2023 Commonwealth Cup Stakes Tips
Little Big Bear has recorded a number of victories in a relatively short career, with the three-year-old having only run below par on one occasion. That came at Newmarket in early May, with the horse finishing lame in the 2000 Guineas although we can forgive the horse for that one off-colour performance and it was a return to the winners’ enclosure in the Nifty Fifty Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock.
There were four successive wins last year and that included a five furlong win in the Windsor Castle Stakes before scoring successive wins at The Curragh. However, the betting odds suggest that Little Big Bear isn’t nailed on for victory, with Sakheer having a strong rating and he was able to finish mid-table in the 2000 Guineas.
Based on that performance, perhaps there is more to come from the Roger Varian-trained runner who was able to win the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes over six furlongs in this Group 2 encounter, with Shaquille coming into this race off the back of several successes and Julie Camacho could strike gold with a runner who has to have a good each-way chance.
The three-year-old was able to oblige a month ago in the BetVictor Carnarvon Stakes on 20 May, with the horse performing really well over six furlongs. The 100/30 chance was able to claim a two-length victory against 33/1 outsider Desert Cop, with the horse having won the Howden Insurance Handicap over six furlongs previously to this.
2022 Commonwealth Cup Tips
Perfect Power found the competition a bit too stiff when finishing seventh in the 2,000 Guineas although that sort of form might be enough to see the horse fending off the competition when it comes to the Commonwealth Cup. Sent off at 16/1 at Newmarket, the horse did itself plenty of justice in the end.
Indeed, Perfect Power only began to weaken in the final furlong after being prominent and a drop back in trip could suit this Richard Fahey-trained runner who opened the Flat season with a win in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury on 16 April.
Go Bears Go has already been an Ascot winner this season and David Loughnane will now hope that the horse is able to improve after stepping up in class. The 5/4 favourite claimed a victory in the Merriebelle Stables Commonwealth Cup Trial Stakes although this is a much stiffer test of his credentials.
However, we should bear in mind that this three-year-old has bags of experience compared to some of the other horses and that includes a fine performance at the Breeders’ Cup meeting in Del Mar last year where the horse finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.
The horse that really catches the eye on the Royal Ascot racecard is El Caballo who comes into this race after five straight wins. There was an all-weather victory at Newcastle over six furlongs recently and that came after a previous triumph at Lingfield where the charge won the Coral Spring Stakes.
2021 Commonwealth Cup betting odds
The Commonwealth Cup is one of the leading races at the 2021 Royal Ascot horse racing meeting and it’s one of the newest encounters at the five-day event, having been inaugurated in 2015 and this will therefore be the seventh running of the race which looks to be a wide open encounter.
From an each-way betting point-of-view, there will be punters looking to get involved at the prices considering that the favourites are trading at betting odds of 7/1 or upwards and it’s worth shopping around to find a horse racing bookie who has the best value.
Campanelle Heads the Commonwealth Cup Betting Market
Campanelle is the bookie favourite for the 2021 Commonwealth Cup, with Wesley Ward having a potential superstar on his hands and the latest performance was fourth place in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf where jockey Frankie Dettori couldn’t get onside with the leading horses.
Previously to this, there was a six furlong victory in the Darley Prix Morny - Finale des Darley Series at Deauville and this high-class operator could be one to hit the frame, with the horse having also won at a Royal Ascot meeting when claiming the spoils in 2020 and this was a victory in the Queen Mary Stakes.
Who Are the Other Commonwealth Cup Favourites?
Alcohol Free runs for trainer Andrew Balding, with the three-year-old having won the Dubai Duty Free Stakes at Newbury this season and the horse was then sent off as the 5/2 joint-favourite for the 1,000 Guineas along with Santa Barbara, although it was Mother Earth who delivered the goods on that occasion.
Lucky Vega is another interesting runner, with the horse having run a credible third at the 2000 Guineas in Newmarket and this is likely to be another popular each-way wager, with Jessica Harrington’s horse coming incredibly close in this race and we’re expecting a big run on this occasion.
Shane Foley ran the horse really close in the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes when finishing second behind Supremacy in the six furlong encounter, with the only concern being that the horse might end up running close seconds and thirds rather than winning races.
The Commonwealth Cup 2020 Betting Odds
The betting market for the 2020 Commonwealth Cup is wide open, with Earthlight among the favourites and it’s easy to see why punters might take a shine to a three-year-old with plenty of experience under his belt.
The Andre Fabre-trained horse hasn’t been beaten since first being seen as a two-year-old, with the charge’s first four outings taking place in France where Earthlight scored a maiden win at Maisons-Laffitte before a hat-trick of victories at Deauville.
However, what has really stated his claim for a Royal Ascot win is a victory in the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket where Mickael Barzalona rode the horse to a convincing victory over six furlongs and on good ground.
Pierre Lapin is another interesting runner and this three-year-old has been more lightly raced so far during his career, with the Roger Varian-trained charge winning on his debut at Haydock in May before landing the spoils in the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes later in the year.
It’s entirely possible that if Royal Ascot 2020 does go ahead, this will be the first outing of the season for virtually all of the runners lining up in the Commonwealth Cup and that includes Raffle Prize who had a promising 2019 as a two-year-old.
The Mark Johnston-trained horse ran six times last year and wasn’t out of the first two on any of his outings, with a second-placed finish behind Earthlight at Deauville suggesting that she could have a successful future career.
The Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes is a race for fillies, with Raffle Prize being sent off as the 10/11 favourite although Millisle was able to provide a shock at odds of 16/1 when it came to the September encounter and you can get roughly the same price about the filly obliging here.
The History of the Commonwealth Cup
As mentioned, this isn’t a race which has a big history due to the fact that the first running took place in 2015. The Commonwealth Cup was invented due to a series of changes that were being made to the programme of European sprint races and it’s the only Group 1 race in Great Britain which is exclusively for horses aged three.
Muhaarar was the inaugural winner of the racein 2015 and there have also been successes for Quiet Reflection, Caravaggio, Eqtidaar and Advertise. The latter was the fastest recorded victory since the Commonwealth Cup began and no trainer has won this encounter more than once.
Advertise was probably the most impressive winner of the race to date, with the horse also winning the Prix Maurice de Gheest and the Martyn Meade-trained charge had previously enjoyed successes in the July Stakes and the Phoenix Stakes as a two-year-old.
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