Royal Ascot 2024 Tips: The five most backed runners featuring Gold Cup favourite

The most popular bet for Royal Ascot 2024 through oddschecker comes in the very first race of the meeting, the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes. 

Despite returning as a beaten favourite on her return when only fourth to stablemate Audience in the Lockinge Stakes, INSPIRAL (best odds 3/1) has taken 43% of bets for Tuesday’s opener.

Punters seemed happy to put a line through her comeback effort, as it favoured those who were on pace, and those who were held up were never able to make any inroads in the closing stages. 

The six-time Group 1-winning mare came within a neck of victory when finishing second to outsider Triple Time in this race last year, and her supporters keep the faith that she can go one place better this time.

To back the most backed horses for Royal Ascot 2024 directly through oddschecker at a guaranteed best price, click on the odds below.

The second most backed horse through oddschecker is Aidan O’Brien’s AUGUSTE RODIN (best odds 7/4) having taken 42% of bets for the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes despite being comfortably held by White Burch, who he renews rivalry with here.

Last year’s English and Irish Derby winner went on to claim a couple more Group 1 races at Leopardstown and Santa Anita, and although he trailed home last of 12 in the Sheema Classic, there was lots to like about his comeback second in the Tattersalls Gold Cup. 

He was three lengths adrift of White Burch at the finish, but he will strip fitter, and those who have backed him through oddschecker believe he can turn the form around. This five-time Group 1 winner remains the most popular choice for Wednesday’s feature. 

Next up, we have the third most backed horse through oddschecker, with Aidan O’Brien’s high-class stayer KYPRIOS (best odds 10/11) being heavily supported to potentially regain his crown in Thursday’s feature race, the Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup.

The 2022 winner’s popularity has seen him take 40% of bets. Last year’s winner is unbeaten in two starts this season, having won the Vintage Crop Stakes on his reappearance at Navan prior to taking the Levmoss Stakes at Leopardstown for the second time.

The six-year-old dominated the stayers’ division during an unbeaten year in 2022, winning all six starts, featuring the Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup, Irish St Leger, and the Prix du Cadran. A career-threatening injury limited him to just two starts last season, but he’s back and the one to beat. 

In the Wokingham Stakes on the final day of Royal Ascot, DARK TROOPER (best odds 12/1) has attracted plenty of support, with 32% of bets going in favour of the four-year-old. 

Twice successful over course and distance last year, he was last seen making a winning return to action at Saint-Cloud. He’s won five of his last six starts and was unlucky in his only defeat over track and trip in October.

He wasn’t able to get a clear passage when staying on to finish sixth in the Group 3 Bengough Stakes, but he’s back in handicap company, off only a 5Ib higher mark than when he won here in September. 

Last, but certainly not least, completing the top five most backed for Royal Ascot is the George Boughey-trained BELIEVING (best odds 10/1) in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes.

This filly impressed oddschecker punters with an easy victory in the Listed Achilles Stakes last time out, which saw her make the cut for the most-backed list, taking a 30% share of the bets for the race. 

She underperformed in her only previous visit to the Berkshire venue, but the ground was soft that day, and she’s a lot better when the ground is quicker. She could reward her supporters with a big run in Tuesday’s Group 1 sprint race.