In this betting preview:
One of the most prestigious sporting events of the UK’s calendar year, the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes runs on Saturday (9 a.m. ET, NBC/Peacock). The premier horse racing event of Royal Ascot Day 5 features 14 of the best sprinters aged four or older in the world (three and older in the Southern Hemisphere).
After stunning the 2023 field with an 80-1 upset victory, reigning champion Khaadem will be looking to defend his title. The Irish colt’s shocking win 12 months ago serves as a reminder that this race is often wide-open from a betting perspective, and this year’s Bet365 odds board reaffirms that notion with nine of the 14 horses listed at 12-to-1 or shorter.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you should go chasing Khaadem at 20-1 just because he won this event last year. That was his only victory since July 2022, and he hasn’t finished better than fifth place in any of his four races since. Before his 80-1 victory and Naval Crown’s 33-1 win in 2022, the previous six champions were +450 or shorter to win.
Like anything related to sports betting, approaching events during the Royal Ascot is all about value. Let’s take a look at the Bet365 odds to win the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, then discuss the best bets, top sleepers and values, and strongest prop picks for this time-honored event.
All odds courtesy of Bet365. Pos = post position.
Pos. | Horse | Odds |
8 | Kinross | 7/2 |
13 | Millstream | 4/1 |
2 | Shartash | 6/1 |
1 | Mitbaahy | 6/1 |
5 | Believing | 8/1 |
11 | Shouldvebeenaring | 10/1 |
7 | Art Power | 12/1 |
14 | The Wizard of Eye | 12/1 |
10 | Washington Heights | 12/1 |
3 | Swingalong | 16/1 |
12 | Khaadem | 20/1 |
9 | Quinault | 33/1 |
6 | Vadream | 66/1 |
4 | Jumby | 66/1 |
It’s hard to get away from Kinross as the best bet in the field, as the seven-year-old colt has put together such a stellar racing resume over the past four years. The softer conditions at Great Britain’s Ascot Race Course play to Kinross’s endurance and stamina, and his strong positional speed should help him navigate through the packed field of elite sprinters.
Over his dozen races since July 2022, Kinross has compiled six wins, three runner-up finishes, and two-thirds. And though he has fared better in six-furlong events than sevens like the Jubilee Stakes, he still feels like the horse to beat this Saturday.
Mill Stream seems like the only other logical choice to list as a “best bet,” and not just because he holds the second-shortest odds. This four-year-old colt has plenty of experience — and success — in six-furlong races, with three such victories over his six starts since August 2023. That strong stretch includes a victory at the Duke of York Stakes, a solid prep for this event.
If not for losing the Abernant Stakes by a 3/4 length in April, Mill Stream would have victories in five of the nine six-furlong races he has entered since his 2022 maiden. He’s a warhorse sprinter with a lot of fight, and he could very well emerge as the next Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes champion.
A busy four-year-old filly, Believing might be the best value on the board at 8-1. But if you can’t stomach betting her to win outright, you can’t go wrong with either betting her to win/place/show or adding her into a trifecta or exacta box with Kinross and/or Mill Stream.
It’s easy to see why many betting experts like Believing to place in the top two or three this weekend. In 12 career six-furlong races, she has four wins, three seconds, and a third. And four of the five victories she has mounted over her two-year career have come since April 2023. The song of Day 5 might be “Don’t Stop Believing!”
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Although facing much shorter odds than his 80-1 last year, reigning champion Khaadem once again finds himself near the bottom of the betting board at 20-1. If not for the stunning upset 12 months ago, he might not even be in this race.
At eight years old with no other wins since last year’s event (and just one other victory since July 2022), a bet on Khaadem seems very risky. The field is far too competitive and the value just isn’t there at these odds. Don’t wager on lightning striking twice.
Shartash has gone undefeated since Archie Watson took over as trainer this year, with wins at Haydock Park and Thirsk. While not experienced in large-field events like this weekend’s Jubilee, he has displayed tremendous speed figures and impressive stamina in soft ground conditions.
Similar to Shartash, Mitbaahy has just three starts for trainer Charlie Hills, but the five-year-old colt is coming off a big victory at Curragh on May 25. With six career wins and under the same trainer who elevated Khaadem to his shocking victory last year, Mitbaahy and his investors will have plenty of confidence going into the weekend.
In a stacked race of experienced sprinters, you won’t find many true contenders longer than 12-1. Washington Heights easily makes the best outright case of the horses with the eight-longest odds.
A four-year-old from Washington DC, this gelding already has two wins and one runner-up over his six-race career and has never finished worse than fourth. If you want a shot at a bigger payday without putting a ton at stake, turn to Washington Heights.
Fans can watch all the action on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET on NBC. You can also stream the action on Fubo, which offers NBC as part of its robust package. Fubo has a free trial so you can try before you buy. Peacock will also be streaming all the festivities on Saturday.
Pos. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey |
1 | Mitbaahy | Charlie Hills | Jamie Spencer |
2 | Shartash | Archie Watson | James Doyle |
3 | Swingalong | K R Burke | Clifford Lee |
4 | Jumby | E J Houghton | Charles Bishop |
5 | Believing | George Boughey | Daniel Tudhope |
6 | Vadream | Charlie Fellowes | Kieran Shoemark |
7 | Art Power | Tim Easterby | David Allan |
8 | Mill Stream | J. Chapple-Hyam | William Buick |
9 | Quinault | Stuart Williams | Richard Kingscote |
10 | Washington Heights | Kevin Ryan | Tom Eaves |
11 | Shouldvebeenaring | Sean Levey | Richard Hannon |
12 | Khaadem | Charles Hills | Oisin Murphy |
13 | Kinross | Ralph Beckett | Rossa Ryan |
14 | The Wizard of Eye | Charlie Fellowes | Ryan Moore |
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Here are the 10 most recent winners of the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, including their age at the time of the race, native country, and winning morning-line odds.
Year | Winner (Age) | Country | Odds |
2023 | Khaadem (7 years) | Ireland | 80-1 |
2022 | Naval Crown (4y) | Great Britain | 33-1 |
2021 | Dream of Dreams (7y) | Ireland | 3/1 |
2020 | Hello Youmzain (4y) | France | 4/1 |
2019 | Blue Point (5y) | Ireland | 6/4 |
2018 | Merchant Navy (3y) | Australia | 4/1 |
2017 | The Tin Man (5y) | Great Britain | 9/2 |
2016 | Twilight Son (4y) | Great Britain | 7/2 |
2015 | Undrafted (5y) | United States | 14/1 |
2014 | Slade Power (5y) | Ireland | 7/2 |