It is Flat racing’s biggest week, one which the King attends, with Royal carriages aplenty and races with an international feel to boot – it can only be Royal Ascot. It is part of the summer social season with a healthy dose of world-class racing on top – there will be 35 races run across five days at the Berkshire course.
The prestigious meeting features eight Group One races such as the Gold Cup, St James’s Palace Stakes and Commonwealth Cup, and is a festival of fashion, hospitality and Royal patronage.
Here are Telegraph Sport’s tips for the week.
The meeting opens with a bang and the first Group One race of the week over Ascot’s stiff straight mile. Occasionally you get a funny result and the winners of the main trial, the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury – last month it was won by this race’s favourite Notable Speech – only have a so-so record in the race. This year, you would think this race is Notable Speech’s to lose. Few milers have his turn of foot at the finish but Charlie Appleby’s horses are hardly coming into the meeting on fire. His strike rate is not bad but he has not been running many. His second string, Opera Ballo, put himself in line for a crack at this when beating Field of Gold by three lengths at Sandown in April. He won a Group One at Meydan in the winter, but this is a step up in class. No horse likes Ascot more than Docklands though. He won the Britannia, was second in this race in 2024 then won it last year. More Thunder should be closer to Notable Speech than he was at Newbury.
Continuing with the theme that the best racing of the whole week is day one, this six-furlong Group Two race is the most prestigious two-year-old race of the week. Aidan O’Brien, who has won it 11 times, will have the likely favourite in either Great Barrier Reef – winner of both his starts including a Group Three last time – or Confucius – a good winner of his maiden last time – depending on which Ryan Moore selects. At a working man’s price I like Richard Hannon’s Cut A Dash, a good winner over five furlongs at York on debut in May, with the promise of more to come over a longer distance. As the father of two flame-haired daughters, I will put the family fiver will be on the 50-1 shot The Ginger Kid.
Still known in many quarters as the King’s Stand Stakes but renamed in honour of the King, this five-furlong Group One sprint is for the quickest horses at Ascot. The received wisdom is that a medium Aussie sprinter is still better than anything Europe has to offer, so Overpass is likely to start favourite but it has been a while between drinks for him. Last year’s winner, Jim Goldie’s American Affair, did not run again in 2025, but his two runs this year, including a much-improved second in the Temple Stakes, will have put him spot on for a repeat. Others to look out for include Night Raider, who is much improved for the snip, and the flying French filly Rayevka.
The Group One mile for three-year-old colts, on the Round Course, has done what it should do, which is attract the winners of the English, Irish and French Guineas and anything else which missed the boat in the early Classics. Bow Echo, Gstaad, Rayif and Talk of New York are all set to line up in this year’s renewal. In trying to turn the Newmarket tables on Bow Echo, Gstaad will have pacemakers but George Boughey’s colt should still be too good.
While most Flat trainers go for a cup of tea at this stage, their jump counterparts get one of their moments of the week in the two-and-a-half-mile handicap which is nearly always won by a predominantly jump trainer. The King and Queen might have Reaching High in this if he makes the cut. He has not run since finishing ninth last year, but not that far behind Ascending, the winner. An interesting one is Henry de Bromhead’s 11-year-old hurdler Ballydam. He is regularly placed in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham,but because he has run in so few Flat races he may be very well handicapped judged on his recent win.
A mile-and-a-quarter Listed race for horses which have not won a Group One or Two since last August. The King and Queen might have recent York winner Warrant Holder in this. It was won by Richard Hannon’s Haatem last year and he is back for another go in the Wathnan silks, which, in a short space of time, have made this meeting its raison d’être – if in doubt in any race this week go for one of theirs.
Another long-distance handicap for those with a touch of the slows. Nicky Henderson’s Goblet of Fire looked better for a wind operation when winning over the trip on quick ground at Newmarket. Flat racing appears much more his thing than jumping and he could provide Saffie Osborne, who is having a terrific season, with her first, overdue, winner at the Royal meeting.
A Group Two for rattling quick juvenile fillies over five furlongs. This looks quite international and there are a few here who are not coming for the Ascot air. Morley is a name closely associated with British racing and Tom Morley, a Briton who forged his own way in New York, has a bit of what they call “black type” in his pedigree including uncle David who won the Gold Cup with Celleric and jump trainer Henry Daly. His More Champagne won on debut in the US by over six lengths from one of Wesley Ward’s so she must be fast. Drazinda, a first Aga Khan Studs two-year-old to run at Ascot in a long time, comes from France but from the home team I like Crystal Queen who travelled very well to win the Hilary Needler at Beverley and is clearly suited by a stiff five furlongs.
A mile and three quarters for three-year-olds making it something of a St Leger trial. The King and Queen could go with Point of Law in this. It may come a little soon in his career and it would be quite a big step up in trip but that applies to quite a few of these including Causeway, Aidan O’Brien’s colt who is three from three this season. Limestone has won his last three for Joseph O’Brien and is sure to get the trip having already won over a mile and five but I liked the way Andrew Balding’s Galiyan won at Chester. The further he went the better he went.
A Group Two over a mile for four-year-old plus fillies. Fallen Angel is probably the best horse in this race having won at least one Group One every season of her career but she is yet to win at Ascot - third in this last year - and it may be worth taking a punt on Friendly Soul. She was still travelling well first time out at Haydock when she was the unlucky one to put her foot in a hole. That was probably not the ideal preparation but you can put a line through the fact that she was pulled up after that.
A Group One mile and a quarter race for four-year-olds plus and is, unquestionably, highlight of day two. This pits two of the best in the world, the Arc winner Daryz and Ombudsman, last year’s winner of this race, against each other with a strong supporting cast of Group One winners including Almaqam, who is finally realising his latent potential, and the fillies Kalpana, See The Fire and Minnie Hauk. Ironically before the Arc it was “would Daryz stay?” Now he has won it, the same people are asking “is he quick enough for 10 furlongs?” He has already added two Group One notches to his four-poster this season over nine and 10 furlongs. He’s quick enough alright.
If day one’s handicaps are not up to much, this is one of the meeting’s marquee handicap events. It is over the straight mile. There are a few old friends in here and things to take into consideration like the market and the draw but Linwood makes appeal at this stage. He is young, improving, won well on his reappearance and it looks like there’s more to come from Richard Hannon’s four-year-old. Owner Jim Hay seldom leaves the meeting without a winner.
A handicap for four-year-old plus fillies and mares over a mile. For a four-year-old the William Haggas trained Alobayyah is very lightly raced having only had four starts but they clearly think something of her. She ran an eye-catching third over a mile at Ascot in May staying on strongly off a slow pace. It would be a surprise if they went so slowly at a Festival where jockeys tend to get a bit more excitable.
A six furlong Listed race for two-year-olds whose sire won over a distance in excess of six and a half furlongs at two or seven and a half furlongs at three. The King and Queen could go with King’s Prize in this and the way she won at Nottingham in debut, she might be one of their better chances this week. This looks a better race than the Queen Mary for Victorious (if Aidan needs any race planning advice, I’m available) because of the trip and it might be a bit easier. As always in these two-year-old races there are plenty of unknown quantities who have run and won just the once. King’s Prize, Moonrise and Sale Shark fit that bill but I like Controlla to get Amo racing on the scoresheet. She was just pipped by Victorious on her only start and can not only improve but reverse that form.
At seven furlongs this is the longest contest for two-year-olds at Ascot this week. Aix La Chapelle looks the Aidan O’Brien No 1 in this. He made up a good bit of ground late on and finished strongly to win a Curragh maiden earlier this month. I was quite impressed by Revels – no surprise at that name as he’s owned by the Mars family – on his debut at Redcar in may. He won by three lengths. With his big white face you won’t miss this chestnut colt coming up Ascot’s straight.
A mile-and-a-half handicap for three-year-olds rated up to 105. Lost Boys, trained by David Menuisier in Sussex, will be one of the favourites for this race on the back of his London Gold Cup win over a mile and a quarter at Newbury. He has subsequently been bought by Wathnan who has a pretty good strike rate for buying ready-made Ascot winners. He beat Sahara King by a head that day and as Wathnan own that horse you would imagine it knows what it is doing. The extra quarter of a mile should be fine for him.
A mile-and-a-half Group Two for fillies making it something of an Oaks consolation for those that needed a couple of extra weeks. The King and Queen could have a go with Golden Orbit in this, but she would need to take a bit big step forward on her first start of the season. If Legacy Link runs just 13 days after finishing second in the Oaks, a race in which she had no answers to Thundering On, she sets the standard. That’s not usually the Gosdens’ or Juddmonte’s modus operandi so she would have to be in cracking form to go. Earth Shot, who was just beaten at Goodwood last time over a mile and a quarter, might be the one stepping up in trip.
A marathon trip of two-and-a-half miles first run in 1807, a year best known here for the abolition of slavery while in Europe Napoleon was smacking the Russians. Last year’s winner Trawlerman is back, but without a prep and an eye condition which makes him sensitive to light. However, if he’s on song he will be hard to beat. The obvious two young pretenders are last year’s St Leger first and second – Scandinavia and Rahiebb. At a better price is Carmers who is bidding to emulate the late Queen’s Estimate who took the Queen’s Vase here in 2013, before winning the Gold Cup a year later. Keeping them all honest will be Sweet William, who is always consistent in these races.
A mile for three-year-old colts rated up to 105. We’re Goosers looks a good honest sort. He galloped his rivals into submission winning by a wide margin and finishing strong through the line at Newmarket last time. He gets a mile but seven furlongs may be his optimum. St Anton won over a mile at Carlisle so this mile might not be quite stiff enough for him, but he is in with a shout, while Laureate Crown is another from the same stable as We’re Goosers.
A Group Three mile-and-a-quarter race for three-year-olds who have not won a Group One or Two. A few horses in here have had their sights lowered after so-so efforts in the Derby, but most of those would have had a hard enough race in the conditions so fresher legs may be the answer. William Haggas was very disappointed with Morshdi after the Dante at York last month. If he can put a line through that poor run so must we. Causeway is likely to start favourite, but for those who like a double-figure pride Mountain Cat could outrun his odds.
A seven-furlong handicap to finish off Ladies’ Day. I’ll have to come back to you nearer the time for this race but Arctic Dawn, trained by Dan and Clare Kubler, looks progressive despite being a five-year-old and a win a for a smaller set up might not go amiss at this stage.
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