15:45 Royal Ascot: Maqaasid to be crowned Queen of Ascot
Published:Friday’s feature race at Royal Ascot is a real open race and punters should be looking to get their teeth stuck into this fascinating renewal.
Historically upsets are few and far between in the Coronation Stakes, and the top of the betting market is where your focus should be if you’re looking for the winner.
Aidan O’Brien’s Together currently tops the Coronation Stakes betting at 11/2 and there is plenty to like about the three-year-old out of the sire Galileo.
Going on trends, punters are looking for a filly sired by a Group One winner, won either their first or second start as a two-year-old, has won a Group One race and has run in the past 50 days.
Together fulfills all of that criteria and has benefited from the draw having been given the widest stall on the outside.
However one trend not in Together’s favour is his birthday, with all of the last 10 winners of the Coronation’s Stake being born in either January, February or March.
Together was born in April while his rival Maqaasid (10/1) was born in January, and the fact Maqaasid runs out of the John Gosden stable makes him the better bet.
Gosden has seen all six of his winners that have started the race under 10/1 placed and Maqaasid fulfills all of the criteria that Together does.
Third in the 1000 Guineas, Maqaasid was unlucky with the draw in France on her last start and ran with credit after finding herself stuck behind a wall of horses.
Having won the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot last year, Maqaashid has course and distance form and looks the pick of the fillies this year.
Of the outsiders, Barefoot Lady (16/1) has a strong chance of winning, let alone placing and 16/1 looks a huge each-way price.
