Gold Cup knocked off top Ascot turnover spot by Saturday's St James's Palace

A radically altered Royal Ascot race programme that included six new races resulted in a changing of the guard in the turnover charts this year with a new number one.

Ladbrokes Coral reported the usual banker for top spot, the Gold Cup, in which Stradivarius recorded his third win, was deposed by the St James’s Palace with the Prince of Wales's Stakes in second.

Paddy Power reported a very different top ten that was affected by the level of Irish contenders with the Queen Anne, won by the Aidan O’Brien-trained Circus Maximus, topping their turnover table.

An extra place and a money-back concession by Paddy Power hiked up many races, including the Coventry in second, with the St James’s and Prince of Wales’s making up the first four.

Both firms confirmed the six new races, including consolation races for the Royal Hunt Cup and Wokingham, did not find favour with punters.

Simon Clare, PR director at Ladbrokes Coral, said: “The new races performed poorly in general, although to be fair most were staged in the weakest slots and not televised on ITV racing.”

Art Power (left): won the Palace Of Holyroodhouse HandicapCredit: Edward Whitaker

The one exception was the 19th-placed Palace of Holyroodhouse Handicap, won impressively by Art Power, despite not having ITV coverage as the first race on Friday.

Clare also pointed out the traditional trend of a bumper Saturday had not been lost, despite betting shops only opening the day before the five-day meeting and with limited capacity from social distancing.

He added: “The underlying trends remained the same in terms of the way turnover built through the week from Tuesday to Saturday, and the betting popularity of the top class Group 1 races.

“The move of the St James’s Palace from Tuesday, the weakest betting day, to Saturday, the strongest betting, saw it become the biggest betting event of the week.”

Firms reported that turnover overall had not taken a hit from the pandemic restrictions.

Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield said: “Turnover was quite strong and similar to last year. It was a bit of a case of swings and roundabouts, the lack of other sport, but slightly reduced field sizes, no crowds and lack of a build-up. It all seemed to balance out over the course of the week.”

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