The flat racing season is well and truly underway, with a plethora of talented horses expected to line up in the UK and Ireland’s premier fixture – the Ascot Gold Cup. Taking place at the famed Royal Ascot racecourse, the two-mile and three-furlong event has seen some of the sport’s most esteemed thoroughbreds reign supreme in the Group 1 contest in years past.
2023’s edition is shaping up to be another mouthwatering affair, with several elite stayers aiming to join the incredible Gold Cup honour roll that includes the likes of multiple-time winners Stradivarius, Yeats and Sagaro to name a few.
With that in mind, read on as we take a look at the three favourites for this year’s feature race at Royal Ascot on June 22.
Coltrane
After an inconsistent start to his career in which he secured just two wins in his opening 11 starts, Irish horse Coltrane has experienced a rich vein of form dating back to June of last year. It was a win in the Ascot Stakes last year that kickstarted the Andrew Balding-trained gelding’s turnaround, in which he reigned victorious by just shy of a length from Bring On The Night.
Couple that with wins in a Group 2 at Doncaster and a four-and-a-half length triumph at Ascot most recently, and the six-year-old is entering the race in top nick. It appears as though his form has excited punters, as at the time of writing, Coltrane is the favourite at 7/2 if you’re looking for a bet on Royal Ascot.
Eldar Eldarov
Similarly to the favourite Coltrane, Eldar Eldarov boasts course form that includes a victory in the Queen’s Vase at Ascot in 2022. The four-year-old has only experienced success on one other occasion since however, besting the field by two lengths in the St Leger Stakes. Despite a relatively inconsistent 12 months, Eldar Eldarov has shown plenty of promise in his young career.
With impressive triumphs at Nottingham, Newcastle, Ascot and Doncaster, the Roger Varian-trained thoroughbred isn’t one to write off. For those who believe he can secure his fifth career win and second Group 1 victory, Eldar Eldarov is currently paying 4/1 – which is good for second favourite.
Emily Dickinson
Garnering a price of 5/1, third favourite Emily Dickinson will need to be at her best if she’s to upset the applecart and finish over the top of the two favourites Coltrane and Eldar Eldarov. While the four-year-old’s most recent outing at Leopardstown wasn’t anything to write home about – that afternoon in Ireland was preceded by a pair of impressive performances at Navan and Curragh.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained filly went on to triumph in both races by a combined margin of more than ten lengths, displaying a strong finishing speed when provided a promising path up the straight. Couple that with the fact that she will likely have one of the best jockeys in the world in Ryan Moore onboard, and Emily Dickinson could be tempting value for those betting on the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.