King’s Stand Stakes betting tips from the opening day of Royal Ascot 2018. Horsebetting.com look at the hotly anticipated clash between the world’s highest rated sprinter Battaash, last years’ winner Lady Aurelia and Mabs Cross each-way feature. Read our King’s Stand Stakes betting tips to find out why Lady Aurelia is the bet to come out on top.Awesome Lady Aurelia the answer to feature sprintFlying American filly Lady Aurelia is strongly fancied to get the better of Battaash and land a mouthwatering renewal of the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday, 19 June (15:40).
The Wes Ward trained daughter of Scat Daddy has won five of her nine starts and is unbeaten in two runs over course and distance. She was simply sensational when landing the Queen Mary Stakes in 2016, flying from the stalls and bounding clear in effortless fashion to slam Al Johrah by seven lengths.
Lady Aurelia put in a similarly stunning performance when landing this contest 12 months ago under different tactics. She totally destroyed the opposition, travelling strongly throughout on the heels of the leaders before being produced at the furlong marker and quickening clear under a hands a heels ride from John Velazquez to beat Profitable by three lengths.
The turn of foot she showed to put the race to bed was phenomenal and it was a performance which oozed class. Lady Aurelia then get chinned on the line when beaten a nose in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York and has been below par in two subsequent starts, including when beaten on seasonal reappearance. However, she now has her optimum conditions and receives a handy 3lb from Battaash, who is officially rated just 1lb higher.
That makes Lady Aurelia the one to beat on the pick of her form at a track which clearly brings out the best in her.Battaash a formidable opponentBattaash is officially the world’s highest rated sprinter and has a terrific strike rate.
The Charlie Hills trained gelding has won six of his 11 starts and did nothing but improve throughout last season. Prior to boiling over at the start when fourth in the aforementioned Nunthorpe, he had put in a cracking performance to land the Group 2 King George Stakes at Goodwood when easily beating Profitable by 2 1/4 lengths.
Battaash quickened twice, once to take up the running and a inside the last when changing his legs to put the race firmly to bed. That is the sign of something special and he went on to round off the season with an electric display of speed to make virtually all and come home four lengths clear of Marsha in the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye at Chantilly.
Battaash comes into the race having made a winning return to action in the Group 2 Temple Stakes at Haydock, but he made hard work of things in beating Washington DC by just a head and will need to step up on that to give weight to Lady Aurelia.Mabs Cross each-way valuerMabs Cross has a progressive profile and looks the best each-way value in the race. The Michael Dods trained four-year-old filly has won five of her nine starts and showed a willing attitude in the last of those at Newmarket when landing the Group 3 Palace House Stakes by a neck.
She backed that up with a cracking effort when staying on from off the pace to finish a three-quarters of a length fourth to Battaash in the Temple Stakes. That run entitles Mabs Cross to have a crack at this level and she is a tough and genuine sort who always gives her all.
She is clearly going the right way and looks open to further progress. At the odds on offer, Mabs Cross looks overpriced and a lively outsider.Your Next Bet
