2023 St James’ Palace Stakes Tips

Chaldean returned to the winners’ enclosure in early May when winning the 2000 Guineas, with the three-year-old claiming a victory at odds of 7/2. There was a big gamble on the horse when it came to this classic race at Newmarket, with punters not getting a run for their money in the previous race where the horse was bumped early at Newbury.

As a two-year-old, it was a procession of victories and they were all over seven furlongs, with the horse now showing the capability to step up to a mile. However, Paddington is boasting a 100% record this season and can’t be easily discounted. Aidan O’Brien’s horse just keeps scoring and we have the Irish 2000 Guineas winner coming to Ascot.

Ryan Moore will be on board a runner who won a listed race at the Curragh at the beginning of May. Cicero’s Gift is another horse that has to be respected, with Charles Hills having seen his horse pass all three assignments thus far. A conditions stakes victory came at Goodwood where the runner enjoyed a five and a half length win.

Isaac Shelby can claim to have “beaten” Chaldean this year after winning the race where the favourite unseated his rider, although the horse also showed it is very capable when claiming runner-up in the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains at Longchamp. There’s definitely each-way mileage after a solid performance on very soft ground.

2022 St James’s Palace Stakes Tips

Coroebus is the odds-on favourite for the 2022 St James’s Palace Stakes although the big question is whether the horse deserves to be market leader? While winning the 2000 Guineas was no mean feat, it seems like a short price considering the quality of the other runners in the race.

While there was plenty to like about the win at Newmarket, the runner only touched off Native Trail in the end after previously winning the Emirates Autumn Stakes back on 9 October 2021, with Charlie Appleby hoping that the horse can deliver the goods on Day One of the Ascot meeting.

Native Trail was trading as the betting favourite to win this race before being defeated by his stablemate, although we can’t rule out the possibility that the Godolphin charge will frank the finishing order this time around and he hadn’t put a step wrong before that Newmarket tussle.

Having been sent off as short priced favourite in the bet365 Craven Stakes, the horse duly obliged by three-and-a-half lengths, with a win in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes coming back in October and this runner looks like a decent each-way shout.

Modern Games makes up the first three in the betting and this is an exciting runner who is bidding for a fourth successive win after a recent hat-trick of successes. This includes the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and we’re surprised that punters are currently able to secure such a big price.

The History of the St James’s Palace Stakes

St James’s Palace was a royal residence during the Tudor period, with this continuing to be the most senior royal palace in the United Kingdom. It was built by order of Henry VIII in the 1530’s, with the race having been inaugurated as long ago as 1834.

The race has been a Group 1 affair since 1988, with many of the leading contenders having come directly from the 2,000 Guineas which has previously been run during the Flat season each year. Indeed, it’s not uncommon to find the winner of the latter race lining up in this encounter at Royal Ascot.

Mick Kinane is currently the leading jockey when it comes to successes, landing six victories in the St James’s Palace Stakes, with the rider triumphing on Rock of Gibraltar and Giant’s Causeway among other runners.

Aidan O’Brien has experienced an enormous amount of success in this race and Circus Maximus was his eighth winner in 2019, having also earned wins with Excellent Art and Mastercraftsman among other runners.

Circus Maximus was an Irish thoroughbred winner, with the horse having previously won the Dee Stakes at Chester before claiming a Royal Ascot win and then landing a victory in the Prix du Moulin, while he was also second in the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.

How to Bet on the St James’s Palace Stakes

The 2019 renewal of the St James’s Palace Stakes saw eleven runners line up and we should generally expect a similar number of horse each year, with that leading to relatively favourable each-way terms. If there are between eight and fifteen horses lining up in a race, then you can usually get ¼ odds for the first three places.

Therefore an each-way bet is possible and many punted Circus Maximus at 10/1 from an each-way perspective as that would have returned a handsome profit if the horse had landed second or third, although a victory meant a pay-out on the win and place part of the bet.

Alternatively, you can bet on the nose for this race which is just a straight stake on the winner, while there’s also the option with some bookies to simply back a horse to place in the race.

There are reverse forecast bets available where you aim to predict the first two in any order, while there is also straight forecast and tricast betting which can be a straight tricast and a reverse tricast.