Royal Ascot 2021 Stats Guides: Copper Horse Stakes

Introduced for the first time into The Racing Calendar (and Royal Ascot) last year for 4yo+ stayers rated 0-105, this contest over an extended 1m6f could be an insightful guide to Ebor Handicap. That certainly proved to be the case last year when the successful favourite, Fujaira Prince, then also justified favouritism at York on his next start.

With just one running under its belt there are there are no individual race trends to speak of but punters who still like a stats-based approach could look to stables that traditionally fare well in staying races, like Mark Johnston for example who has won no less than ten 1m4f handicaps at the meeting (and seven Queen’s Vases). Sir Michael Stoute has won ten runnings of the King George V Handicap and Duke of Edinburgh Stakes combined (both handicaps 2f shy of this trip) and Alan King won both of the other staying handicaps for older horses at last season’s meeting.

In the first running the 1-2-3 all came from the bottom half of the handicap and high-drawn numbers certainly fared best with the 1-2-3-4 coming out of stalls 16-9-19-14. The horses that filled the last three positions were drawn 1-4-3. There is a very short run indeed to the first bend so this came as a surprise and in contrast to previous Queen’s Vases over the same trip.

The other point of interest from last year’s race was although the winner was aged six, four-year-olds filled the next five places from their six runners.