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The 2017 Diamond Jubilee Stakes run at Royal Ascot on Saturday is the Royal Meeting’s main sprint.
Limato is the $3.25 favourite at Sportsbet and is a high quality sprinter. He’ll be tough to beat in the 2017 Diamond Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at Royal Ascot on Saturday.
2017 DIAMOND JUBILEE STAKES – MARKET
$3.25: Limato
$7: The Tin Man$8: Tasleet
$8.50: Magical Memory$13: Librisa Breeze
*All others quoted at $17 or greater in full market.
2017 DIAMOND JUBILEE STAKES - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
Royal Ascot's most prestigious sprint was given a new name and elevated to Group One status to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002. The contest was formerly run as the Cork and Orrery Stakes.
Then in 2012 it was changed again to the Diamond Jubilee to commemorate her 60th year as the Monarch.
In 2012 we hoped to see more history made with Australia’s mighty champion Black Caviar going for win number 22 from 22 starts against some of Europe’s best sprinters.
Instead we got some of the worst moments for anyone with a heart condition that you could witness. While publicly all was good in the Moody camp, it may not have been absolutely hunky dory behind the scenes with the mare. Just even in the birdcage and mounting yard you could sense Black Caviar was not her usual self.
While OK in preliminaries for Luke Nolen, all appeared well enough after jumping which was half the issue down. She was with the leaders at halfway and then near the stands rail she tried to pull away. The response was not quite as hoped for and Luke realized this wasn’t going to be a doddle.
With a length up his sleeve and feeling she’d given all at the 100m, he began to ease. The margin whittled quickly so he had to click her up despite the rise in ground. That length became a head and only for her tenacity and steely determination did she bob on the line. Bet his heart skipped a beat too.
The relief was palpable be it in the Ascot yard, within the stands where thousands of Aussies had migrated and around the world where back home late night parties had stayed up after midnight to witness the close call.
History will show the trip was even more enduring with problems in Quarantine but a long spell did her the world of good and she won three more times before retiring undefeated.
It had been a grey’s week in 2013 a Lethal Force continued it. He went straight to the front nearer the Grandstand rail and despite being niggled along some way out, his seven furlong strength came out. He was able to overturn the result from York with Society Rock who maintained his wonderful record in this race.
2014 saw Slade Power scored a dominant win albeit ducking off the track and causing some interference. He was the best of the UK & Irish sprinters at the time and confirmed it with the July Cup win.
The Americans won in 2015 with Undrafted as he fought off the Australian Brazen Beau in a real international finish.
The 2016 running saw Twilight Son a running with only nine entries. They were stretched across the track and he got the front in time to hold off the late challenge from Gold Fun from Hong Kong.
PROFILING THE RACE OVER RECENT YEARS
o The race has been re-named several times from the All Aged Stakes to the Cork And Orrery Stakes then the Golden Jubilee before becoming the Diamond Jubilee for the Queen’s momentous period.o Another of the big sprints in England that have been contested so strongly by the Aussies with Black Caviar, Starspangledbanner and Choisir winners and other placegetters.
o It’s the race that probably put Danehill on the map.o Again it is Vincent O’Brien and Lester Piggott who have owned this race - the latter winning it an amazing nine times.
o Big upset race here. There have been four winners at 20-1 or more since 2006 alone.o Winner’s Lead Up Races - King’s Stand Stks (1), Greenlands Stks (1), Duke Of York Stks (3), Goodwood Hcp (1), Haydock Conditions Stks (1), John Of Gaunt Stks (1), Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stks (1), Spell (1)
