Hardwicke Stakes Betting Tips
Hardwicke Stakes Preview: Tips, Betting Offers and Odds
The first Group race on the fifth and final day at Royal Ascot is the Hardwicke Stakes. Read on for the best odds, offers, betting tips and more.
This 1m4f Group 2 contest, for horses aged four and older was first run at Ascot in 1879 and now offers £225,000 in total prize money.
Previous Winners
- 2019 – Defoe – jockey Andrea Atzeni, trainer Roger Varian
- 2018 – Crystal Ocean – jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Sir Michael Stoute
- 2017 – Idaho – jockey Seamie Heffernan, trainer Aidan O’Brien
- 2016 – Dartmouth – jockey Olivier Peslier, trainer Sir Michael Stoute
- 2015 – Snow Sky – jockey Pat Smullen, trainer Sir Michael Stoute
- 2014 – Telescope – jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Sir Michael Stoute
- 2013 – Thomas Chippendale – jockey Johnny Murtagh, trainer Lady Cecil
- 2012 – Sea Moon – jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Sir Michael Stoute
- 2011 – Await the Dawn – jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Aidan O’Brien
- 2010 – Harbinger – jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Sir Michael Stoute
- 2009 – Bronze Cannon – jockey Jimmy Fortune, trainer John Gosden
- 2008 – Macarthur – jockey Johnny Murtagh, trainer Aidan O’Brien
- 2007 – Maraahel – jockey Richard Hills, trainer Sir Michael Stoute
- 2006 – Maraahel – jockey Richard Hills, trainer Sir Michael Stoute
Race History
The Hardwicke of this races title refers to the 5th Earl of Hardwicke Charles Philip Yorke. Given some of the tales surrounding the Earl, his official title doesn’t seem to do him justice. The pleasure seeking Yorke certainly seems to have spent a lot of time living up to his nickname of “Champagne Charlie” and would have no doubt enjoyed a punt on the race named in his honour.
This may “only” be a Group 2 contest, but that hasn’t stopped a number of the winners here later proving up to the task at Group 1 level in the prestigious King George VII and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Aureole and Aggressor were amongst the earliest to achieve the double, with Doyen and Harbinger following suit in more recent times. Aureole certainly has a fruitful association with this race, as his son Aurelius won here in 1962, eight years after his father’s success.
With racehorses hitting the peak of their physical powers in their four year old campaign and often maintaining this level at five, we would expect to see the occasional multiple winner of this. Fruits Of Love and Maraahel are amongst the most recent to record two wins but we have to go way back to the 1880’s to find the only horse to win the race three times.
In terms of versatility Tristan must go down as one of the greatest ever racehorses. In a period of dominance between 1882 and 1884, he recorded three successive wins not just in this race, but also the Grand Prix de Deauville and Champion Stakes. The fact that the colt also recorded a win in the 6f July Cup and 2m4f Ascot Gold Cup in this period is a truly remarkable achievement. Not that Tristan seemed to enjoy any of it very much as he was almost as well known for his terrible temper as his exceptional exploits at the track.
Sir Michael Stoute has a well-deserved reputation as being just about the best trainer around when it comes to older horses. This contest certainly provides substance to that reputation as the Newmarket handler has a record setting 11 wins in the race, including a hat-trick of victories from 2014 to 2016.
The best record amongst the jockeys is shared by two legends of flat racing. Lester Piggott has no equal at the Royal Ascot overall, but is joined at the top of the pile for this contest by fellow great Pat Eddery.