Royal Ascot 2024: Albany Stakes Stats Guide

Albany Stakes
Fillies' Group 3 | Class 1 | 2YO only
Winner £70,888 - 24 entered to run

Last year’s race
Winner: Porta Fortuna
Jockey: Frankie Dettori
Trainer: Donnacha O'Brien
Owner: S Weston/B Fowler/Medallion/Reeves Thoroughbred Racing
Age: 2
Weight: 9st 2lbs
Starting Price: 5/1
Season Form Figures: 11
Previous Best: 1st - Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint Stakes (Group 3), Naas (May 2023)

By Paul Jones

Fairy Godmother (Ballydoyle) v Mountain Breeze (Godolphin) is set to be the two-year-old clash of the meeting. Aidan O’Brien has saddled two winners, but Godolphin are still awaiting their first Albany victory.

Introduced into the Royal Meeting 22 years ago, this Group 3 6f race restricted to two-year-old fillies may not be as prestigious as the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes in terms of its official status but it has looked the classier of the two races in recent seasons. For example, it has featured two winners of the three winners of the 1000 Guineas (Cachet and Mawj were both beaten in the Albany) and this year’s narrow 1000 Guines second Porta Fortuna.

Strong trends are thin on the ground, but it is certainly of note that the last two winners, Meditate and Porta Fortuna, had previously won the Group 3 Fillies’ Sprint Stakes at Naas (and also went on to win a Group 1 later in the season), which was won this season by Fairy Godmother in mid-May. Cuis Ghaire also completed the same double in 2008. In fact, five of the last 13 Albany winners went on to win a Group 1 race.

Eleven winners were having just their second career start here and three winners had won at Sandown also appreciating that stiff finish. Naas also has a stiff, uphill finish so no surprise that fillies to have won there also have a good Albany record.

Team Hannon have secured three victories and all three entered the Albany Stakes off the back of winning a maiden on their sole previous start. As with all two-year-old races at Royal Ascot, the Channon stable’s contenders need to be viewed closely and they have also won three runnings including a 1-2 in 2003. Take note that two of their winners have also been upsets striking at 40/1 and 16/1 plus five of their other 12 runners have all run creditably finishing in the first six in what is well-contested event.

The last three winners were drawn low-centre but the previous ten were drawn in double-figure stalls including three from closest to the stands’ rail (high).

Different League was a very rare French-trained two-year-old winner at Royal Ascot when causing a 20/1 surprise six years ago.

At a glance summary

Positives
Won a maiden/novice last time out
Won the Group 3 Fillies’ Sprint Stakes at Naas
Had just one career start
Drawn high
Trained by Richard Hannon or Jack Channon
Won at Sandown

Negatives
Failed to contest a maiden/novice last time out