The King's Charles III Stakes (formerly the King's Stand Stakes is a Group 1 contest run over 5f. It takes place at 15:45 on Tuesday 18th June, which is the first day of Royal Ascot 2024. View the runners here, and also make sure to check out the odds and tips on offer for this race.

NO.DRAW
FORM

HORSE

ODDS

JOCKEY& TRAINER

AGE

WGT

RPR

2⁽¹⁰⁾

31-517

Emaraaty Ana

J: Saffie Osborne

T: Jamie Osborne

9-7

110

121

Best form when winning the Group 1 Sprint Cup at Haydock (6f, good to firm) in 2021 but this level has asked too much of him in Britain since and his latest domestic win came in a C&D Listed race (good) in October; hard pressed to be involved.

7⁽⁴⁾

9940-4

Twilight Calls

J: Ryan Moore

T: Henry Candy

9-7

106

122

Has yet to win above handicap company but the full story is that he's run some terrific races against the best sprinters and has finished second and fourth in this race (good to firm and good) for the last two years, under Ryan Moore each time; optimistic to think he can win it at this stage but he could easily go well again.

3⁽¹³⁾

0-0017

Equality

J: Jamie Spencer

T: Charles Hills

9-7

108

123

Group 3 winner at Sandown (good) last July whose later third in a Group 1 at the Curragh was undermined by the main contenders leaving their best form at home; yet to have a spring in his step on this track and he needs to find one to have any chance; usually hooded but not today.

1⁽⁷⁾

4-1133

Diligent Harry

J: Rossa Ryan

T: Clive Cox

9-7

113

124

Improved an already useful AW strike-rate with Listed wins at 6f and 5f in 2024 and it's baffling that he has yet to win on turf in 14 attempts, considering how well he's run in Group company (ground ranging from good to firm to good to soft) at home and abroad; a good run is not beyond him.

5⁽¹⁵⁾

1151-2

Regional

J: Callum Rodriguez

T: Edward Bethell

9-7

114

125

Often leads; suited by good and quicker ground; usually kept to flat tracks such as Haydock, where a 3-3 record includes the Group 1 Sprint Cup (6f); lacked the necessary pace when fifth in the Group 1 Nunthorpe over 5f at York in August but this more searching test on his first Ascot run offers hope that he can bridge the gap with the 5f specialists.

11⁽¹²⁾

57-328

Vadream

J: Kieran Shoemark

T: Charlie Fellowes

9-4

103

121

Acts well on this track, winning a Group 3 over 6f in 2021, and she ran near her best when a close second to Seven Questions at Newmarket (5f, good) in May; however she wasn't herself behind Kerdos at Haydock since, when soft ground was ideal, and this doesn't look her race.

10⁽⁵⁾

466-72

Makarova

J: Paul Mulrennan

T: Ed Walker

9-4

106

119

A Listed success is the highest winning level she's achieved but she wasn't far away in Group 1s over 5f at York (good to firm) in August and Longchamp (good to soft) in October; needs an extra push for blinkers replacing cheekpieces to have a chance.

8⁽¹⁷⁾

9-2044

Asfoora

J: Oisin Murphy

T: Henry Dwyer

9-4

112

130

Four Group wins at about 5f in Australia where she more than held her own in top company; showed bright speed for a long way when fourth to Kerdos in a recent Group 2 at Haydock, where soft ground was probably more testing than the same official surface she won on in her home country; a likely improver since that first British run and, given the fine Australian record with sprinters at this meeting, she could ruffle local feathers.

9⁽¹⁾

130-91

Believing

J: Daniel Tudhope

T: George Boughey

9-4

111

125

Very effective at 6f and her persevering close third to Regional in the Group 1 Sprint Cup at Haydock in the autumn didn't suggest she was longing for a return to 5f; however she never gave her rider any anxiety when impressive in a 5f Listed race back at Haydock (good) ten days ago which opens some interesting doors, even though this will clearly take more winning.

6⁽¹¹⁾

1115-6

Rogue Lightning

J: James Doyle

T: Tom Clover

9-7

111

124

Found major improvement after being gelded and having a hood fitted, crowning 3yo season with a luckless fifth of 18 in the Group 1 Abbaye (5f, good to soft; effective on good to firm); since sold for £1,000,000; no serious threat when sixth behind Kerdos on reappearance at Haydock (5f, soft) in May but he can do a lot better on this less testing ground if none the worse for the hood being discarded.

4⁽⁸⁾

18-851

Kerdos

J: Richard Kingscote

T: Clive Cox

9-7

111

125

Best handicap form when a tight second in the big 5f race (good to firm) here last year; came on a ton later, impressing with the way he extricated himself from cramped surroundings in a Listed Beverley race (good), then a close eighth in the Group 1 Abbaye; needed first two runs in 2024 but he set to work with a will when beating a top front-runner in a Haydock Group 2 (5f, soft) in May and this stiffer track can suit even better; trainer won this with the sire in 2016 and fields another progressive one today.

13⁽¹⁶⁾

1365-4

Kylian

J: Hollie Doyle

T: Archie Watson

9-1

110

Thoroughly outclassed his rivals in a 5f Listed race at Sandown (good) last July but a strong-finishing third to Big Evs at Goodwood (5f, soft) next time was too little, too late; ended season with a lesser effort behind that rival at Doncaster and it was the same story, this time from the front, on debut for new yard at York in May; aiming high today.

16⁽¹⁴⁾

152-24

Valiant Force

J: David Egan

T: Adrian Murray

9-1

111

116

This C&D revealed hidden depths when he won the Group 2 Norfolk (good to firm) and he later did really well to be a close second to Big Evs in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, considering he had a much less favourable passage than the winner; has tried his luck unsuccessfully on turf and dirt in the US this year and it's hard to know whether he's in the shape to take a hand now back with former trainer.

15⁽³⁾

-37713

Seven Questions

J: Callum Shepherd

T: George Scott

9-1

107

118

Busy as 2yo with three wins to go with two close calls in Group races on AW and turf; hadn't looked an obvious improver for his 3yo season but he touched off Vadream when the 33-1 winner of a Group 3 at Newmarket (5f, good; first-time cheekpieces) in May; reality perhaps set in when third to Kerdos at Haydock (5f, soft) since and this asks a bigger question.

17⁽²⁾

3116-1

Crimson Advocate

J: William Buick

T: John & Thady Gosden

8-12

108

116

US-trained when making most to win the Group 2 Queen Mary (5f, good) here last year; met her match in Big Evs and Valiant Force in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile but that was her first run for over four months, so the gap between them could be much less on this debut for the Gosdens following a US stakes win in May.

12⁽⁶⁾

1011-1

Big Evs

J: Tom Marquand

T: Michael Appleby

9-1

113

126

Mostly leads; handles all ground; had one off day as a 2yo, against the older sprinters at York, but otherwise carried all before him over 5f after his debut, his rivals not detaining him for long in the Windsor Castle here and he won two Group races before hanging on for a Grade 1 success in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint; did all that was asked against inferior rivals on York comeback but now needs to prove his mettle back against all ages.

14⁽⁹⁾

221-35

Purosangue

J: David Probert

T: Andrew Balding

9-1

102

112

Has won on good to firm but suited by slower than good and it was soft when he gave Big Evs some grief in a Group 3 at Goodwood in August, forcing that one to pull out the stops in order to hold on; sole win since came in a 6f Listed race at York in October and although the return to 5f shouldn't be a problem, the state of the going might be.

RACING POST TIP

Kerdos

The Australian sprinters have been inspiring at Royal Ascot over the years and Nature Strip most recently left the locals rather downcast in this race two years ago. Asfoora (second choice) is a worthy contender on her Australian form if she can reproduce it back on quicker ground than her British debut behind KERDOS at Haydock but the latter is still preferred with better days to come. He needed a couple of runs to get his eye in this year but was quite impressive last time, he appears to act on any ground and the return to a searching test at the trip is expected to suit. The tough and willing Big Evs has been a sterling operator against his own age group but he does have something to prove back against the older sprinters. Rogue Lightning, Regional and Believing are just three of several other interesting contenders, while Twilight Calls, in the frame in the last two runnings, cannot be left out either.

Verdict

Past 10 Winners

Year	Horse [Draw]	Age	Weight	SP	Trainer	Jockey
2023	Bradsell [7]	3	9-1	14/1	Archie Watson	Hollie Doyle
2022	Nature Strip [10]	7	9-7	9/4	Chris Walker	James McDonald
2021	Oxted [14]	5	9-5	4/1	Roger Teal	Cieren Fallon
2020	Battaash [10]	6	9-4	5/6F	Charles Hills	Jim Crowley
2019	Blue Point [1]	5	9-4	5/2	Charlie Appleby	James Doyle
2018	Blue Point [10]	4	9-4	6/1	Charlie Appleby	William Buick
2017	Lady Aurelia [18]	3	8-9	7/2	Wesley A Ward	John R Velazquez
2016	Profitable [8]	4	9-4	4/1	Clive Cox	Adam Kirby
2015	Goldream [3]	6	9-4	20/1	Robert Cowell	Martin Harley
2014	Sole Power [8]	7	9-4	5/1	Edward Lynam	Richard Hughes

Key race stats 2024

Key trends

Adjusted RPR of at least 125, 9/10
Rated within 7lb of RPR top-rated, 9/10
Ran at least twice that season, 8/10
Drawn seven or higher, 8/10
Group winner over 5f, 7/10
Won that season, 6/10

Other factors

In 2020, Battaash became the first successful favourite since Scenic Blast in 2009.

Five beaten favourites had won a Group race last time.

The record of Palace House winners is 1113340.

What happened in the King Charles III Stakes last year?

BRADSELL had failed to build on last year’s Coventry win in three subsequent starts but May’s third in the Commonwealth Cup trial over 6f at the course suggested he retained most of his ability and he proved well suited by this first try at 5f. Highfield Princess couldn’t get past the horse half her age, however, being inconvenienced by the intimidation she suffered in the last 100yds but by no means an unlucky loser. Annaf improved again to finish third with Twilight Calls, runner-up 12 months ago, likely to have finished on the heels of the first two had he not been stopped in his tracks when making headway.

King Charles III Stakes

15:45 Royal Ascot

RACING POST TIP

Verdict

Past 10 Winners

Key race stats 2024

What happened in the King Charles III Stakes last year?

All Races