Britannia Stakes three-year-olds have strong Betfred Mile record

Classic generation representatives have a history of lining the palms of their each-way backers in the Betfred Mile, especially those that ran in the Britannia Stakes last time. Wentworth, Queensberry Rules and Cape Peron all took in that contest and look weighted to get into the Mile’s select 20-runner field, with the latter pair more fancied than the favourite.

Of the last 24 three-year-olds to line up in this Goodwood affair since 2002, nine managed to make the frame, with three of those taking the laurels. Aided in their task by a weight-for-age allowance of a healthy 7lbs from older horses it’s little surprise that those rated high enough to get into the contest are at an advantage given their youthful potential to progress quickly.

Two of the three runners of that vintage who scored in the Betfred Mile both contested the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot earlier in the campaign and so the aforementioned threesome warrant some further inspection.

Whilst there are other three-year-olds – including Britannia second Tariki – currently entered, they are mostly rated some way below the current bottom weight of 9st1lb held by Mark Johnston’s Windhoek.

Wentworth – fourth in the Ascot race – is the 7/1 ante-post favourite for this Goodwood test, having finished the Britannia best of all after surmounting a poor draw which left him deep in the pack in the early stages. However, he’d managed to find trouble in running in a much smaller race on his previous start and the suspicion is he needs things to fall in his lap.

Queensberry Rules (14/1) gave the former 1lb at Ascot, with the line coming just in time as Richard Hannon’s colt chased him down. The weight differential hasn’t changed here and in a race which has been taken by those who raced prominently in nine of the last 11 renewals, he could maintain his superiority over the favourite.

Cape Peron (12/1) gave the duo above 6lbs and 5lbs respectively when finishing a length behind them that day and given the good-to-firm ground was too quick for him, it was a strong run from Henry Candy’s colt. Having won both his starts on good-to-soft going he would be strongly fancied to turn the tables on them both with a bit more cut in the ground at Goodwood.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.