Ribblesdale Stakes Betting Tips and Offers

Ribblesdale Stakes Preview: Tips, Betting Offers and Odds

One of the many highlights on an excellent opening day at Royal Ascot in 2020 is the Ribblesdale Stakes. Read on for the best odds and offers as well as our betting tips for the race.

With £200,000 in prize money on offer, a smart field is guaranteed for this Group 1 contest over 1m4f. Restricted to three year old fillies, the race was first run at Ascot in 1919.

Ribblesdale Stakes Tips and Betting Offers, 3:40 at Royal Ascot, 16 June 2020

One of the hottest favourites of the opening day with the John Gosden-trained Frankly Darling. This daughter of Frankel clearly has the pedigree, and her win at Newcastle on 1st June gave indications that she’s one to be taken seriously. Whether the current price offers much value remains to be seen, but with little in the way of serious challengers here, we’re happy to follow the market on this one.

Previous Winners

2019 – Star Catcher – jockey Frankie Dettori, trainer John Gosden
2018 – Magic Wand – jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Aidan O’Brien
2017 – Coronet – jockey Olivier Peslier, trainer John Gosden
2016 – Even Song – jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Aidan O’Brien
2015 – Curvy – jockey Ryan Moore, trainer David Wachman
2014 – Bracelet – jockey Joseph O’Brien, trainer Aidan O’Brien
2013 – Riposte – jockey Tom Queally, trainer Lady Cecil
2012 – Princess Highway – jockey Pat Smullen, trainer Dermot Weld
2011 – Banimpire – jockey Kevin Manning, trainer Jim Bolger
2010 – Hibaayeb – jockey Frankie Dettori, trainer Saeed bin Suroor
2009 – Flying Cloud – jockey Frankie Dettori, trainer Saeed bin Suroor
2008 – Michita – jockey Jimmy Fortune, trainer John Gosden
2007 – Silkwood – jockey Philip Robinson, trainer Michael Jarvis
2006 – Mont Etoile – jockey Michael Hills, trainer William Haggas

History

Beginning life in 1919, this race was originally a 1 mile contest for three and four year olds. Following a brief absence during the war years the contest returned in 1948 but was now run over its current distance of 1m4f. Two years later and the new conditions which prevail to this day were established with the race being restricted to three year old fillies in 1950.

Unsurprisingly given the conditions of the race, this is regularly contested by those performers to have either run in the Oaks at Epsom, or who subsequently go on to tackle the Irish version at the Curragh.

1959 winner Cantelo was one of the best in the first 50 years of the race, proving classy enough to win the St. Leger in the same year. The fillies’ owner went by the name of William Hill. Yes, that William Hill, founder of one of Britain’s largest bookmaking chains.

In 1967 the race was won by one of the great bargains of the racing world. Park Top didn’t look very good on paper and was resultantly cheap at the sales at just 500 Guineas. None of that stopped her adding to her win here, with further Royal Ascot success in the Hardwicke Stakes, a Coronation Cup win at Epsom and a career highlight triumph in the 1969 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Park Top was certainly something of a one off as having hailed from unpromising stock, her career as a broodmare also yielded little of note.

One of the best winners of the late 20th Century came with Dick Hern’s 1980 heroine Shoot A Line. In a hugely successful three year old campaign the daughter of High Line also landed the Yorkshire, Cheshire and Irish Oaks.

2011 signalled the beginning of an excellent run of form for the Irish with the prize going to an Irish trained runner in four of the next five years, courtesy of Jim Bolger, Dermot Weld, Aidan O’Brien and David Wachman.

It is no surprise to see the renowned trainer of fillies Sir Henry Cecil amongst the list of most successful trainers here. With five wins in the race he sits atop the trainer’s table with John Dunlop and Saeed bin Suroor.

Frankie Dettori rode all five of Saeed bin Suroor’s winners for Godolphin, and having also landed the spoils aboard Phantom Gold for Lord Huntingdon in 1995 and the winner for John Gosden in 2019, it is the Italian of magnificent seven fame who leads the way amongst the jockeys with seven wins in total.