Diamond Jubilee Stakes Tips, Offers and Odds

The Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Ascot is one of the big sprint races of the season. Here we provide our betting tips for this blistering contest and highlight some of the best odds and offers available.

First run at the track in 1868, this 6f Group 1 contest is open to runners aged four and older and offers a whopping £600,000 in total prize money. With around £300k for the winner, it’s no surprise to see the best in the business lining up here and we can’t wait!

Diamond Jubilee Stakes Tips and Betting Offers, 4:20 at Royal Ascot, 22 June 2019

The Diamond Jubilee Stakes is the final Group 1 of Royal Ascot. It is a fittingly exciting and explosive race to help bring the curtain down on yet another successful five day meeting and has attracted some of the very best sprinters around. Open to horses aged four and older since the introduction of the Commonwealth Cup in 2015, this is a 6 furlong sprint of the highest calibre as reflected by the winning prize of £340,260.

Is An Incredible Double on the Cards?

Final declarations for Diamond Jubilee Stakes brought some very interesting news. From a negative perspective, the much fancied French raider, Inns Of Court, will not be taking up the option to run. On the positive, Blue Point’s connections believe he has what it takes to complete a fantastic double after his win in the King’s Stand Stakes.

The case for Blue Point is a strong one. He’s shown that he can cope with softer conditions underfoot and has truly excellent form figures at Ascot. Moreover, he recovered after jumping from the stall on Tuesday to finish strongly which requires impressive reserves of stamina.

Go In Search of the Value

The only question about Blue Point is whether he represents good value at a general 5/2. Recent Diamond Jubilee renewals have provided a fair few shocks and it may be worth backing a couple of longer priced selections given the quality of those in the field.

The Tin Man is certainly a very appealing option. James Fanshawe’s seven-year-old won this race in 2017 and was only just edged out in his attempts to defend at Royal Ascot last year. That win two years ago was one of three Group 1 sprint wins for The Tin Man (including the Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot) who Fanshawe believes is right at the top of his game now.

Another tempting option at the same price is Sands Of Mali. He is another winner of the British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot, his win coming on the similarly soft ground to that which he’ll experience on Saturday. That ability to dig in and run well on the soft is a skill that not all of those in the field have so Sands Of Mali could be about to spring another surprise in a career that’s had plenty of them.

Betting Predictions

The narrative ahead of the Diamond Jubilee Stakes will surround whether or not Blue Point can complete the double. It will be fascinating to see how that pans out but there are a couple of more tempting options in the betting lead by a couple of former Ascot winners.

The Tin Man (12/1 with Paddy Power) is the one from the middle of the market who is most likely to get all of these beaten given his previous Royal Ascot form and the way that he should come on from a decent showing last time out at Windsor. Each way punters should consider lending their support to Sands Of Mali who may even hold on to win if the ground doesn’t dry out too much.

Previous Winners

2018 – Merchant Navy – jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Aidan O’Brien
2017 – The Tin Man – jockey Tom Queally, trainer James Fanshawe
2016 – Twilight Son – jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Henry Candy
2015 – Undrafted – jockey Frankie Dettori, trainer Wesley Ward
2014 – Slade Power – jockey Wayne Lordan, trainer Edward Lynam
2013 – Lethal Force – jockey Adam Kirby, trainer Clive Cox
2012 – Black Caviar – jockey Luke Nolen, trainer Peter Moody
2011 – Society Rock – jockey Pat Cosgrave, trainer James Fanshawe
2010 – Starspangledbanner – jockey Johnny Murtagh, trainer Aidan O’Brien
2009 – Art Connoisseur – jockey Tom Queally, trainer Michael Bell
2008 – Kingsgate Native – jockey Seb Sanders, trainer John Best
2007 – Soldier’s Tale – jockey Johnny Murtagh, trainer Jeremy Noseda
2006 – Les Arcs – jockey John Egan, trainer Tim Pitt

Diamond Jubilee Stakes History

Initially being run as the All-Aged Stakes in 1868, the title of the contest was later changed to give its first nod to Royalty in 1926. The Cork and Orrery was the moniker given in order to pay homage to one Richard Edmund St Lawrence Boyle, also known as the 9th Earl of Cork. The title of the race remained as such until 2002 when it became known as the Golden Jubilee Stakes. That change was to commemorate the 50 year reign of renowned racing fan Queen Elizabeth II. As Queen Elizabeth II was still going strong on the throne in 2012, the name was altered yet again and currently goes by the Diamond Jubilee Stakes. We’re not ruling out another name change with evergreen Liz going strong!

Whatever the title, this has always been one of the premier sprinting events of the season. Being granted Group 3 status when grading began in 1971, it was elevated to a Group 2 in 1998 and finally became recognized as a Group 1 contest in 2002. The major alteration to the conditions of this race came in 2015, when the race was closed to three year olds. The reason for this change was the addition of the Commonwealth Cup to the Royal Ascot Offering, which is open only to three year olds.

The prestige and value of the Diamond Jubilee Stakes attracts the crack sprinters not just from Britain and Ireland but also much further afield. Undrafted took the prize for Wesley Ward and the U.S.A in 2015. Then, in 2012, the race was one by one of the most famous Australian racehorses of all time, the 25 race-unbeaten superstar, Black Caviar.

Only a handful of horses have managed to win back to back editions of this most competitive of sprint contests over the years. Moreover, only one has won three in a row. For a race so long associated with royalty it is the aptly named Prince Charlie who achieved this feat between the years of 1872 and 1874.

Best Jockeys and Trainers

This race serves as an excellent reminder as to the longevity at the top level of Lester Piggott, the King of Royal Ascot. First taking the race in 1958 aboard Right Boy, Lester scored his last success some 35 years later when steering College Chapel to victory in 1993. With a total of nine wins in all, The Long Fellow is the most successful jockey in the history of the race.

It is not only among the ranks of the jockeys where the best record here belongs to one of the all-time legends of the game. Irish maestro Vincent O’Brien leads the way amongst the trainers with five wins. So all-encompassing were O’Brien’s talents that not only could he win sprint contests such as this, but also managed to record six wins in the Derby and three Grand Nationals in a row.