Stats Guide: Hampton Court Stakes
Last Year's Race:
Winner: Claymore
Jockey: Adam Kirby
Trainer: Jane Chapple-Hyam
Owner: Mrs Mary Slack
Age: 3 Weight: 9st 2lbs
Starting Price: 7/1
Season Form Figures: 20
Previous Best: 2nd - Craven Stakes (Group 3), Newmarket (April 2022)
Three of the last five winners contested a Classic as Hunting Horn finished sixth in the French Derby, Benbatl ran fifth in the Derby and Claymore was last from the coffin-box draw in the French 2000 Guineas before he failed to read the script and turned over The Queen’s 2/5 favourite, Reach For The Moon, at around the time of her 70th anniversary on the throne.
The 2011 winner, Pisco Sour, also contested the Derby. The 2020 Covid running took place before the Derby and the 2021 winner, Mohaafeth, was withdrawn from the Derby on the day after rain, a move that paid off for his connections, winning this contest over a more suitable 1m2f on fast ground instead and giving William Haggas a second Hampton Court success.
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 11 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 22 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 17 of the last 19 winners could be found in the first four in the betting. In fact, in 2020 the first four horses home 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.
A contest chock full of progressive horses mainly consisting from the top stables, of the 23 winners this century, 11 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 eight 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 seven 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.
POSITIVES
Contested a Classic
Likely to start in the first four in the betting
Owned by Godolphin
Trained by Aidan O’Brien or Sir Michael Stoute
The London Gold Cup winner
Ran in the Dante Stakes
NEGATIVES
Carrying a penalty
Finished unplaced last time out (unless in a Group 1 race)
Fillies