Royal Hunt Cup Heritage Handicap | Class 2 | 3YO plus Winner £90,195 - 66 entered to run  Last year’s race Winner: Jimi Hendrix Jockey: Rossa Ryan Trainer: Ralph M Beckett Owner: Chelsea Thoroughbreds - Purple Haze Age: 4 Weight: 9st 5lbs Starting Price: 22/1 Season Form Figures: 018 Previous Best: 1st - Spring Cup Handicap (Class 2), Newbury (April 2023) By Paul Jones Four and five-year-olds make up the lion's share of runners (usually around 75%) but given that combined they have won 34 of the last 38 runnings, they have been over-performing, so I am more than happy to overlook any horse aged six or upwards. I give four-year-olds a significant edge and Jimi Hendrix was another winner for that age bracket last season. In fact, four-year-olds realised a 1-2-3 last year, as was the case in both 2021 and 2020 following on from a 1-2-3-4-5-6 in both 2016 and 2017, plus a 1-2-4 in 2018, so that seems to be as good a statistical starting point as any. Jimi Hendrix beat Sonny Liston into second to give their owners and trainer, Chelsea Thoroughbreds and Ralph Beckett, a 1-2 in the race. Previous straight-course form at Ascot has proved to be an important factor in recent times, with Jimi Hendrix having finished third in the previous year’s Britannia Handicap. That three-year-old handicap at the previous season’s Royal Ascot used to be a significant guide but not so much up until last year, though Zhui Feng was unplaced in the Britannia in 2016 before winning the 2017 Royal Hunt Cup. The 2013 Hunt Cup winner Belgian Bill had finished placed in the Britannia two years earlier. The Victoria Cup at the Ascot May meeting has been the best guide of late, providing an ideal springboard for nine of the last 29 Hunt Cup winners. Outside of Ascot form, the Lincoln remains of particular interest, with four of the last 22 Hunt Cup winners having contested the season's traditional first big betting race of the season, though only one of that successful quartet ran into a place at Doncaster. A couple of fairly recent winners contested the Whitsun Cup at Sandown, while last season’s winner was following up his victory in the Spring Cup at Newbury. Although only three of the last 14 winners started at single-figure odds, overall the Royal Hunt Cup has been a pretty good handicap for punters, with 14 winners in the last 31 years being sent off in the first four in the betting. Not bad for almost 50% of winners in that long period of time to be one of the four shortest-priced fancies, given that around 30 runners face the starter. Given those SP stats, it is no surprise that 18 of the last 25 winners won or finished second earlier in the campaign. We often have a Newmarket-trained favourite, and although the record of the front four in the betting is good, only one market leader has won since 1996. The Roger Varian-trained Perotto could only finish tenth as favourite last year. James Fanshawe is a trainer to note on the straight-course races at Royal Ascot and his record in this race passes the closest scrutiny, having won it twice and saddled five other runners since the turn of the century to also hit the frame. As for the Irish, two wins in the last eight years from limited runners mean we must also take them very seriously. As far as weight carried is concerned, only one winner has carried more than 9st 5lb (though five carried exactly that weight, including Jimi Hendrix) since 1980, and when Governorship won in 1988 he was carrying just 1lb higher. A U-Turn has occurred in the last decade or so in regard to horses saddled with under or over 9st. Going with the ‘unders’ was a must up until 2008, as just two winners since 1989 carried more than 9st to victory, but 13 of the last 17 winners have carried 9st+ (including all seven up to Real World in 2021), though that is now reflective of the fact that more horses have carried over 9st than otherwise in recent years. Three of the last 16 winners were wearing some kind of new headgear for the first time (as was last year’s runner-up), including both of Saeed bin Suroor’s winners. Charlie Hills also has two successes to his name, with both achieved in the last five years. With regards to the draw, what happens earlier in the week is often the best guide as to where to be on the straight course…until they water that is. Positives Four-year-olds  Previous quality straight-track form at Ascot  Carrying 9st+ Irish-trained Respect Charlie Hills, James Fanshawe and Saeed bin Suroor First four in the market New headgear Negatives Aged 6+ Set to carry 9st 6lb+