The historic five-day meeting, which begins on Tuesday, is regarded by many as one of England’s last bastions of tradition. In the royal enclosure, men are still bound by a ludicrously antiquated dress code.
But while many use the event as a social occasion, the equine excellence on the track is the main focus for racing fans. Never mind the pomp and pageantry, the top hat and tails, the fashionistas and the fascinators, it’s the horses that matter most at Royal Ascot.
Thirty-five races, including eight Group Ones, spread across five days, with some of the best horses in the world competing for record prize money of £10 million. That adds up to the best week of racing on the planet.
The fields are peppered by international raiders from nations such as Ireland, France, Australia and the USA. Superb sprints, heritage handicaps, high-class two-year-old races and vintage staying contests add rich competition and variety.
It’s the first royal meeting since 1988 without its adopted king, talismanic jockey Frankie Dettori, who has retired from the UK saddle. But King Charles III and Queen Camilla, who is a racing aficionado, are expected to be there and have genuine chances of success with two challengers they own, Treasure (Thursday 3.45) and Desert Hero (Saturday 3.05).
Also there will be Aidan O’Brien, who has been the meeting’s top trainer no fewer than 12 times with a total of 85 winners, and Ryan Moore, who needs only three more triumphs to overtake Dettori in the meeting’s all-time winningmost jockey rankings and to sit second only to the legendary Lester Piggott.
The action will be savoured by about 265,000 racegoers on track and millions more on TV around the world. You can watch every race on ITV or ITV4, and also Sky Sports Racing. And to give you a taste of what’s to come, we’ve picked out 20 of the best fancied or highest rated horses to look out for. Not tips, but horses primed to steal the limelight as the week progresses.
Listed in alphabetical order, most of them are contesting the week’s Group races. In the handicaps or Listed contests, look out also for these progressive types – A Piece Of Heaven, Blue Storm, Botanical, Chicago Critic, Dark Trooper, English Oak, Involvement, Jubilee Walk, Key To Cotai, Never So Brave, Poniros, Qirat, Space Legend, Starlust, Sturlasson, Summer Of Love and Zanndabad.
And in the week’s two-year-old races, keep an eye on Andesite, Catalyse, Celtic Chieftain, Cowardofthecounty, Fairy Godmother, Make Haste, Maw Lam, Mountain Breeze, Perfect Part, Scorthy Champ, Whistlejacket, Xanthe and Yah Mo Be There.
Good luck!
9. King's Gambit (Thursday, 5.40)
The London Gold Cup, held in mid-May at Newbury, is always one of the best early-season 3yo handicaps, yielding form that can be relied on. But even by the race's high standards, this Harry Charlton-trained colt was a striking winner. So impressed was the official handicapper that he put him up fully 14lb, therefore connections have opted to go up in grade for his Royal Ascot target, which is the Hampton Court Stakes on Thursday. Champion jockey William Buick will do the steering. Photo: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images
10. Kinross (Saturday, 3.45)
Punters and racegoers love horses who come back for more season after season, so they have developed a soft spot for Ralph Beckett's 7yo veteran. He has been remarkably consistent over 6f and 7f at Group One and Group Two level throughout his career and seems to be getting better with age on the evidence of his last two campaigns. If he gets his preferred softish ground, he cannot be ruled out on his return to action in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. Photo: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images
11. Kyprios (Thursday, 4.25)
Underlining the competitive nature of Royal Ascot week, there was only one odds-on favourite in the weekend's ante-post markets, and that was Aidan O'Brien's star stayer, who is fancied to become the first horse since Kayf Tara in 2000 to regain the Gold Cup. After landing the spoils during an unbeaten six-race run in 2022, he missed the gig because of injury last year. But the 6yo has returned this term with two comfortable wins that suggest he is back to his best. Photo: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images
12. Middle Earth (Saturday, 3.05)
After progressing rapidly through the ranks last summer, John and Thady Gosden's late-developing, middle-distance colt took his chance in the Betfred St Leger. He failed to fire on unsuitably soft ground but quickly reminded all of his burgeoning talent here at Ascot a month later and looked a horse going places with victory on his comeback four weeks ago. Now he is expected to make a big impact in the Hardwicke Stakes when he renews rivalry with the Leger winner, Continuous. Photo: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images