St James’s Palace Stakes Receives Two Supplementary Entries

A total of 22 horses remain at the five-day declaration stage of the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 19, including two horses whose owners have paid a hefty supplementary fee of £25,000 each to have the chance to see their respective horses attempt to upset Royal Ascot 2012 betting odds and contest the coveted one mile race.

Aidan O’Brien’s recent Irish 2000 Guineas winner Power is one of six horses who stood their ground at the current stage, the son of Oasis Dream being a warm 3/1 favourite in the ante-post market for the contest restricted to three-year-old colts.

UAE Derby winner Daddy Long Legs, and the talented pair of Vault and Wrote are amongst the other potential Ballydoyle representatives.

The two additions to the field are the Richard Fahey-trained Gabrial, comfortable winner of a decent Haydock handicap last time out, but who appears to have plenty to find to mix it with proven pattern race performers.

The other is unbeaten French raider Lucayan, trained by Francois Rohaut.

Lucayan sprang a 33/1 surprise when popping up to win the Group 1 Poules D’Essai des Poulains, (the French 2000 Guineas), at Longchamp last month, and the star French miler is now a general second-favourite for the St James’s Palace Stakes at odds of between 7/1 to 10/1, while Gabrial is a best priced 16/1 chance.

Other notable runners to remain in line to face the starter in what will be the third event on the opening day of Royal Ascot, are John Oxx’s Sea the Stars’ half-brother Born to Sea, a disappointment so far this term, John Gosden’s useful pair of Fencing and Gregorian, Brian Meehan’s talented pair of Most Improved and Cogito, and the Mikel Dezangles-trained colts Hermival and Dragon Pulse.

Check out the lasts odds ahead of Royal Ascot at http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/.

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