The 2018 King's Stand is shaping as a thrilling showdown between two of the fastest horses on the planet.
Last year's King's Stand winner Lady Aurelia defends her title against one of the most talented sprinters to come out of Britain in recent memory, Battaash.
There are 14 runners in this year's King's Stand but Racing and Sports' priceline is certainly buying into the idea that it's really a race in two with the next in line, Kachy, marked a $19.00 chance.
Assessed Prices: Battaash $2.10; Lady Aurelia $3.25; Kachy $19.00.
That assessment goes a step further than narrowing the race down to two. It's also established a clear pecking order between that pair with Battaash fancied as the more likely winner.
Early betting has both trading just above 2-1 with the slight edge to Lady Aurelia. So we have an opinion against the current market and there's a clear betting angle with Battaash.
It's worth noting that this isn't the first time the pair have met. Battaash's lone defeat in 2017 was in the Nunthorpe where Lady Aurelia was five lengths to the good of him in second.
She not only won the day on the track but off the track she was sent out a 10-11 chance against Battaash at 11-4.
Based on that, marking Battaash clear favourite in this meeting seems lunacy, but Battash has since posted a new career peak at Longchamp on Arc Day and he has given himself an ideal Ascot platform with a win in the Temple Stakes at Haydock.
The Haydock win was a high-rating one but it wasn't through the roof. It sets him up to rise rather than fall at Ascot.
That Lady Aurelia was well below her best in her Keeneland return isn't too much of a concern, but she was ordinary at Del Mar back in November as well and has thrown up as many bad runs as good in the past 12 months.
So Battaash might be considered more likely to run through the roof on Tuesday, and he is the suggested bet, but it is also suggested that patience be employed. Battaash is a hot head and it's not impossible that the fanfare of Ascot could boil him over. It could pay to stay calm until we know that he is as well.
