2:30 Royal Ascot: Havane to smoke up Jersey field
Published:Favourites have a dire record in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot and Havane Smoker can ensure this run continues by landing the opening race on the second day of the meeting.
It has been ten years since the favourite triumphed in the Jersey Stakes when Mozart secured success in 2001 and the market leader this year is 3/1 chance Codemaster.
Codemaster has to be respected as he is the only runner being sent to Royal Ascot this year by Henry Candy and the trainer would not waste his time if he did not feel the horse did not have a leading chance.
Furthermore, Codemaster triumphed in his only start this season when winning on his first start over 7f at Newmarket, despite not getting an ideal run through the field.
The statistics also support Codemaster as this victory came in the King Charles II Stakes, which has been a good guide to the Jersey Stakes in recent years as Jeremy and Tariq have won both races in the same season.
Meanwhile, seven of the last 13 winners of the Jersey Stakes had secured victory on the latest start ahead of Royal Ascot and Codemaster is one of just two horses in this year’s field to have achieved this feat.
Despite many of the statistics going against Havane Smoker, the fact that he has run in a higher class than Group Three previously and finished among the places in this company is hard to ignore.
Havane Smoker has twice finished second in Group Three races, but he performed with even greater credit on his latest start in a Group One at Longchamp, when chasing home Tin Horse in the Poule D’Essai Des Poulains.
This race was also over a mile, so Havane Smoker should have no problems seeing out the 7f at Royal Ascot, particularly if the ground is on the soft side.
Havane Smoker is 5/1 in the Royal Ascot odds to win the Jersey Stakes.
