Royal Ascot 2021 Stats Guides: Hampton Court Stakes

Back to normal this season taking place before the Derby so last year’s race turned into a trial for Epsom. Prior to last year’s contest, two of the previous three winners contested a Derby as Hunting Horn finished sixth in the Prix du Jockey Club and Benbatl ran fifth in the Derby at Epsom. The 2011 winner, Pisco Sour, also contested the Derby.

Previously run over 1m4f and also known as the Tercentenary Stakes for a few years, the Hampton Court was upgraded from Listed status to Group 3 nine years ago having been a 1m2f handicap since 2000 so only patterns from the turn of the century are of interest from which point all nine fillies to run have yet to get seriously competitive.

Of the 21 penalised horses to have run since 2000, only Afsare has won and just two others have made the frame. Afsare justified 9/4 favouritism on that occasion and this has been a race where the market leaders have come to the fore as 15 of the last 17 winners could be found in the first four in the betting. In fact, last season’s first four occupied the first four places in the market and it was almost the same case in 2019 when the 1-2-3 were the three most fancied contenders.

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A contest chock full of progressive horses mainly consisting from the top stables, of the 21 winners this century, ten had been contesting and getting beaten in Group races (five of which in the Dante), five others contested a handicap on their last start (two of the last six winners won the London Gold Cup at Newbury) with another three running in a maiden last time out.

Hawkbill led home a Godolphin 1-2 five years ago and then their Benbatl took the spoils in 2017. Aidan O’Brien has gone two better winning it on four occasions, one ahead of Sir Michael Stoute (all in the last 12 years) and his First Receiver was runner-up to the O’Brien-trained Russian Emperor last season.

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Positives: Likely to start in the first four in the betting, owned by Godolphin, trained by Aidan O’Brien or Sir Michael Stoute.

Negatives: Carrying a penalty, finished unplaced last time out (unless in a Group 1 race), fillies.