The first day of the 2024 Royal Ascot meeting takes place on Tuesday June 18. One of the top races that day will be the King Charles III Stakes. It’s a race that may well be done and dusted inside a minute but a thriller could well be on the way.
History will be made this year as this is the first time the race will be held under its new name. Previously it was called the King’s Stand Stakes but now it’s named after the new monarch to mark his 75th birthday.
Last year saw the King attend Royal Ascot for the first time since ascending to the throne. The hope is that King Charles will be well enough to attend Royal Ascot this year.
This race at Royal Ascot is run over five furlongs and is for horses aged at least three years. It was first run back in 1860 but wasn’t initially intended to be a sprint race. Even in the 19th century you couldn’t trust British weather during the summer. Heavy rain meant the 2-mile Royal Stand Plate couldn’t be held so this much shorter race replaced it and was initially named the Queen’s Stand Plate.
The Group 1 race is the fourth leg of the Global Sprint Challenge and has a distinctly international flavour to it. Last year it was won by the three-year-old Bradsell who was trained by Archie Watson. Hollie Doyle rode Bradsell to victory and that made her the first female jockey to ride a Group 1 winner at Royal Ascot.
Currently among British bookies the favourite to win this race is Big Evs at 4/1 odds. He’s another three-year-old contender and trained by Michael ‘Mick’ Appelby. Big Evs made his debut at Redcar in May 2023 but only finished second, running green in the final furlong.
He’s made up for that since with five wins in six races. Wins have included a win in a Listed Race at Ascot and a Group 3 success at Goodwood in the second and third races of his career. A hat-trick eluded Big Evs in the Group 1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes at York. Only two of the 16 runners were beaten and the stable couldn’t explain the poor run.
Big Evs bounced back to form with two more wins at York and Santa Anita. The latter saw the British runner win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and the £433,333 first prize. His first race as a three-year-old produced a Listed Race success at York on May 16. A bold attempt to win the King Charles III Stakes is expected on June 18.
There are several strong contenders out to beat the favourite. Henry Dwyer trains Asfoora who is 8/1 to win this race. The five-year-old Australian contender will be racing in the UK for the first time.
Five out of 14 races have been won by Asfoora, the last being a Group 2 contest at Caulfield last October. It’s not gone so well in 2024 though with three defeats in February and March. The most recent run was in a handicap, finishing three quarters of a length behind the winner who was receiving 2lbs.
Also priced at 8/1 is Chain of Lightning trained by Peter G Moody and Katherine Coleman. This is another Australian contender who has already had four races this year, winning two of them, one being a Group 1 Race at Randwick. Those were the first wins for this horse since 2022.
The Group1 success won a first prize of £922,459 and was not expected as Chain of Lightning went off at 20/1. The other win this year was as a 15/1 shot so could another win at a good price be seen at Royal Ascot?
Not since 2020 has there been a six-year-old winner of this race. Regional will be hoping to be another one and is trained by Edward Bethell. Last year ended with a win in the Group 1 Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock but that was over a furlong longer than the King Charles III Stakes. The 8/1 shot has won over five furlongs on three previous occasions.
There are plenty of runners who can be backed each-way and produce a decent profit even if not winning. Six-year-old Moss Tucker looks interesting at 12/1 and is trained by K J Condon.
Nine races have been won, most recently a comfortable success in Listed company at Naas. Last year produced two Group wins for Moss Tucker. The most impressive being the Group 1 Flying Fives Stakes at the Curragh.
As always, this is going to be a fascinating race on the opening day of Royal Ascot. Big Evs was impressive last time out and a win in the King Charles III Stakes is a possibility.
