By Rhys Jones
There is no better race in the racing calendar for the world’s best milers to come together than the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot tomorrow, as the flat season’s biggest and most anticipated festival is upon us.
Young superstars like trainer George Boughey and jockey Billy Loughnane look to capture their first Group 1 successes of the festival, and veteran figures like Ryan Moore and Aidan O’Brien aim to earn success in the race once again in this year’s vintage renewal of the world’s best one-mile contest.
St. James’s Palace is a spectacle for all racing fans to enjoy, but unlike previous years, this year, there isn’t a weak link among the field. 2000 Guineas hero Bow Echo, representing the Boughey and Loughnane team, aims to become one of very few Guineas winners to go on and win the St James’ Palace, and Irish Guineas winner Gstaad and Prix Jean Luc winner Puerto Rico set out their challenges to earn Aidan O’Brien a 10th win in the race.
The Strategy
With how competitive and tough the field looks on paper this year, it looks a tricky contest strategically, and plenty of tactics may be deployed from all angles, including some interesting frontrunning methods.
As a horse who has never been tested over a bend quite like Ascot, Guineas hero Bow Echo may find himself in unfamiliar territory tactically, given his Group 1 experience only comes over straight-mile races, and whether he will try and make all of the running is still unknown.
Given how emphatically the horse won the 2000 Guineas, speed and stamina look like no issue, and setting his own pace looks like a very worthy option come tomorrow afternoon. With no apparent pacemaker in the field for the Aidan O’Brien team, the expected early pace could prove demanding on the front-runners and bring others into contention.
A horse who would favor a strong gallop and would love to see them go off at a great clip is Godolphin and Charlie Appleby’s sensational Heron Stakes winner Talk Of New York, who benefited massively from a hold-up ride at Sandown and would relish a speed test down the Ascot straight. This looks like the ideal horse to pick up the pieces of a messy run race up front.
Racing journalist Ash Symonds on the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot
Gstaad and Puerto Rico have both demonstrated strong credentials over a mile and have both been tested extensively in round trips in Paris Longchamp and at the Curragh, leaving no doubt over the Ascot test. For Gstaad, it could be a matter of letting Bow Echo set the pace and for jockey Ryan Moore to press the button and challenge when he sees fit. For jockey Cristophe Soumillon on Puerto Rico, just like Talk Of New York, he would love the race to fall right into his lap at the expense of a strongly run race.
The Guinea rematch
The last couple of renewals of the race haven’t really produced any fierce rivalries or rematches, but this year, the top two in the market certainly haven’t disappointed. With the top two in the 2000 Guineas, Gstaad and Bow Echo, facing off for a second time, it is all for the taking for Gstaad, and for Bow Echo, he has everything to lose.
Historically 2000 Guineas winners haven’t had the best record in the St James’s Palace; however, for Bow Echo, trainer George Boughey only expects even more improvement, something that punters and fans should also definitely be expecting from Irish 2000 Guineas winner Gstaad.
With a month of work and experience under his belt, Gstaad has likely compensated for his loss in Newmarket last month and has undoubtedly demonstrated significant improvement since his Irish 2000 Guineas victory. With the trainer and jockey combo of Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore knowing how to win this race like second nature, Gstaad will have come on plenty and will be looking for 2000 Guineas redemption.
More from racing journalist Ash Symonds on the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot
The Market
For a market including a short-priced favorite and a 100/1 long shot, there is still plenty of value to be found in the race. I talked to tipster Jordan Wilkes on what he thought offered best value to punters.
‘It has to be Puerto Rico for me,’ he said. ‘If you’re getting 12/1 or even 14/1, with how the race could pan out, at an each-way price, it could be one of the more calculated bets of the festival. Considering how the race unfolded in France and the difficult conditions faced, one would expect that the drying ground at Ascot and the potential strategy will significantly benefit him, making his odds appear excessively high in a highly competitive field.
“In terms of value on the favorite (Bow Echo), anything odds against, like an 11/10 or a 5/4, looks easily backable. I don’t think a round course will be an issue, and given how bullish connections have been, even money would be generous too.’
It is a tight field, and the market support for George Boughey’s star is strong, but tipsters and insiders seem to think there is still some value to be picked up, and it isn’t as dominant a contest as the field suggests.
The ultimate test for three-year-old milers doesn’t get better than this race. St. James’ Palace is where dreams are made and where legends are born. Will it be back-to-back Group 1 success for Bow Echo, or will Gstaad earn redemption for Ballydoyle? It is all to play for, and it is a field set for a royal procession.
