Thunder and Kingman set for Palace showdown
It will be the third time the pair have met this season with John Gosden’s Kingman winning the Greenham at Newbury while Richard Hannon’s Night Of Thunder turned the tables in the Classic at Newmarket.
Since then Kingman has been over to the Curragh to win his own Classic and he is favoured by the bookmakers to come out on top once more.
It is far from a two-horse race, however, with Hannon’s champion juvenile from last year, Toormore, looking to make up for a below-par run in the Guineas at Newmarket having already won the Craven Stakes in which he beat subsequent Dante and French Derby winner The Grey Gatsby.
Aidan O’Brien’s War Command also disappointed in the Guineas and was pulled out late at the Curragh because the ground had gone soft.
He should have no excuses on that front on Tuesday as the weather is set fair and he returns to the scene of his Coventry Stakes success where he spreadeagled the opposition.
Godolphin’s Breeders’ Cup winner Outstrip is not a no-hoper and Paul Deegan’s Prince Of All is also an improving colt.
The field is completed by William Haggas’ unexposed Yuften.
Kingman is 11-10 with Coral to turn the Newmarket form around, despite support for Night Of Thunder.
“Kingman remains favourite for the St James’s Palace Stakes, but the market has spoken in favour of Night Of Thunder in recent days, with plenty of punters believing he can confirm his Newmarket superiority over the subsequent Irish Guineas victor,” said Coral’s David Stevens.
St James’s Palace Stakes – Coral bet: 11-10 Kingman, 2-1 Night Of Thunder, 7-1 War Command, 8-1 Toormore, 25-1 Outstrip, 33-1 Yuften, 40-1 Prince Of All.
