelve months ago with the impressive Starspangledbanner but they are without a runner this year. Delegator is currently market leader and Derby winning jockey Mickael Barzalona takes the ride in Frankie Dettori’s absence; while Aussie sprinter Star Witness lines up for the second time in five days after his second in the King’s Stand Stakes.

German raider Amico Fritz (33/1) has bits and pieces of form in his native homeland; winning over 6f at Cologne on his reappearance this year and at Baden-Baden in August on soft ground. He finished fifth in this race last year after showing some impressive form as a three-year-old. Defeats at Longchamp and Woodbine towards the end of 2010 he had no real excuses for, and he will need to find a little more if he is to trouble here.

Never really got into a hot handicap at Doncaster on his first run this campaign but Bated Breath (6/1) has won a shade cosily on his next two starts at Haydock and Windsor respectively. Roger Charlton’s runner was an excellent three-year-old and seems to be rediscovering this form of late; had Monsieur Chevalier well behind latest and Richard Hughes should have him handy in the final furlong.

Andrew Balding bought Dalghar (12/1) out of Alain De Royer Dupre’s French yard at the end of last year after three creditable runs in Britain. The five-year-old colt was fifth in the Queen Anne Stakes twelve months ago (never nearer Goldikova and Paco Boy) and was a close third in the Betfair Cup at Goodwood. He signed off last year with another second placed finish at Ascot but it will be interesting to see if his new trainer has had time to work with the horse after his recent sixth at York behind both winner Delegator and Hitchens.

Definightly (25/1) is one of three runners for trainer Roger Charlton but needs to find form similar to his two Goodwood wins in 2010. Relatively exposed compared to some of these,  he has won over slightly further but three of his five wins have come on soft ground and he’s not guaranteed to get it unless the heaven’s open; supporting role most likely.

Second to Sea The Stars in the 2,000 Guineas in 2009 and beaten just a neck by Mastercraftsman in the St. James Palace in the same year, Delegator (7/2) now carries Godolphin blue after being bought out of Brian Meehan’s yard. He’s thrived under Saeed Bin Suroor and has won over a miles so can be delivered late and a repeat latest York win should put him bang there.

Genki (14/1) finished a disappointing seventh in the Duke Of York last time (behind Delegator, Hitchens and Dalghar) and has a lot to find on that bare form. Prior, he had run out a good winner over 6f at Newmarket but unsure which horse will turn up. Drawn in stall one, he’s been given a huge task and might be best to look elsewhere this time.

Some solid form on the on the all-weather last year but Hitchens (50/1) is best on ground described as good to firm. Heavily raced for a six-year-old, he kept on well at the Curragh latest to land an ordinary contest and will have to improve again to figure here. Was a non-runner in the Wokingham twelve months ago so connections will be hoping for better here.
A good win at Doncaster (had Hitchens well beaten) at the beginning of April was Jimmy Styles’ (50/1) first success since 2009. He failed to show any of this form next time at Newmarket, a race won by Genki and difficult to know what that form equates to with the second horse Iver Bridge Lad a decent seventh in the King’s Stands on Tuesday. Need to put his best foot forward to challenge; not sure he will do though.

His sixth in the King’s Stands on Tuesday failed to pull up any trees and Kingsgate Native (12/1) hasn’t got his head in front since winning the Temple Stakes last year. Sir Michael Stoute’s representative has it all to do here turned out quickly. Star Witness had his measure on the opening day of the meeting and he lines up once more; Kingsgate Native has a lot to do to reverse that form.

Another stiff task lies in wait for Monsieur Chevalier (33/1) who finished in mid-division in the King’s Stand on Tuesday. Richard Hannon’s four-year-old colt was always behind before keeping on at the same pace and he needs a repeat of his admirable two-year-old form after missing the whole of the 2010 campaign. Has had only two runs in 2011 and will come on for this.

Palace Moon (50/1) has ran okay behind the leaders in a number of races last year but was a distant fourth at York in May and doesn’t look on the upgrade for trainer William Knight. Never dangerous in the Dubai Duty Free Cup which went to Delegator, he has yet to prove himself in this company and looks a little out of his depth.

His latest third at Haydock behind Bated Breath was ordinary and Royal Rock (50/1) was in the Doncaster Handicap where Jimmy Styles scooped the prize. In his favour, he has won over course and distance here in 2009 but was comprehensively beaten at the same track a year later in that very same race. Has form on the all-weather and good to soft and would want a little bit of cut in the ground before backing him.

He ran a cracker at 50/1 in this race last year behind Starspangledbanner and James Fanshawe’s runner Society Rock (14/1) will be hoping to go one better this time. However, his form dipped after the race but his recent second to Bated Breath gave signs of a revival and on that basis he cannot be discounted at another big price. Acts on this surface and over the trip; each way claims.

Steven Arnold wasn’t too hard on Star Witness (4/1) in Tuesday’s King Stand’s Stakes with the Golden Jubilee presumably in mind. He finished a half-length behind winner Prohibit without Arnold getting overly serious. A repeat performance would see this Aussie raider in with a firm shout who finished  second to the world’s top rated flat horse Black Caviar last year; one for the shortlist.

On the back of his recent Leopardstown win which has been franked by the second horse Zoffany’s half-a-length defeat to Frankel on Tuesday, Bewitched (7/1) is in with a real chance. Johnny Murtagh takes the ride on the horse who won over course and distance last year on good to soft; beating a handful of the rivals he will face here. A consistent performer who should run his race once more; chance.

Elzaam’s (8/1) six-length win at Newbury last time out was impressive and Roger Varian seems to have his stable in fine fettle after taking the mantle from Michael Jarvis. A relatively unexposed sort, this three-year-old won well on debut but and has been placed on numerous occasions since. Will have to up his game once more in this company but is an improver something that can’t be said about some of these.

Poor by his own trainer’s admission in the 1,000 Guineas in May, Hooray (12/1) has stacks of ability. Sir Mark Prescott’s charge won the Lowther last year and followed up with a couple of nice wins at Kempton and Newmarket. He won the Surrey Stakes at Epsom two weeks ago and a repeat run would put him in the fray; has to be considered.

A fine showpiece event to conclude a fascinating weeks racing could well go to Hooray who ran well last time at Epsom. Likewise Bewitched should run another good race on the back of Zoffany’s close second to Frankel; form which stands up and Delegator looks a worthy favourite on recent evidence. But the vote goes to STAR WITNESS who ran a real sound second in the King’s Stand on Tuesday and with a little held in reserve for this race. [Mikey Mumford]

By Mikey Mumford

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