The Temple Stakes is a Group Two Flat race run at Haydock over five furlongs every May. The race, established in 1965, was previously run at Sandown Park until transferring to its current home of Haydock in 2008.
Notable winners of the race over the years have included: Never So Bold (1985), Dayjur (1990), Lochsong (1994), Kingsgate Native (2010/13), Sole Power (2011) and Battaash last year.
Here is a look at the trends and statistics of the race over the last ten years.
Age:
There has been just one six-year-old winner in the last ten years and that was in 2015 when Pearl Secret won at 10/1. If you were to take this bad record for six-year-olds at face value then you will end up scratching Kachy from your deliberations.
Similarly just one horse aged eight or above has won in the same time period, that being Kingsgate Native (14/1) in 2013. That may make punters think twice about backing Alpha Delphini and Caspian Prince.
Four-year-olds appear to be the most favoured age group, accounting for five of last ten winners. This year there are no four-year-olds in the field.
Previous Form:
- Three out of ten winners were on their seasonable debut.
- Six out of seven winners that had run already in that season finished in the first four last time out.
- Nine out of ten winners had previously won a Listed or Group sprint in their career.
- Seven out of ten winners had finished in the first three in a Group One race.
Other Significant Races:
King George Stakes winners, Beverley Bullet winners, Scarborough Stakes winners, World Trophy winners.
Price:
- Eight of the last ten winners have been priced 10/1 or less.
- Favourites have won three of the last ten races and show a tiny loss to a one pound level stake.
Temple Stakes: Runners
Mabs Cross (Michael Dods)
The likeable mare races in the colours of David and Emma Armstrong, directors of Armstrong Aggregates, who also bred her and are actually sponsoring the contest.
The consistent five-year-old mare finished fourth behind Battaash 12 months’ ago before running decent races in the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot and just losing my the width of a cigarette paper in the Nunthorpe at York.
She ended 2018 with her biggest success when landing the Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp last October, with Battaash back in fourth.
Mabs Cross got this season off to a flyer when winning the G3 Palace House Stakes at Newmarket for the second year in succession on her seasonal reappearance at the start of this month.
Alpha Delphini (Bryan Smart)
The eight-year-old sprang a 40/1 surprise when getting the better of Mabs Cross by a nose in last year’s Nunthorpe but trailed home 11th behind that same rival in the l’Abbaye.
The Graham Lee-ridden Alpha Delphini contested the 2017 Armstrong Aggregates Temple Stakes, when he was beaten under a length by Priceless.
Trainer Bryan Smart was quoted as saying “The Temple leads nicely into Ascot and the King’s Stand, and then of course the main aim this season will be to try to win a second Nunthorpe – that’s what it’s all about.”
Battaash (Charlie Hills)
Last year’s winner Battaash heads the betting for the £100,000 Temple Stakes.
Owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum, five-year-old Battaash enjoyed a fantastic 2017 when his four victories included a four-length success in the Prix de l'Abbaye at Chantilly, France. The son of Dark Angel ended 2017 as the highest-rated five-furlong performer anywhere in the world in the LONGINES World's Best Racehorse Rankings.
Battaash started 2018 with success in this race when he defeated Washington DC by a head. His other win in 2018 came when he recorded a second successive King George Stakes victory at Glorious Goodwood. Battaash has won on seven of his 15 starts, all of which have come over the minimum distance of five furlongs.
Hills said: "Battaash was maybe not as his absolute best last year and I was never really 100% happy with him. However, he still won a couple of races and hopefully we have another good year with him.
"This year, he is gleaming and has been a lot easier to train."
Caspian Prince (Michael Appleby)
Veteran performer Caspian Prince was a G2 winner back in 2017 and has plenty of early speed but it would come as a major shock if he could hold off the rest of his five rivals here.
Kachy (Tom Dascombe)
Kachy has contested the last three runnings of the Temple Stakes, putting in his best performance last year when a close third to Battaash.
The six-year-old was in superb form on the All-Weather over the winter, when he was unbeaten in three starts at six furlongs and broke the six-furlong track records at both Wolverhampton and Lingfield Park.
He was last seen out when making all the running in the All-Weather Sprint Championship at Lingfield Park on Good Friday and is partnered again by Richard Kingscote.
Pocket Dynamo (Robert Cowell)
Pocket Dynamo is the only three-year-old in the race and put up his best performance last year when a nose runner-up in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Temple Stakes: Summary
If you are looking for horse racing betting tips for this race then look no further as here at 888sport we are napping up the excellent MABS CROSS to take the 2019 Temple Stakes.
Michael Dods’ runner looks even better than last year and she looks to have a great season ahead of her. You can find her current horse racing odds here.
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
