Royal Ascot 2025: Wolferton Stakes Stats Guide

Last year’s race
Winner: Israr
Jockey: Jim Crowley
Trainer: John & Thady Gosden
Owner: Shadwell Estate Company Ltd
Age: 5
Weight: 9st 5lbs
Starting Price: 11/4
Season Form Figures: 932
Previous Best: 1st - Princess Of Wales's Stakes (Group 2), Newmarket (July 2023)

By Paul Jones

This will be the eighth year of the Wolferton being a Listed race (upgraded from a Listed handicap) over 1m2f on the round course, so new trends still need to bed in.

Since the race lost its handicap status, five of the last six winners have been aged five or six, whereas four-year-olds previously fared much the best, so that’s a change worth noting.

Four of the seven winners since the Wolferton was upgraded were sent off at 14/1 or bigger, with the favourite placing second or third in the last five runnings prior to the 11/4 joint-favourite Israr proving successful last season, giving the Gosden stable their fifth winner of this race in the last 14 editions.

Wathnan Racing have targeted Royal Ascot in their short time since entering the sport, supplying the second and third last year, so they look an operation to note for this contest. Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum has won two of the last four runnings, one of which for trainer Roger Varian, who has saddled two of the last five winners.

It usually features a double-figure field, where they meet a bend after a furlong, so the draw can be important. What is a low draw towards the rail since the switch of stall numbers 13 seasons ago has been a little bit of an advantage, with 14 of the last 20 winners (at Ascot) drawn in what are now single-figure stalls. In fact, in last year’s 15-runner race, the best position that any of the six highest-drawn horses fared was back in eighth.

Horses drawn in stalls 11 and 12 had overcome that in the previous two years, though those drawn in the lowest five stalls finished second, third, fourth and fifth in 2022. Addeybb also managed to overcome his draw six years ago, but he did go on to win two Group 1s in Australia as well as the Champion Stakes. A high draw is also easier to overcome on soft ground, which was the case in his year.

At a glance summary

Positives
Respect John & Thady Gosden and Roger Varian
Aged 5+
A single-figure draw
Don’t be afraid of outsiders
Owned by Shiekh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum or Wathnan Racing

Negatives
Unplaced last time out