The St James’s Palace Stakes, a Group 1 race for three-year-old colts, will be held today at Ascot at 16:25. The race is over a mile and has attracted a competitive field, including several promising horses.
Key Contenders:
- Notable Speech – Trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick, this colt is unbeaten in four starts and showed an impressive turn of foot to win the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket. He is the highest-rated horse in the race and has strong claims of winning.
- Rosallion – Trained by Richard Hannon and ridden by Sean Levey, Rosallion finished second to Notable Speech in the 2,000 Guineas. With a tactical change, he has a good chance of reversing that result.
- Henry Longfellow – This Aidan O’Brien-trained colt, ridden by Ryan Moore, had an unbeaten two-year-old campaign and is highly regarded despite a disappointing run in the French 2,000 Guineas. His pedigree and past performances make him a strong contender.
- Metropolitan – Trained by Mario Baratti and ridden by Alexis Pouchin, this colt won the French 2,000 Guineas and has been improving steadily. However, he has something to prove against higher-rated rivals.
- Darlinghurst – An improving French colt trained by J Reynier and ridden by Christophe Soumillon, Darlinghurst is unbeaten this year and steps up in class after a convincing win in a Group 3 at Chantilly
Analysis and Prediction:
Notable Speech appears to be the horse to beat, given his top rating and unbeaten record. However, Rosallion has the potential to challenge him with a better-timed run. Henry Longfellow, despite his last run, remains a threat due to his class and pedigree. Metropolitan and Darlinghurst are dark horses who could spring a surprise, particularly if they continue their upward trajectory.
Betting Trends:
Favourites have a good record in this race, with many recent winners starting at low odds. Given the strength of Notable Speech and the betting trends, he looks like a solid favourite.
While predicting the exact outcome in horse racing is always uncertain, the top picks for today’s race would be Notable Speech, Rosallion, and Henry Longfellow. Always remember to gamble responsibly.
