3:45 Royal Ascot: Frankly Frankel is the banker of the meeting

The Racing Post ran a feature in Monday’s paper asking the UK’s 11 biggest bookmakers if Frankel is unbeatable in the St James’s Palace Stakes – the response was emphatic.

Nine of the 11 suggested this race is a foregone conclusion and while the remaining two suggested that this isn’t a one-horse race, they certainly fancy him to win.

Betting on a horse with odds as short as 2/5 isn’t the most tempting of bets for most people, but tomorrow we will witness the Frankel phenomenon grow in stature and Sir Henry Cecil’s three-year-old is the best bet of Tuesday’s Royal Ascot action.

Cecil’s start is unbeaten in his six career starts and on five of those occasions he’s been sent off the odds-on favourite.

While his eight rivals will be primed for the task, Frankel not only has the form but also the stats in his favour and he can become the fourth consecutive winning favourite of this race.

While Frankel looks certain to make it seven wins in a row, the fact seven horses have decided to take him on makes for great each-way value and punters who don’t fancy backing Frankel at such a short price can find plenty of each-way value.

Aiden O’Brien has proved a master of this race in recent years having won the St James’s Stakes on five of the last 10 occasions, and he saddles 25/1 chance Zoffany tomorrow.

The last 10 winners of this race were all born before 26th April, had all won a Group 1 or 2 race and had all ran in the last 30 days, criteria that Zoffany fills.

He has plenty to find and his Royal Ascot odds reflect this, but O’Brien is a master at getting his horses ready for this race and he has to be respected.

Excelebration (8/1) finished four lengths behind Frankel in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury before dominating the German 2000 Guineas, and with different tactics on Tuesday, he can get closer to Frankel.