The best Australian chances in the 2016 Royal Ascot campaign
ROYAL Ascot is under a month away, so it’s time to look at the futures markets for races featuring Australian or former Australian thoroughbreds.
Royal Ascot is one of the biggest racing carnivals in the world and winning a race there is a career-changer. Black Caviar was our most recent success when it won the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes in 2012 and we’re out for more success in 2016.
Not all of the Australian horses we list are confirmed starters, but punters can still bet on them and Crownbet.com.au is offering most of the markets already.
The first day of Royal Ascot (June 15) features the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes where Australia could have a strong showing. Former Australian runners Not Listenin’tome ($13) and Vancouver ($15) look winning chances and they have both been well-supported in the betting.
Golden Slipper winner Vancouver is now with champion Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien and if it can replicate the form it showed at Rosehill as a two-year-old, it should give punters a good sight.
The John O’Shea-trained four-year-old Holler is set to make the trip for the King’s Stand and given its recent form in Australia, it should prove its worth in England. It has already won a group one in Australia, but our only worry is its size. Royal Ascot is a tough track and it’s undulating nature makes it tough for the smaller thoroughbreds.
One Australian runner which could cope with the ground is The Quarterback. It will sit off the pace and breeze past the horses that typically start struggling at the 400m mark. Winning the King’s Stand isn’t easy, but The Quarterback is a great chance at $21 with Crownbet.
Japonisme is also in the market at $15, but we would have loved to see a better run at Doomben in the BTC Cup.
The Diamond Jubilee is another option for many of the aforementioned runners with Holler, Not Listenin’tome, Vancouver, The Quarterback and Japonisme all nominated for the race in which Black Caviar won.
Trying to continue that success will also be the Chris Waller-trained Kermadec ($26). The one-time Cox Plate favourite is more suited over the longer distances, but it’s a tough horse and Waller knows genuine sprinters can struggle down the Ascot straight.
Kermadec looks like good value at $26 with Bet365.com.au.
With Chautauqua withdrawing from the Diamond Jubilee it has taken away Australia’s best chance at Royal Ascot success, but there’s still some great talent on display and even if we don’t taste success, the racing will be good to watch.
Royal Ascot might not have the best prize money in world racing and staying in Australia is the better financial decision, but the prestige of the carnival is what draws fans and punters to it.
Punting on Royal Ascot is a completely different experience to punting on Australian racing. You don’t have to sit through wall-to-wall coverage of races from 10 different meetings. Instead, punters get a big build up of the upcoming race, horse details, odds and we get to feel the atmosphere on track.
Seeing our Australian runners come into the parade ring will make us all proud, but they could also give us some more punting money for the rest of the carnival. Sign up with Crownbet which has the major Ascot markets and check in for its Royal Ascot specials in June.