WATCH FREE

Royal Ascot: how the winners have been rated by the handicappers

Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023

Baaeed wins the Queen Anne Stakes (focusonracing.com)

Baaeed has consolidated his place as the highest-rated horse in the world after his decisive win in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot last week.

The official handicapper reckons the unbeaten colt put up a career-best performance and has nudged him up 2lb to a rating of 128. Real World, who tried valiantly to chase him down, has been pushed up 5lb to 123.

But the clammer in some quarters to compare Baaeed with the mighty Frankel remains wide of the mark. He is still 12lb below the figure achieved by that titan of the turf, who was a scintillating 11-length winner of the Queen Anne a decade ago on his way to winning all 14 of his races.

Coroebus could clash with Baaeed in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood next month but handicapper Dominic Gardiner-Hill has assessed his narrow St James’s Palace victory as being worth a performance rating of just 115 – 6lb below what he achieved in previously landing the 2000 Guineas from Native Trail and Luxembourg. Baaeed is a top-priced 4-7 for the Sussex Stakes, with Coroebus 7-2.

Gardiner-Hill was much more impressed by Inspiral, who has been elevated 6lb to a mark of 121 after landing the Coronation Stakes by almost five lengths. She is a general 4-6 to win the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket and, if sticking to taking on her own sex in the short term, is clearly going to take plenty of beating.

Nature Strip was a similar runaway winner of the King’s Stand Stakes but the Australian star’s task was made easier by Golden Pal fluffing the start and eventually trailing home last. He has been pushed up 2lb to 126 with runner-up Twilight Calls left on a mark of 110.

Britain is without a sprinter rated within 8lb of Nature Strip. Naval Crown was assessed as running to his mark of 118 in landing the Platinum Jubilee Stakes, and similarly handicapper Stewart Copeland believes Perfect Power merely had to run to his rating of 117 to take the Commonwealth Cup. Naval Crown is available at 9-1 for next month's July Cup, with Perfect Power a general 3-1.

The Gold Cup was a messy, unsatisfactory race in which Kyprios fended off Mojo Star and Stradivarius. The winner and second have both been pushed up 2lb, to 119 and 118 respectively. Stradivarius was assessed as running to a figure 1lb below his mark of 118. His mark was 125 after his third Gold Cup triumph, two years ago.

Kyprios scoops the Gold Cup (focusonracing.com)

The Prince of Wales’s Stakes was also a tactical affair but the Joseph O’Brien-trained State Of Rest is up 4lb to 123 after making all and fending off Bay Bridge, who remains on 121.

Eldar Eldarov and Changingoftheguard are prominent in the St Leger betting after their wins at the meeting, although their ratings of 109 and 107 suggest plenty more will be needed between now and September. Westover, the St Leger favourite after finishing third in the Derby, has a rating of 116.

Among the two-year-olds, Bradsell has been awarded a rating of 112 after beating a deep field in the Coventry Stakes. To give that some context, Berkshire Shadow was rated 107 after winning the Coventry last year, while Calyx was awarded a mark of 115 after his win in 2018.

Dramatised is on 110 after enhancing her reputation with victory in the Queen Mary while The Ridler has been awarded 108 after his much-debated Norfolk Stakes success. The Aidan O’Brien pair Meditate and Little Big Bear are on 103 after their respective wins, with Holloway Boy’s surprise Chesham victory adjudged as being worth a performance rating of 104.

Six-length Duke Of Edinburgh winner Candleford has been shunted up 13lb to a rating of 104, while Britannia winner Thesis is up 9lb to 99.

Racing TV

9.5K Videos
223.0K Subscribers
197.7M Views

RACING TV is the home of British and Irish racing, showcasing live and exclusive horse racing action from 61 of the very best racecourses in the UK and Ireland in stunning HD. Our dedicated horse racing channel was set up in 2004 by our racecourse shareholders and is dedicated to broadcasting more than 800 live race meetings a year with commentary, debate and tipping from 35 of the UK's top racecourses and all 26 Irish racecourses. All Racing TV profits are returned to its racecourse shareholders to support the sport. Racing TV goes out to over 65,000 commercial and residential subscribers. Tune in by going to Sky 424 (UK, NI, ROI), Virgin Media 536 (UK, NI), 411 (ROI). You can also watch Racing TV at racingtv.com and on the iPhone/iPad app, Android app and mobile-optimised website. Find out more about the Racing TV large screen app at www.racingtv.com/largescreenapp Followers must be 18+ and please gamble responsibly: gambleaware.org