Royal Ascot Racecards

Royal Ascot Day 1 takes place on Tuesday 17th June 2025

Royal Ascot begins with a bang on Tuesday, June 18th as day one kickstarts Flat racing’s marquee summer meeting. If you’re struggling to work out who to bet on, check out our Royal Ascot day 1 tips from our top team of experts.

The Queen Anne Stakes is typically won by the best older milers of the year, not only in Britain and Ireland but from across the globe. The great Frankel cruised to victory in this race in 2012, while Charyn landed the spoils last year. Queen Anne winners typically go on to contest the best mile events internationally, including the QEII Stakes back at Ascot in October as well as the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

The Coventry Stakes is the first big juvenile contest of the week. Many champion two-year-olds have been victorious in the Group 2 over 6f, while some winners such as Dawn Approach went on to Classic glory the following year.

The King Charles III Stakes (formerly the King’s Stand Stakes) gives the sprinters their first opportunity of the week and the 5f Group 1 has an illustrious roll of honour, including the likes of Battaash, Blue Point and Sole Power. Top Australian sprinter Asfoora was an impressive winner last year.

The St James’s Palace Stakes is a Group 1 run over a mile on the round course and often throws up clashes between the best milers of the Classic generation. Restricted to three-year-olds only, the winners of the British, Irish and French 2,000 Guineas usually take each other on in a defining bout. 2023’s race was won by Coroebus, who had won the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on his previous start. Last year, Rosallion had finished second in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket but won the Irish 2,000 Guineas at Curragh just three weeks earlier.

The Ascot Stakes is the first staying contest of the week and is a handicap run over 2m4f. Jumps trainers have dominated this race recently, with Willie Mullins (four times), Nicky Henderson, Jonjo O’Neill and David Pipe – all top trainers in that sphere – being successful in the last decade. However, Flat trainer Sir Mark Prescott took the race last year with Pledgeofallegiance.

The Wolferton Stakes has thrown up some top-class performers since it was switched from being a handicap in 2018. Addeybb was victorious in 2019 and has since gone on to win four Group 1s, while Israr came out on top last year.

The Copper Horse Stakes was introduced to the meeting in 2020 and has retained its place on the card. It is a Class 2 handicap run over 1m6f and is named after a statue of the Copper Horse, of King George III on horseback that signals the end of the Long Walk in the adjacent Great Windsor Park. Last year’s running was won by Belloccio, Trained by Willie Mullins.

Royal Ascot Day 2 takes place on Wednesday 18th June 2025

Royal Ascot’s second day this year will take place on Wednesday, June 18th. Check out our Royal Ascot day 2 tips if you do not know who to bet on.

The Queen Mary Stakes opens proceedings on the second day. It is a Group 2 over 5f for two-year-old fillies and was first run in 1921. US-based trainer Wesley Ward has a strong record in the race with three wins, but last year’s running went the way of Yorkshire-based trainer Karl Burke with Leovanni, adding to Burke’s 2022 win in this race with Dramatised.

The Queen’s Vase has a strong history of producing top-class performers, not only at staying trips but middle distances too. The Group 2 has been run over 1m6f since 2017 and was won by three-time Gold Cup hero Stradivarius that year. St Leger winner Kew Gardens triumphed a year later before Santiago, trained like Kew Gardens by Aidan O’Brien, scooped the prize in 2020 before going on to win the Irish Derby later in the month. The Queen’s Vase and St Leger double was completed again in 2022 by Eldar Eldarov. But, O’Brien returned to winning ways in last year’s Queen’s Vase with Illinois. 

The Duke of Cambridge Stakes was first run in 2004 as the Windsor Forest Stakes before switching to its current name in 2013, it is exclusively for older fillies and mares over a mile. Winners of the now £225,000 race have gone on to land big-race fillies’ Group 1s later in the campaign such as Integral. Last year, trainers John & Thady Gosden took first and second place, with winner Running Lion and runner-up Laurel.

The Prince of Wales’s Stakes is the feature race on day two and the 1m2f Group 1 is for horses aged four and up. It typically throws up the best older horses of the middle-distance division, including Brigadier Gerard (1972), Bosra Sham (1997), Dubai Millenium (2000) and So You Think (2012). Last year it was the turn of Auguste Rodin to be victorious. Established in 1862, it was named after Queen Victoria’s son, who became King Edward VII.

The Royal Hunt Cup is a cavalry charge handicap run over a mile and is one of the biggest betting events of the Flat season. The race gave the Queen her first Royal Ascot winner with Choir Boy in 1953 and she subsequently won it two more times. The contest was first run at the meeting in 1843 and was last year won by Wild Tiger.

The Kensington Palace Stakes is run over a mile on the round course, won by Doha in 2024, it is a handicap for fillies and mares aged four and up. It is named after the palace set in Kensington Gardens and has been a residence for members of the royal family since the 17th century.

The Windsor Castle Stakes is a Listed contest run over 5f for two-year-olds. Wesley Ward made history here when Strike The Tiger became the first US-trained winner at Royal Ascot in 2009 and was successful with Hootenanny five years later. Tactical won it in 2020, giving the Queen her 53rd Royal Ascot winner, while Little Big Bear took this on the way to Group 1 glory in the Phoenix Stakes in 2022. The Windsor Castle Stakes has been the last race on day two for the last two years, seeing Big Evs victorious in 2023 and Ain’t Nobody in 2024.

Royal Ascot Day 3, also known as Ladies Day, takes place on Thursday 19th June 2025

Royal Ascot’s third day, on June 19th in 2025, is widely known as Ladies’ Day. For racing enthusiasts, it is the day when the top stayers take centre stage in the Ascot Gold Cup. If you don’t know who to bet on then check out our Royal Ascot day 3 tips.

On day three, the opening race this year will once again be the Norfolk Stakes. A 5f Group 2 for two-year-old colts, it’s produced dramatic winners in recent years when The Ridler sprang a 50-1 shock in 2022, and then 150-1 Valiant Force in 2023. Shareholder was victorious last year at a more reasonable 12/1, making the last two winners of this race American horses.

The King George V Stakes is a handicap for middle-distance three-year-olds and run over 1m4f. The race was transferred to Royal Ascot in 1948. One of the best-known recent winners was Brown Panther (2011), a homebred owned by former top footballer Michael Owen. Going The Distance was the winner a year ago.

First run in 1919, the Ribblesdale Stakes is typically contested by three-year-old fillies who were defeated in the Oaks at Epsom, but the race itself has thrown up some of the best of its generation too. The Group 2 run over 1m4f regularly throws up top-level winners and was won last year by Port Fairy.

The Ascot Gold Cup is the highlight of Thursday’s card and the feature race of the whole meeting. An extreme test of stamina and run over 2m4f, the Group 1 was won by Stradivarius for three years between 2018 and 2020. Kyprios became the new star of the staying division with victory in 2022, followed up by another win last year.

The Britannia Stakes, a mile handicap for three-year-old colts and geldings, is an opportunity for the leading yards to strike with horses from the Classic generation who fall just shy of Group class. It can typically be a minefield for punters, but was won by the well-fancied Thesis in 2022 before he went to continue his racing career in Hong Kong. Docklands was the winner in 2023, followed by Mickley last year.

The Hampton Court Stakes is a 1m2f Group 3 for three-year-old colts and has been won by Group 1 winners Cannock Chase (2014), Hawkbill (2016) and Benbatl (2017). Jayarebe landed the race last year.

The day concludes with the Buckingham Palace Stakes, which is run over 7f and is a fiercely competitive handicap for three-year-olds and up. English Oak was the winner last year.

Royal Ascot Day 4 takes place on Friday 20th June 2025

The fourth and penultimate day of Royal Ascot takes place on Friday, June 20th. If you don’t know who to bet on then check out our Royal Ascot day 4 tips.

Friday’s opening race is the Albany Stakes, a 6f Group 3 for two-year-old fillies. It frequently throws up the best female juveniles for the season. 2022’s winner Meditate went on to become one of the best two-year-olds that season and was successful at the Breeders’ Cup. 2023 winner, Porta Fortuna won at Newmarket and Leopardstown later that year while 2024’s winner was Fairy Godmother.

The Commonwealth Cup was only introduced in 2015, but it has quickly established itself as one of the meeting’s top contests. A 6f Group 1 restricted to three-year-olds colts and fillies, it has been won by leading sprinters such as Muhaarar, Caravaggio and Advertise. Perfect Power made two wins at the royal meeting when victorious here in 2022. Inisherin was the winner in last year’s edition of the race.

The standout race on the Friday is the Coronation Stakes, a mile Group 1 for three-year-old fillies. It usually attracts the winners of the British, Irish and French 1,000 Guineas in a pulsating clash. Porta Fortuna added to their 2023 Albany Stakes win by winning here last year.

The Duke of Edinburgh Stakes is a 1m4f handicap for three-year-olds and up. Two heavily backed favourites obliged in 2018 and 2019 and outsider Scarlet Dragon won it in 2020. Crystal Black was the winner last year.

The Sandringham Stakes is a fiercely competitive handicap run over the straight mile and is restricted to three-year-old fillies only. Coppice was victorious for John and Thady Gosden last year, jockeyed by Frankie Dettori.

Also known as the Ascot Derby, the King Edward VII Stakes is a Group 2 run over 1m4f for three-year-old colts. It has a tendency to throw up Group 1 stars, including Nathaniel (2011), Old Persian (2018) and Japan (2019). King Of Steel won the race last year for Roger Varian.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes will once again be run as the final race on day four. The 5f handicap for three-year-olds was run for the first time in 2020. It has retained its place at the fixture as part of the extended races at Royal Ascot due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Rhythm N Hooves was last year’s winner.

Royal Ascot Day 5 takes place on Saturday 21st June 2025

The final day of Royal Ascot takes place on Saturday, June 21st. Like the first four days, there will be seven races on the card. It begins with the Chesham Stakes, a 7f Listed race for two-year-olds that has produced Group 1 stars such as Churchill (2016) and Pinatubo (2019). If you don’t know who to bet on then check out our Royal Ascot day 5 tips.

The Hardwicke Stakes is a Group 2 run over 1m4f for four-year-olds and up. Sir Michael Stoute has a terrific record in the race, winning it 11 times including with the likes of Crystal Ocean (2018), Telescope (2014) and Sea Moon (2012). Isle Of Jura won last year.

The Platinum Jubilee Stakes, renamed the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes in honour of the late monarch, is a 6f Group 1 for horses aged four and up and one of the great global sprints. It was elevated to Group 1 status in 2002 and is the meeting’s most prestigious sprint. It is also the final top-level event of the royal meeting. Khaadem was the winner last year for Charles Hills.

The Jersey Stakes is a Group 3 run over 7f for three-year-olds and typically features those who fall just short of Group 1 company. That has not stopped previous winners going on to achieve success at that level, however, as Ribchester (2016) and Expert Eye (2018) both went on to post international honours in top global contests. Godolphin landed the race in both 2021 and 2022. Haatem successful last year.

The Wokingham Handicap is run over 6f and is for horses aged three and up. It is the oldest handicap at Royal Ascot, having first been run in 1813. The fiercely competitive contest is one of the biggest betting heats of the week and it provided one of the feelgood stories of the week in 2022 when remarkable improver Rohaan stormed to victory for the second year in succession. Unequal Love was the winner last time out.

Another race that has been retained since its inaugural running at Royal Ascot in 2020 is the Golden Gates Handicap, run over 1m2f and restricted to three-year-olds. Hand Of God won the race in 2024.

The final race of Royal Ascot is the Queen Alexandra Stakes, run over the marathon trip of 2m6f and a conditions race restricted to older horses. It is not only the longest race of the meeting but also the longest contest in Flat racing. Brown Jack, one of Royal Ascot’s greatest performers, won this race six times in a row between 1929 and 1934. Jumps trainers unsurprisingly do well in this race nowadays and Stratum won it for the second year in succession for Willie Mullins in 2022. Uxmal was the winner in 2024.