2009 ROYAL ASCOT BETTING FOR THE KING'S STAND STAKES

There is a very competitive antepost market for the 2009 running of the King Stand Stakes. Amour Propre heads the field, which is very top heavy, and his excellent record makes him a very strong contender. He's only had one outing this year, early last month, where he bested a field of 16 at Newmarket in the Palace House Stakes. He's got four wins from five career runs and I can see him building on that, but this one is a tougher puzzle to solve than many of the other races at Ascot this year. Scenic Blast is an Australian import with a substantial portion of American Blood in him and he's had more experience this season than many other contenders in this race. His 2009 form runs him at 2-1-5-1 and that's not bad at all. Not great enough be considered a lock, but he's got experience and I don't mind him one bit against this field. He may be a good each-way option at 7/2 and he's dropped from a high of 7/1 when the market opened. Another decently-size drop is Fleeting Spirit who was available at 8/1 at one point and now carries a 9/2 price. This Irish runner doesn't have the form I'd like to take this race, but he'll be a popular option thanks to his background. He's unraced this year and could be a surprise. In a market as competitive as this one though, I may be looking to put my money elsewhere. Tax Free has been in solid form this year and he's great value at his 10/1 price. I think he's an each-way bet for sure and you may even include him in a high-priced forecast with Amour Propre. He's a seven year-old and that may work against him a bit, but his 1-3-1 during the 2009 season is hard to argue against. If he's got Adrian Nicholls on top, I think he's a real contender. Other notables include Borderlescott at 8/1, Ialysos at 14/1, Equiano at 20/1, Mythical Fight, Anglezarke, Cannonball and Hoh Hoh Hoh are all available at 25/1. Dandy Man is 33/1, Captain Gerrard, Rievaulx World, Spin Cycle and Wi Dud are all listed at 50/1. Waffle has a 66/1 price with Fullandby and Lucky Leigh sitting at the basement with 100/1 odds.