The Kensington Palace Stakes Handicap was a new addition to the slate in 2021. It takes place at 18:10 on Wednesday 21st June, which is the second day of Royal Ascot 2023. View the runners here, and also make sure to check out the odds and tips on offer for this race.

NO.DRAW
FORM

HORSE

ODDS

JOCKEY& TRAINER

AGE

WGT

RPR

13⁽¹⁸⁾

018-63

Don't Tell Claire

J: Jack Mitchell

T: Daniel & Claire Kubler

8-13

110

Course regular but her best efforts have come over the straight 1m, including splitting Crystal Caprice and Tarrabb last autumn; creditable third to Farhh To Shy and Belhaven here last time; eighth in this last year; suspicion she'll find a few too strong again.

7⁽¹³⁾

0/217-

Divine Light

J: Daniel Muscutt

T: Kevin Philippart De Foy

9-3

106

Turf/AW winner; creditable seventh of nine in 1m Deauville Listed race (good to soft) last July (final start for Jerome Reynier); this looks a tough starting point for new stable after just under a year off the track.

1⁽¹⁵⁾

002-16

Roman Mist

J: Hollie Doyle

T: Archie Watson

9-12

101

111

Looked better than ever in Listed event at Goodwood (1m, heavy) on stable/seasonal debut, gamely making all; added to her slightly patchy record in the last 12 months when a disappointing last of six in Epsom Group 3 since; others are preferred.

11⁽¹²⁾

51-912

Belhaven

J: Pierre-Louis Jamin

T: Harry Eustace

9-1

108

Firmly back on the up with a clearcut win at Nottingham (extended 1m, soft) in May; just as good when narrowly denied by Farhh To Shy over the straight 1m here (soft again) 11 days later; should give her running but a further 3lb nudge up the weights demands a bit more; all wins on good or softer, so any rain is in her favour.

20⁽⁹⁾

016258

Sly Madam

J: Rose Dawes

T: Sheena West

8-8

110

Recorded her sixth turf win when scoring at Windsor (1m, soft) in April; ran creditably behind some of these rivals at Nottingham and here (straight 1m) last month but well below par at Leicester latest.

14⁽²²⁾

-49631

Farhh To Shy

J: Jamie Spencer

T: George Margarson

8-13

115

Likeable mare who accounted for Belhaven and a few more of these rivals when gaining career win number five over the straight 1m here (soft) last month, impressing with the way she moved to the front before clinging on over a trip which is a maximum for her; also acts on good to firm; Spencer could get on well with this strong traveller but she might have to be played for luck from a wide stall.

19⁽²⁾

720-08

Golden Spice

J: David Probert

T: George Margarson

8-9

109

Usually goes forward; had a productive first half of 2022, winning four times over 7f on turf/AW, but well below par in both outings this year 12 weeks apart (had wind surgery in between); others much more obvious.

12⁽¹⁹⁾

31-741

Tamarama

J: Frankie Dettori

T: Ralph Beckett

9-1

109

Three wins at up to 1m2f for Charles Hills and back on the up at the third time of asking for new connections when making all at Kempton (1m) a fortnight ago; sold for £200,000 on Monday; likely to be popular under Dettori but may not find it as straightforward to control this race from the front from her wide stall.

5⁽⁸⁾

38-168

Villanova Queen

J: Colin Keane

T: Mrs John Harrington

9-10

106

Made a successful return from an absence in a 7.5f conditions event at Tipperary (good to yielding) in April but below that level in her two subsequent outings; wasn't seen to best effect in a Naas Listed race last time but neither was the reopposing Yerwanthere who was narrowly in front of her on that occasion and is 6lb better off with her here.

18⁽⁶⁾

110-61

Discretion

J: Trevor Whelan

T: Harry & Roger Charlton

8-10

110

Not seen at three after finishing well held in the Sandringham at this meeting but back on the up at the second time of asking this term when making all in a six-runner race at Yarmouth (1m, good to firm) 13 days ago; 4lb higher in a much tougher race now.

2⁽²¹⁾

139-41

Indian Wish

J: Declan McDonogh

T: Joseph Patrick O'Brien

9-12

101

106

Listed winner over 1m on AW in France and successful in same grade at Gowran (9.5f, yielding) seven weeks ago on only her second outing for current yard; did that quite tidily and could have more to give for her new stable.

10⁽¹⁷⁾

0940-8

Love Interest

J: Daniel Tudhope

T: David O'Meara

9-2

107

Newcastle 2yo novice winner (7f, AW) who twice made the frame in turf Listed races last year (1m/7f); well beaten in 7f Lingfield (AW) Group 3 on reappearance 39 days ago; yard's handicap runners at big meetings are always worth a second look but she isn't an obvious one.

3⁽²⁰⁾

130-54

Crystal Caprice

J: Ryan Moore

T: Sir Michael Stoute

9-12

101

108

Very progressive at three, including a success over the straight 1m here; bombed out on soft-ground reappearance but back on track when fourth in 1m2f Ayr Listed race (good) four weeks ago, her stamina appearing to ebb away late on after hitting the front going well 2f out; drop back to 1m looks a good move; interesting contender, although her draw could make life awkward.

17⁽¹¹⁾

0520-3

Adelaise

J: Mikey Sheehy

T: Joseph Patrick O'Brien

8-11

110

Bought for 75,000gns out of the Meade yard last summer; well held on stable debut in September but fared a lot better when third of 20 on her reappearance at the Curragh (1m, good), finishing well having had to switch for a run; one of three interesting contenders for the Joseph O'Brien yard.

4⁽³⁾

3455-9

Mukaddamah

J: Jim Crowley

T: Roger Varian

9-10

107

Some creditable efforts in Group and Listed races last season and soft ground provides an excuse for her disappointing reappearance last month; connections have a bit of a rethink about her trip having campaigned her over 1m2f/1m4f since she finished second in a C&D conditions event last April; also sports first-time cheekpieces.

15⁽¹⁴⁾

43120-

Zenga

J: David Egan

T: Roger Varian

8-11

109

Easy winner of a 9.4f novice at Wolverhampton (AW) last July; better form when second on her handicap debut at Lingfield (1m2f, AW) the following month but well held back on the grass at Newmarket in the autumn; remains fairly unexposed after only five starts but does need to prove she's as effective on turf as AW; has had wind surgery.

16⁽¹⁾

142-51

Lady Eros

J: Oisin Murphy

T: John & Thady Gosden

8-11

113

Got stuck in the mud on her 1m2f reappearance here but firmly back on the up with a 2l Yarmouth handicap success (1m, good to firm) 20 days ago, not looking all out; can do better again for leading stable; considered.

9⁽⁴⁾

1135-2

Tarrabb

J: William Buick

T: Owen Burrows

9-2

113

First season of racing last year, winning three times and also a creditable third to Crystal Caprice in handicap here (straight 1m); solid start to her 4yo campaign when second at Chelmsford (7f) seven weeks ago and she looks to have been saved for this since; tongue tied first time; handily drawn and there are reasons to be positive about her prospects for an in-form yard.

NR⁽²³⁾

311-17

Al Agaila

T: Simon & Ed Crisford

9-3

106

Rapidly developed into a useful performer on AW over the winter; run of progressive form came to an abrupt halt back on turf at Nottingham (extended 1m) 17 days ago after a break, connections reporting that she didn't handle ground which was officially good to firm; drawn widest.

6⁽¹⁰⁾

11-7

Yerwanthere

J: James McDonald

T: Joseph Patrick O'Brien

9-4

113

Won both starts at two (trained on debut by Pat Foley) and shaped a lot better than the result when 4l seventh of 11 in a Naas Listed event (7f, good) on reappearance, repeatedly denied a run towards the inner in the home straight; remains open to improvement and a mark in the low-90s could underestimate her.

RACING POST TIP

Yerwanthere

A host have chances in just the second running of this race but HAZIYA and White Moonlight do stand out as progressive candidates. Preference is for the former who looks the better drawn of the pair and whose Curragh third last time out shows she can cope with the demands of a big-field handicap. State Occasion is one who could go well at likely bigger odds, while Improvised has obvious handicapping scope if her stamina holds now that she races beyond 7f for the first time.

Verdict

Past 10 Winners

Key race stats

What happened last year?

Being run for just the second time, the Kensington Palace Stakes threw up one of the biggest shocks of the meeting last year, the first two home priced at 40-1. Rising Star led home Random Harvest, with just a neck separating them, while the well-fancied favourite Haziya (7-2) and White Moonlight (9-2) finished last and second-last of the 20-runner field. The front two would go on to fill the same positions in the Listed Dick Hern Stakes later in the season.

Kensington Palace Stakes

15:05 Royal Ascot

RACING POST TIP

Verdict

Past 10 Winners

Key race stats

What happened last year?

All Races