Run at Ascot racecourse this Group 3 flat race is staged for horses aged 4 or older and run over a trip of 2m.
We take a look back at recent winners and give you the key trends ahead of the 2021 renewal – this year run on Wednesday 28th April 2021
Recent Sagaro Stakes Winners
2020 – NAYEF ROAD (8/1)
2019 – DEE EX BEE (11/8 fav)
2018 – TORCEDOR (9/4 fav)
2017 – SWEET SELECTION (15/2)
2016 – MIZZOU (11/4)
2015 – MIZZOU (4/1)
2014 – TAC DE BOISTRON (7/2)
2013 – ESTIMATE (2/1 fav)
2012 – COLOUR VISION (9/2)
2011 – ASKAR TAU (4/1)
2010 – ILLUSTRIOUS BLUE (16/1)
2009 – PATKAI (2/5 fav)
2008 – SHIPMASTER (4/1)
2007 – TUNGSTEN STRIKE (9/2)
2006 – COVER UP (4/1)
2005 – ALCAZAR (5/1)
2004 – RISK SEEKER (11/2)
2003 – ALCAZAR (7/2)
Sagaro Betting Trends and Stats
15/18 – Returned 11/2 or shorter in the betting
15/18 – Had won at least 3 times before
13/18 – Finished in the top 3 last time out
13/18 – Aged 4, 5 or 6 years-old
12/18 – Had won a Group race before
12/18 – Rated 108 or higher
11/18 – Had won over at least 2m (flat) before
11/18 – Placed favourites
11/18 – Came from the top 3 in the betting
8/18 – Had run within the last 6 weeks
7/18 – Winning distance – ½ or less
4/18 – Won last time out
4/18 – Winning favourites
3/18 – Raced at Nottingham last time out
3/18 – Trained by Sir Michael Stoute
2/18 – Went onto win the Ascot Gold Cup (2 of last 8)
The average winning SP in the last 18 runnings is 9/2
Note: The 2012 renewal was staged at Kempton, 2006 & 2005 at Lingfield, while the 2020 was run at Newcastle
RACING AHEAD VERDICT: The Mark Johnston-trained Nayef Road landed this race last season and the yard have actually won the last two renewals as well, with Dee Ex Bee winning in 2019. The consistent Nayef Road is a horse that rarely runs a bad race and has finished in the first three in 13 of his 19 career races. He’s also a horse that’s gone well fresh in recent years – winning on his first run back for the last two seasons, so overall it’s hard to fault his chance – he should be in the mix and if you are looking for a solid horse that will give you a run for your money, then he’s your man! However, this year he won’t have an easy task in this race with the 125-rated STRADAVARIUS in the race – a horse that beat Nayef Road by 10 lengths in the Ascot Gold Cup last June. Yes, since then the normally reliable Stradavarius was beaten in the Arc and then in the Long Distance Cup at Ascot – both in October. However, he had excuses those days with the Arc coming over 1m4 and his most-recent defeat coming in softer than ideal ground. He was still beaten a long way last time, but it was clearly a run too bad to be true and only came 13 days after his trip to France. The ‘good news‘ is that he’s still only 7 years-old, so certainly has another season or two at this level if back to his best. Plus, with just over 6 months off since to freshen up there’s every chance he’ll be raring to go again as he gets set for another season of tackling the best ‘Cup Races’. He’s currently rated 10lbs higher than anything else in the field and back on a quicker surface then he’s taken to get back to winning ways for trainer John Gosden and jockey Frankie Dettori. Of the rest, the consistent and improving Ocean Wind and the globe-trotting Prince Of Arran can do best of the rest, but all eyes will be on ‘Strady’ as he looks to get his career back on track.
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