50/1 Glorious Goodwood Ante-Post RAB 2021

The seven-year-old during the winter suffered an injury setback which saw him pick up a small fracture in one of his legs and it looked a race against time to get him back for the royal meeting.

Battaash was better than ever last term landing his first ever King's Stands Stakes at Royal Ascot and then backing that up at Goodwood with his fourth King George Qatar Stakes.

He then went to York looking for his first ever win in the Nunthorpe and with a gritty, determined performance in soft conditions, he went on to take the event.

The superstar was not seen again last season having swerved the Prix de l'Abbaye due to soft ground and instead was waited on this season having suffered a setback.

Back in the King's Stands Stakes looking to defend his title, not having a run prior to the event told when he got to the front but could not use his searing finishing pace to kill off the race.

Looking for his fifth straight win in the King George Qatar Stakes we should see a much improved Battaash and if he is anywhere back to his best he should take this out.

The seven year old has been the poster boy for the UK staying division for the last four seasons landing 10 races in a row including winning a Weatherbys-sponsored £1million bonus in the last two seasons after landing the Yorkshire Cup, Ascot Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup and Lonsdale Cup at York.

As mentioned, Stradivarius lost his unbeaten record that stretched back to May 2018, when being pipped in a photo finish on Champions Day 2019 in the Long Distance Cup.

He came back last season and had a prep run in the Group One Coronation Cup where he ran to a good standard finishing third and gave him the run he needed to go and win a third straight renewal of this event.

After joining the likes of Double Trigger and Yeats after landing the Gold Cup, he headed to Glorious Goodwood seeking a fourth win in the Goodwood Cup, which he went on to win.

He was dropped in trip after that in prep for the Arc, where the race did not suit him and that seemed to really mess him about with him only beating one home in the Long Distance Cup.

The mighty veteran came back this season for the Group Three Sagaro Stakes at Ascot and was a superb winner of the event over two miles.

It set him up perfectly for a crack at his fourth straight victory in the Ascot Gold Cup at the royal meeting but unfortunately it was not to be with him being left far too much to do when turning for home.

He was beaten by Subjectivist who through injury does not turn up here and with that in mind it leaves him in the field as the stayer to beat if bouncing back to form.

The son of Kingman has been pretty much faultless to date, winning both his starts as a juvenile, starting at Sandown back in August winning a nice maiden and then going on to back that up over the same course and distance.

He made his seasonal debut at Newcastle on the all weather seeing off a stern effort from the Richard Fahey trained Acquitted but off the back of that he improved a massive amount to hunt down Pinatubo late in the day at Royal Ascot in the St James’s Palace Stakes.

Having four wins from four races, he put his unbeaten run on the line in the Group One Jacques Le Marois and in heavy ground cleared away from the field with the Jessica Harrington trained Alpine Star the closest to him.

That set him up perfectly for his final run of the season in the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on British Champions Day, but unfortunately he had to settle for third and lost his unbeaten record.

Back for another season this term, the four year old made his seasonal debut at Sandown on the Group Two bet365 Mile and despite only being 85% fit, powered clear of a fair field.

That put him spot on for the Group One Lockinge Stakes where he went on to dominate again and really stamp his authority on the mile division.

He was last seen being one of the bankers of the meeting at Royal Ascot in the Group One Queen Anne Stakes and he duly obliged taking the event fairly comfortably.

The colt is the star of the mile division and although taking on the younger horses in this event he looks the one to beat.

Our first place selection in the RAB is the Richard Hannon Group One winning filly Snow Lantern, who enters the Nassau Stakes off the back of a career best run last time out at Newmarket.

Having been seen once as a juvenile last term finishing second in a smart event at Ascot, she bounced back for her first run of this season in a strong maiden over a mile and the extra furlong seemed to bring the best out of her.

Second favourite to Derab, who looks to be an exciting half brother to Enable, the filly went away from the boys in final stages to show how talented she was

The quick ground played to her strengths whilst also showing speed and stamina over her first try of a mile.

She was sent to York next time out in a Listed Fillies' Stakes and although running well could only finish third behind Primo Bacio.

Next time out she gave the best performance of her career when a good second behind Alcohol Free in the Group One Coronation Stakes.

She was last seen putting up an electric performance in the Group One Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket when getting up late in the day from 1000 Guineas winner Mother Earth.

That performance puts her massively in the fold for this event, having shown decent form over this trip aswell as the mile.

The final selection is the James Ferguson trained First Folio, who we believe can hit the top four in the Class 2 Stewards' Cup on the Saturday at Glorious Goodwood.

The three year old gelding has been a revelation this term, having been bought over from France holding some sort of ability, but Ferguson has bought bundles out of him.

This season he made his seasonal debut at Yarmouth in Class 4 Handicap and he ran out an emphatic winner, making a mockery of his mark.

Sent into a tough event at Newmarket he finished a decent fifth behind some nice types, but next time out bounced back to form at York to land Class 2 event over six furlongs.

The form of that race has worked out well with the second winning an even better event next time out and if drawn right, First Folio has the form to be in the places.