Odds and betting predictions for the 2024 King's Stand Stakes
This Group One takes place on day one of Royal Ascot on Tuesday 18th June
We've backed Moss Tucker and Diligent Harry at lengthy prices
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Billy Lee riding Moss Tucker (light blue/red) win The Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Flying Five Stakes at Curragh. (Getty)
The second Group One staged on the opening day of racing at Royal Ascot is the thrilling King Charles III Stakes. This Group One has been renamed to commemorate a year on the throne for King Charles III in 2024, and many of the world's fastest horses feature on the glittering role of honour.
Last year's renewal was won by the three-year-old Bradsell and Big Evs will look to repeat that feat. Mick Appleby's stable star brings some strong form to the table. However, Bradsell was just the fourth three-year-old to win the King's Stand this century and Big Evs was flattened on the only other occasion that he's races outside his own age group.
Regional should probably be the favourite, based on his Sprint Cup success of last season. Believing looked very good when scoring in the Achilles Stakes, while both Kerdos and the Aussie raider, Asfoora warrant their positions at the head of the betting. Yet, sprinting is difficult to predict at the best of times and, with a large field likely to be confirmed, I'm more inclined to search for value further down the market.
2024 King Charles III Stakes Tip 1 - Moss Tucker
On Racing Post Ratings, the best piece of seasonal form on offer belongs to MOSS TUCKER (25/1). Ken Condon's six-year-old smashed a decent enough field to retain his Woodlands Stakes crown at Naas in April, earning a whopping RPR of 120.
Condon's star sprinter claimed a maiden Group One win in the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh back in September. Moss Tucker has also scored in pattern races over six furlongs, making all to score in the 2022 Testimonial Stakes and the Phoenix Sprint Stakes in August of least year.
Billy Lee's mount was well-beaten on his most recent run in the Greenlands Stakes, where Moss Tucker seemed to be travelling well but found nothing in the closing stages. Dropping back down to the minimum distance seems like a sensible move based on that effort and the ground there should be a little juice in the ground on day one of the Royal Meeting.
Diligent Harry (left) finishing a close third behind Mill Stream (centre) and Shouldvebeenaring (right) at York. (Getty)
2024 King Charles III Stakes Tip 2 - Diligent Harry
DILIGENT HARRY (40/1) is still yet to win on turf, but recent performances should put Clive Cox's sprint bang in the picture.
Cox's six-year-old ran a storming race out in Meydan in March, placing third behind California Spangle in the Al Quoz Sprint. Diligent Harry went even closer on his return to Britain in the Duke Of York Stakes, where Richard Kingscote's mount was only relegated to third in the strides before the line.
Diligent Harry has won several major prizes on synthetic surfaces, including a victory over Witch Hunter and Annaf on All-Weather Finals Day in 2022. Over the minimum distance, Cox's star has won two of his four starts, registering an RPR of 117 when winning the Listed Hever Stakes at Southwell in February.
With Richard Kingscote committed to riding stablemate Kerdos, Rossa Ryan has picked up the spare ride on Diligent Harry. Odds of 40/1 are too generous to pass up.
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