As we step into another thrilling Royal Ascot, we do so with a deep sense of pride at a week that promises unforgettable moments both on and off the track. In line with our strategy to stage the best quality racing, we have introduced several initiatives this year to better support the connections of the horses competing – from simplifying the entry process for our Group 2 races at Royal Ascot, to launching the ‘Run For Free’ concept for next month’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, now with record-breaking prize money of £1.5 million.
We continue to look for ways to maintain our position as a leading racecourse and brand and we are delighted to see that 12 of the horses in the 2024 Longines World’s Best Racehorse top 20 (including ties) ran at Ascot last year, with eight of those featuring at the Royal Meeting.
Over the next five days, Ascot will once again take centre stage, with the Royal Meeting broadcast in more than 180 territories worldwide. The World Pool returns in partnership with the Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Tote, underscoring the truly global nature of the event. We are proud to offer prize money of over £10 million over the week, with every race worth at least £110,000 and each Group 1 offering a minimum of £650,000, with two worth £1 million.
This year we celebrate a remarkable milestone: the 200th anniversary of the Royal Procession, a tradition that began with King George IV in 1825 and has since become a cherished part of the Royal Meeting. To mark this special occasion, we’re proud to unveil a new documentary, “The Royal Procession: Celebrating 200 Years”, which will be shared with our broadcast partners around the world. We’re also delighted to offer guests the chance to see one of the original landau carriages from the Procession on display in the Grandstand throughout the week.
Our links with the Royal Family are further strengthened this week as we welcome The Queen’s Reading Room to the racecourse – a tranquil space inspired by Her Majesty’s passion for literature. It’s a beautiful addition to the Royal Meeting, offering guests a quiet corner to pause and reflect.
Off the track we’ll see extraordinary fashion on display. Our Creative Director, Daniel Fletcher, has once again curated a spectacular Royal Ascot Lookbook and we also celebrate 10 years of the Millinery Collective this year which was unveiled during London Fashion Week. We are incredibly proud to be the only sporting event to hold Patron status with the British Fashion Council.
We’re grateful to our Official Partners—QIPCO, Longines, Howden, and our newest partner, BEYOND Developments Dubai—for their continued support and belief in the Ascot vision.
And finally, to you – the world’s media – thank you for the vital role you play in sharing the magic of Royal Ascot with audiences around the globe. We hope you enjoy every moment of what promises to be a truly extraordinary week.
UNVEILS THE 2025 ROYAL ASCOT MILLINERY COLLECTIVE, CELEBRATING A DECADE OF ARTISTRY WITH
ACCLAIMED MILLINERY
ROYAL ASCOT 2025:
THE ROYAL PROCESSION:
CELEBRATING THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THIS TIMELESS TRADITION
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the first Royal Procession at Ascot Racecourse. ‘The Royal Procession: Celebrating 200 Years’, a feature-length programme commissioned to commemorate the anniversary, will be available on Ascot Racecourse’s YouTube channel ahead of Royal Ascot and will be sent to all broadcast partners in advance of the Royal Meeting. This article contains quotes from that programme.
Each summer, the grounds of Ascot Racecourse transform into a stage for one of Britain’s most cherished traditions - the Royal Procession. More than a ceremonial pageant, it is a living symbol of monarchy, heritage, and the unbreakable bond between the Royal Family and the sport of kings. This regal display, virtually unchanged since its inception in 1825, continues to enthral racegoers and reinforce the timeless grandeur of Royal Ascot.
The roots of this spectacular tradition stretch back to 1711 when Queen Anne founded Ascot as a venue for “horses fit for kings.”
Yet it wasn’t until the reign of George IV that the Royal Procession as we know it today came to be. It was during his reign, in 1825, that the first Royal Procession took place - a moment choreographed with theatrical finesse by William WellesleyPole. On 31st May 1825, the King, accompanied by the Duke of Wellington, led four other coaches with members of the Royal party from Windsor Castle to Ascot - a tradition that has endured two centuries.
For Maureen Haggas, daughter of the legendary Lester Piggott and herself a previous participant in the Procession, the event remains the heart of Royal Ascot: “The procession and the Royal Family is what makes Royal Ascot. People come from all
over the world.” Her husband, trainer William Haggas, recalls their first appearance: “We were in awe. Everything is immaculate from the minute you drive in. You can’t really get a feel of it until you do it. It’s such a privilege.”
The Royal Procession is more than ceremonial - it’s deeply personal for the Royal Family. Queen Elizabeth II’s affinity for Royal Ascot was legendary. Andrew Lloyd Webber reinforces this sentiment: “Everybody knew that that was her real passion - racing.”
John Warren, the late Queen’s long-time bloodstock and racing adviser, shares how “the Queen was unbelievably knowledgeable,” often referencing horse breeding and reading the Racing Post cover to cover. Her passion and expertise bore fruit in 2013 when her filly, Estimate, won the Gold Cup, making her the first reigning monarch to do so as an owner. Warren recalls, “When she passed the post, it brought the house down… The Queen was really, really excited. It was a day to remember.”
Following Queen Elizabeth II’s passing, her son King Charles III and Queen Camilla have carried forward this storied legacy. In 2023, the new King made his debut as monarch in the Royal Procession, greeted by an ecstatic crowd. “The crowd went completely crazy,” says Madeleine Lloyd Webber of the moment. That same year, Desert Hero, a horse bred by the late Queen, delivered an emotional victory in the royal colours.
“To actually have a winner in the King’s first year was quite remarkable,” said Warren, adding, “The King welled up, tears in his eyes, and the Queen burst into tears.”
William Haggas underscored the poignancy of the win: “To do it at Royal Ascot with a homebred of the late Queen’s - it doesn’t get better than that.”
From the flags waved by spectators to the thunderous cheers that greet each arrival, the Royal Procession continues to captivate. “Every box, every stand, every blade of grass is full of people watching the procession,” says Warren. The sense of pageantry is unmistakable - “It’s such an extraordinary sight,” Lloyd Webber remarks. In recent years, the Royal Procession has had occasions where it’s looked different to the norm. Perhaps the most famous example was 20 years ago, when Royal Ascot was held at York due to the redevelopment of the Ascot Grandstand – the first time the Procession had ventured outside Berkshire. It was a special, poignant week, described by the Duke of Devonshire, Her Majesty’s Representative at Ascot at the time, as “one of the most significant racing events in living memory, something very special and a moment of history.”
Then there was the only time the Royal Procession was held outside Royal Ascot week. In the year 2000, six days before the late Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother’s 100th birthday, a special Royal Procession was arranged for July, on the day of the
The Royal Procession at York, 2005.
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes – the race that had been named in her and the late King George VI’s honour. The race was created to establish an important all-aged middle-distance race in Britain recognised internationally. The 2000 contest was won in some style by the mercurial Montjeu, a majestic performance to match an occasion that broke from all tradition, yet heralded that familiar, unmatched sense of celebration.
As Ascot prepares to mark the 200th anniversary of the Royal Procession this year, its resonance feels stronger than ever. It remains an iconic symbol of British tradition - a bridge between royalty and the public, sport and spectacle, past and present.
Whichever enclosure it’s watched from, racegoers are not just witnessing an event; they are part of living history. What began in 1825 as a carefully choreographed spectacle has become a cherished tradition, while retaining its original purpose.
The Royal Procession at Ascot is not just a journey down the Ascot turf, but a timeless passage through heritage, memory, and pride - a pageant of continuity in an ever-changing world.
This year at the Royal Meeting, visitors to the Queen Anne Enclosure are invited to see one of the landaus from the Royal Procession on the ground floor of the Grandstand. There will also be footage from last year’s Procession, captured from on-board the lead carriage, giving visitors a first-person perspective on what it’s like to ride in the Procession.
ASCOT AT ROYAL
Rosallion after winning the 2024 St. James’s Palace Stakes.
2025 ORDER OF RUNNING
TOTAL PRIZE MONEY £10,050,000
DAY ONE TUESDAY 17TH JUNE
This year there is one small change to the order of running, with the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes returning to its position as the third race on Friday, with the Coronation Stakes now the fourth race. This reverses a change made last year in order to maximise exposure of the Group 1 races with the men’s UEFA European Championship also taking place in June.
ITV1 2.30pm The Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) 4+ £750,000 Straight mile
ITV1 3.05pm The Coventry Stakes (Group 2) 2 £175,000 Six furlongs
ITV1 3.40pm The King Charles III Stakes (Group 1) 3+
ITV1 4.20pm The St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1) 3 colts
£650,000 Five furlongs
£650,000 Round (old) mile
ITV1 5.00pm The Ascot Stakes (Handicap) 4+ £110,000 Two miles, four furlongs
ITV1 5.35pm The Wolferton Stakes (Listed) 4+ £120,000 One mile, two furlongs
ITV4 6.10pm The Copper Horse Stakes (Handicap) 4+ £110,000 One mile, six furlongs
DAY TWO WEDNESDAY 18TH JUNE
TOTAL PRIZE MONEY £2,565,000 TOTAL PRIZE MONEY £2,035,000
ITV1 2.30pm The Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2) 2 fillies £150,000 Five furlongs
ITV1 3.05pm The Queen’s Vase (Group 2) 3 £265,000 One mile, six furlongs
ITV1 3.40pm The Duke of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2) 4+ fillies & mares
ITV1 4.20pm The Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1) 4+
£225,000 Round (old) mile
£1,000,000 One mile, two furlongs
ITV1 5.00pm The Royal Hunt Cup (Handicap) 3+ £175,000 Straight mile
ITV1 5.35pm The King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2) 3 colts & geldings £250,000 One mile, four furlongs
ITV4 6.10pm The Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes (Handicap) 3 £110,000 Five furlongs
DAY FIVE SATURDAY 21ST JUNE
TOTAL PRIZE MONEY £1,905,000
ITV1 2.30pm The Chesham Stakes (Listed) 2 £110,000 Seven furlongs
ITV1 3.05pm The Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2) 4+ £250,000 One mile, four furlongs
ITV1 3.40pm The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (Group 1) 4+
ITV1 4.20pm The Jersey Stakes (Group 3) 3
£1,000,000 Six furlongs
£150,000 Seven furlongs
ITV1 5.00pm The Wokingham Stakes (Handicap) 3+ £175,000 Six furlongs
ITV1 5.35pm The Golden Gates Stakes (Handicap) 3
ITV4 6.10pm The Queen Alexandra Stakes (Conditions) 4+
£110,000 One mile, two furlongs
£110,000 Two miles, six furlongs
THE RACING
RECORD
Prize money at Royal Ascot 2025 will once again be over £10m with no race run for less than £110,000 and all Group 1 races worth a minimum of £650,000.
Race condition changes in 2025 saw the early closing entry requirements for the four Group 2 races at the Royal Meeting that previously closed in April removed. These are the Ribblesdale Stakes, the King Edward VII Stakes, the Duke of Cambridge Stakes and the Hardwicke Stakes. This will enable connections to make later, better-informed decisions about entering and running their horses.
INVESTMENT INTO PRIZE MONEY AT ASCOT RACECOURSE IN 2025 ROYAL ASCOT PRIZE
MONEY HISTORY
2025 - £10,050,000
Total prize money at Ascot in 2025 will reach a record £17.75 million, with the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (‘the King George’) to be run for £1.5 million for the first time (£1.25 million in 2024), which will make it the richest race ever run at Ascot.
The £17.75 million figure excludes the industry-owned QIPCO British Champions Day (£4.35 million in 2025).
The combined effect of the prize money increases and race condition changes will see Ascot’s executive contribution to prize money increase from £9.4m in 2024 to a budgeted £10.1m in 2025.
Felicity Barnard, Chief Executive Officer at Ascot Racecourse, said: “We are delighted to be continuing our upward trajectory in prize money for 2025 and, through changes to entry conditions for the Group 2 races at Royal Ascot and ‘Run For Free’ for the King George, we will be absorbing more costs usually paid by owners.
“The King George is our midsummer highlight and Britain’s top all-aged mile-and-a-half race. It is vital that its prize money reflects that, and this year’s renewal will be the most valuable race ever run at Ascot.”
Nick Smith, Director of Racing and Public Affairs at Ascot Racecourse, added: “We have been thinking about the concept of ‘Run For Free’ for the King George for some time as a mechanism for incentivising runners at decision-making time, as there are other alternatives lower down the Pattern and overseas.
“Field sizes are very important, especially in the World Pool era, and we hope that connections of horses that aren’t at the top of the betting might see this as a good reason to go for the big target, especially with record prize money on offer.
“The four races with historical early closing at the Royal Meeting will now close at the five-day stage, giving connections more time to identify the right horses for these races, with the Epsom Classics, Coronation Cup and such like behind them.”
Paul Johnson, Chief Executive of the National Trainers Federation, said: “Trainers will certainly appreciate the extra flexibility that converting these Group 2s to becoming normal closers offers. This will allow for more informed decision-making in the build up to these races and will hopefully see Ascot rewarded with competitive contests.
2024 - £10,050,000
2023 - £9,520,000
2022 - £8,652,500
2021 - £6,000,000
2020 - £3,610,000
2019 - £7,330,000
2018 - £7,305,000
2017 - £6.600,000
2016 - £6,580,000
2015 - £6,580,000
2014 - £5,310,000
“The introduction of ‘Run for Free’ for the King George is also a concept that we hope will encourage runners in tandem with the significant increase in prize money.”
TRACK CONDITION AND EQUINE WELFARE
GOING REPORTS
Live weather data and track conditions will once again be available for Royal Ascot in 2025 through Weather Trax Live available on Ascot’s website via https://www.ascot.com/thegoing
In 2020, Ascot became the first racecourse in the UK to publish live weather data via this innovative App developed by TurfTrax, which streams live meteorological data from equipment located near to the four-furlong marker on the stand side of the Straight Course.
A wealth of information including rainfall figures for the past 24 hours and seven days as well as wind speed and direction and daily evapotranspiration figures, are all available in real-time.
Chris Stickels, Head of Racing and Clerk of the Course at Ascot Racecourse said:
“We continue to have excellent feedback regarding the live weather data that was used by owners, trainers, jockeys, racing followers, punters, media and broadcasters.
“The system has been in place for every raceday since Royal Ascot 2020 and once again people will be able to monitor weather conditions and check for Going updates remotely in real time during this year’s Royal Meeting. We hope it will be informative and useful for those enjoying the racing all over the world.”
Alongside the WeatherTrax Live data, from 10th June, daily Going reports will be provided combined with GoingStick readings coinciding with the timing of entries and declarations.
Going maps, rail positions and irrigation information will also be available. For Royal Ascot, GoingStick and soil moisture data is collected independently by TurfTrax.
The first assessment takes place seven days before the meeting begins, then readings are taken four days, 48hrs and 24hrs prior to the meeting and on every race day morning.
The electromechanical GoingStick is used to measure 108 grid locations on the track including 72 on the Straight Course split across the stand, centre and far side. A further 36 measurements are taken on the Round Course.
The measurements are representative of forces exerted by the horse’s hoof when it is in contact with the ground.
Additionally, a volumetric soil moisture content reading is carried out at 24 positions on the Straight Course and 36 on the Round Course. The data is analysed each day by Ascot and TurfTrax alongside 15 years’ of historic weather and Going data to assist with irrigation planning if required.
GOINGSTICK & MOISTURE READINGS PLAN
TUESDAY 10TH JUNE
GoingStick reading pre entries confirmation (reading by around 2pm)
FRIDAY 13TH JUNE
Reading early afternoon
SUNDAY 15TH JUNE
Reading to be completed by 8am ahead of Day One declarations
MONDAY 16TH JUNE
– SATURDAY 21ST JUNE
Readings completed daily by 8am
FACILITIES AND EQUINE CARE
The safety and welfare of horses and jockeys is paramount at Royal Ascot. In recent years, several major changes have been made to the racecourse to improve welfare standards.
During the redevelopment between 2004-2006, a safer race track was created by cambering the home and old paddock bends and removing the road crossing over the track, replacing them with underpasses.
Further improvements to equine welfare provision were made as part of a £700,000 project to create a new enhanced unsaddling area in 2016. Increased in size to accommodate large field races more comfortably, the Unsaddling Enclosure lawn is positioned to benefit from maximum shade from the crown of an adjacent mature tree as well as a repositioned tulip tree, which sits to the south of the oval. Equine misting fans were also installed to aid with post-race cooling of horses.
The Flat Course Pop-Up irrigation system underwent a £150,000 overhaul in 2017 to ensure consistent and enhanced watering of the racing surface. All 300 of the pop ups around the track were replaced and a new filter system fitted to the pump station delivering a more efficient system.
In 2023 we worked closely with Duralock, the leading supplier of PVC fencing to the racing industry, to install non-metal ground fixing for our midcourse fencing and rail. The new rail uses no metal below or above ground with a design that enhances safety for horses and jockeys in the event of a major collision.
Five specifically qualified equine vets are on duty every day at Royal Ascot, dedicated to the welfare of all the horses. During each race, vets follow the runners by car and can respond to and attend an incident generally within a minute – as fast as the paramedic teams responsible for jockeys.
There are three equine ambulances on course at all times and three ambulances for any incidents involving injuries to jockeys. Ascot’s two permanent veterinary boxes are supplemented with an X-Ray machine to assist with swift diagnosis before administration of treatment on site or any movement necessary to equine hospitals.
The jockeys’ facilities at Ascot include a medical treatment room, rest rooms and a dedicated room for physiotherapy. There are six doctors on site specifically to deal with any jockey injuries.
attention from the 6,000 stable staff who are dedicated to their care on a daily basis.
Over the last 20 years, the sport has invested more than £40 million in equine veterinary science to make sure our athletes are cared for, healthy and happy. As a result, horseracing today is safer than it has ever been. The number of horses that have suffered fatal injuries on racecourses has decreased to just 0.21% of runners and 99.5% of horses complete their races without serious injury.
British Racing has an independently-chaired Horse Welfare Board which published its five-year strategic plan - ‘A Life Well Lived’ - in February 2020. The plan includes 26 projects covering continuous improvements across the areas of safety, wellbeing, and traceability.
Support is also provided to racehorses in their post-racing careers and thoroughbreds retrain into many other equine sports including polo, eventing, dressage, hacking and many more. The sport has its own dedicated charity – Retraining of Racehorses (RoR). Partly through the work of RoR, and due to the adaptability and versatility of the thoroughbred, an active market for rehoming and retraining of racehorses has developed. Tens of thousands of former racehorses go on to fulfilling second careers.
HORSEPWR
HorsePWR is British racing’s hub dedicated to the Thoroughbred racehorse, the ultimate equine athlete. The site (www.horsepwr.co.uk) is designed to open the doors to the sport and talk about the Thoroughbred – their purpose, the lives they lead, and the high welfare and safety standards that underpin British racing.
The campaign’s name is centred on a clear need to better connect with people around ‘purpose, welfare, and responsibility’ in British racing, with these core values underpinning the campaign and its PWR acronym. Visually, HorsePWR takes a bold and confident approach, putting the Thoroughbred front and centre of the entire campaign to promote its status as an equine athlete. HorsePWR is a cross-industry campaign led by British Horseracing Authority (BHA), Great British Racing (GBR), and racing’s Horse Welfare Board (HWB), with additional funding provided by the Jockey Club. STATE-OF-THE-ART
BRITISH RACING’S COMMITMENT TO OUR RACEHORSES
The horseracing industry takes its responsibility to the welfare of the racehorse extremely seriously and they receive the best care and training available. There are 20,000-plus horses in training who race over the course of a year and they receive almost constant
2024 LONGINES WORLD’S BEST RACEHORSE RANKINGS
4 Goliath (GER) 5 Calandagan (IRE)
10 Charyn (IRE)
11 Anmaat (IRE)
11 Economics (GB)
11 Rebel’s Romance (IRE)
16 Audience (GB)
16 Auguste Rodin (IRE)
16 Bluestocking (GB)
16 Kyprios (IRE)
16 Notable Speech (GB)
16 Rosallion (IRE)
ran at Ascot in 2024
12 of the horses in the Longines World’s Best Racehorse top 16 (including ties) ran at Ascot in 2024.
Goliath - King George VI & Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes winner
Calandagan - King Edward VII Stakes winner
Charyn - Queen Anne Stakes and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (sponsored by QIPCO) winner
Anmaat - QIPCO Champion Stakes winner
Auguste Rodin - Prince of Wales’s Stakes winner
Kyprios - Gold Cup and QIPCO Long Distance Cup winner
Rosallion - St. James’s Palace Stakes winner ran at Royal Ascot in 2024
Calandagan wins the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot 2024.
HORSE
COMMONWEALTH CUP
A top-class sprint for the Classic generation.
The Commonwealth Cup, Royal Ascot’s Group 1 six-furlong sprint for three-year-olds, was inaugurated in 2015 as part of plans agreed by the European Pattern Committee to enhance the programme of sprint horse races in Europe. The race has been restricted to the Classic generation since its inception, with the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (now the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes) being closed to three-year-olds at the same time. Now celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2025, we take a look at some of the victorious – and vanquished – runners in the Commonwealth Cup.
2015 – MUHAARAR
The first winner of the race was also arguably the most impressive on the eye, with Muhaarar – the second string of Shadwell on jockey bookings – breezing into contention on the far side before streaking clear. He’d remain unbeaten for the rest of the season with three more Group 1 victories before retiring to stud at the end of the season. Plenty of those in behind would go on to further success, however. Limato, second in the Commonwealth Cup, would win two Group 1 contests the following year including the July Cup at Newmarket, whilst Profitable returned to Royal Ascot in 2016 and took the King’s Stand Stakes at the minimum trip.
2017 – CARAVAGGIO
The previous year’s Coventry Stakes winner and unbeaten in five starts coming into the 2017 edition of the race, Caravaggio was odds-on to add a second Group 1 victory to his CV. He briefly looked in trouble with the two Godolphin runners – Harry Angel and Blue Point – looking to have slipped the field about a furlong and a half out. But under the Ryan Moore drive, Aidan O’Brien’s colt
ran on strongest of all to maintain his perfect record. Harry Angel would gain his revenge in the July Cup next time out whilst Blue Point etched his name in the Royal Ascot history books in 2019, winning both the King’s Stand Stakes and the Diamond Jubilee Stakes in the same year after having won the former race in 2018.
2021 - CAMPANELLE
The first edition of the race to be run with geldings no longer allowed to enter – although only seven ran across the first six contests, the best of those being Limato’s second-placed effort in 2015. This race would prove to be one of the most controversial races in Royal Ascot history, with Dragon Symbol first past the post but demoted to second after the stewards deemed that Campanelle had suffered enough interference that she would have won the race without that knock from her rival. Wesley Ward’s filly had won the Queen Mary Stakes the previous year and returned in 2022 for the Platinum Jubilee Stakes, finishing third behind Naval Crown. Dragon Symbol, meanwhile, continued to run creditably in the top sprints that year without getting his head in front.
2022 – PERFECT POWER
Another horse to have proven himself at Royal Ascot previously, Perfect Power came into the race having taken the Norfolk Stakes in his juvenile season which also saw him win top-level contests over six furlongs both in the UK and in France. A below-par effort in the 2000 Guineas over a mile was enough to show that this son of Ardad was best at sprinting trips, and so it proved when bouncing back to form to win this race, the third Group 1 of his career.
Muhaarar wins the 2015 Commonwealth Cup.
2023 – SHAQUILLE
Just as in 2017, a Coolmore colt started as odds-on favourite. Little Big Bear was the champion two-year-old, signing off 2022 with a simply sensational seven-length win in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes. Like Perfect Power, he was tried without success in the 2,000 Guineas, but then returned to six furlongs in style at Haydock Park and came here a warm order to add another scintillating chapter to his story. Shaquille didn’t read the script, though – in fact, he nearly fluffed his lines completely, rearing as the stalls opened and losing many lengths. But he managed to tack onto the back of the field and swept past Little Big Bear inside the final 50 yards to record an extraordinary win.
2024 – INISHERIN
A rare winner of this race who hadn’t shown stellar form at two, Inisherin made giant strides in the first half of 2024, going from breaking his maiden in a mile novice at Newcastle in March (beating subsequent QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes heroine Kalpana, no less) to victory in the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock in May. That would see him go off favourite for the Commonwealth Cup and he duly delivered, seeing off a strong field with consummate ease. Inisherin is entered in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes this year and returned to action in May with a battling victory at York, priming him for another bid at Royal Ascot glory. In fact, the second (Lake Forest), third (Jasour) and fourth (Kind Of Blue) in last year’s Commonwealth Cup have all stayed in training and are all entered in Group 1 races at the Royal Meeting, with Kind Of Blue – a son of the aforementioned Blue Point – making his toplevel breakthrough at Ascot last October in the the QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes. Last year’s Commonwealth Cup proves that this contest continues to deliver top-level sprinters, throughout the fields and even into the next generations.
Dragon Symbol and Campanelle fight out the 2021 Commonwealth Cup.
Inisherin wins the 2024 Commonwealth Cup.
BILLY LOUGHNANE – NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
The 19-year-old speaks exclusively to Ascot about his meteoric rise – and what it meant to ride his first Royal Ascot winner last year.
The last 12 months seem to have been the year of the wonderkid in sport. Whether it’s 17-year-old Lamine Yamal helping Spain to the men’s European Football Championship last summer, 18-year-old Luke Littler thrilling darts audiences with his PDC World Championship victory in January, or even 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi setting records in cricket’s Indian Premier League, young stars are inspiring the next generation across the sporting landscape. British racing has its own wunderkind, its own poster boy – 19-year-old Billy Loughnane. Speaking exclusively to Ascot, he says he’s just following his dreams.
“My dad [Mark] is a racehorse trainer and I’ve grown up around racehorses and in a racing yard. I’ve always said I wanted to be a
jockey since I could talk! I started out on ponies, did pony racing for a few years, and then progressed onto racehorses. I’ve had a dream start and I’ve had a lot of people to thank for helping me along the way. But I’m keen to keep improving, I’ve got tunnel vision, and I’m just trying to ride more winners.”
Billy’s been on a fast-track to stardom ever since riding his first race in October 2022 then his first winner a month later, both aged 16. Since then, he’s ridden in British classics, was crowned Champion Apprentice in 2023 here at Ascot, and was recently named British All-Weather Champion Jockey for 2024/25, taking that accolade after winning the same title for apprentices the previous two seasons. A career’s worth of achievements, packed into less than three years.
Rashabar wins the Coventry Stakes at last year’s Royal Meeting.
Billy Loughnane guides Soprano to victory in the Sandringham Stakes last year.
Loughnane celebrates after Soprano’s victory.
It was Royal Ascot where Loughnane’s star really began to shine, though. He had eight rides at the Royal Meeting in 2023 – less than eight months after his first ride. A second-placed finish on Calling The Wind in the Ascot Stakes would prove the highlight and a glimpse of his talents, which were on full display one year later, in the second race of Royal Ascot 2024. Rashabar came into the Coventry Stakes without a victory in his two starts – he left a Group 2 winner, and Loughnane left as the jockey everybody was talking about.
“I drew a blank the year before, and I was really keen to tick off a winner at least last year. And I did it so early, it just took the pressure off a little bit for the rest of the week. I know I had a great week and it’s such an important week for flat racing.
“Crossing the finish line in front, it’s almost like an electric shock. It’s like a complete buzz throughout your whole body. It’s a really surreal feeling. There’s such an atmosphere there. It’s our biggest week of the year and to be able to ride a winner there is the stuff of dreams.”
Loughnane’s week got even better on the Friday when Soprano took the Sandringham Stakes – a winner for the jockey’s main trainer, George Boughey. An important victory to repay the faith showed in him by another relative rookie in the racing world.
“That really topped off the week. George has been pivotal in my career since I started, helped me through my claim, and even more so since I’ve lost it. To be able to get a winner for him at Ascot, that really meant a lot.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to have a bit more success this year coming. This yard’s great, we’ve been in a couple of months now.
It’s a smashing yard and the horses seem to be thriving at the minute. We’ve got a good team of horses this year. It’s a very relaxed environment for them. They’re fit, they’re healthy, and the results are showing on the track.”
If all goes to plan, Soprano will be one of Loughnane’s main hopes for the week as she is planned to line up in the Group 2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes – he’s excited to resume the partnership having seen William Buick guide her to a Listed success at Kempton in March.
“Her first start back this year was great. She’s got her quirks and you’ve got to try and work with her rather than against her. It took us a while to really work her out last year, but we seem to have got the key now with her trips. She was placed in some really good races last year, she thrives in the middle of the summer, so hopefully she can be peaking for Ascot.”
With great expectation comes great pressure, but the 19-year-old is wisely trying to keep his feet on the ground ahead of his third Royal Meeting.
“I think there’s probably a little bit more pressure than there was last year. I try not to think about it too much, if I’m honest. I just try and shut it off as much as possible and get on with the job at hand. Once I’m on the horse, all that shifts to one side and I just concentrate on the job.
With wisdom and talent beyond his years, racing’s own boy wonder Loughnane seems destined for greatness.
GEORGE BOUGHEY: MAKING MOVES AT THE ROYAL MEETING
After moving to a new yard in January, trainer George Boughey is excited to unleash a new wave of stars at Royal Ascot.
It must be a good sign if you outgrow your stable in just six years.
In 2019, George Boughey took out his trainer’s licence at 27 with just three horses in his care, settling in at Saffron House Stables in Newmarket. Since then, he’s won a British classic with Cachet, trained over 400 winners, expanded across the road to Providence Gate Stables, and been in the winners’ enclosure three times at Royal Ascot. Come January 2025, it was time to make the move further down the Hamilton Road to Craven House Stables, a former pre-training yard for Godolphin. Speaking exclusively to Ascot, George admits he’s taken aback at how quickly things have come together for him.
“It’s been a long time coming in a short career, really. I was looking for a place to move into and this yard, Craven House Stables, presented itself. Staying in Newmarket was a big thing for us, having trained here for a long time, whether it was under Hugo [Palmer] working for him or in my own right. It’s a beautiful yard and the horses seem to have enjoyed moving here and so have the staff.
“I think when you’re actually in it yourself, it is so engulfing that you just don’t really realise the change of horses and people, and everything coming around you. My dad made me write a five-year plan before I started training, we sat down and I sort of said what I wanted to do, and certainly it was not this! But I couldn’t have it any other way.
“I wanted to train a Group 1 winner in my entire career [Cachet won the 1,000 Guineas in 2022]. It was a pipe dream. I started training just down the road with three 50-rated handicappers that we either bought privately or bought out of claimers at Wolverhampton and Newton Abbot. This was not part of the plan quite yet, but it’s been great.”
One way to announce yourself to the racing world is to have a Royal Ascot success. Boughey managed to send out a pair of winners in 2022, just his fourth year of training. First it was Inver Park, victorious in the Buckingham Palace Stakes, then Missed The Cut completed the double when coasting home in the Golden Gates Stakes. The trainer was always confident that his horses would show their talent on the track.
“We did fancy Missed The Cut quite strongly. As soon as he walked into the yard, he looked a standout to the calibre of horse that we had. And he was an impressive winner. He’s gone on to be a multiple Graded performer in America.
“Royal Ascot is such a global event now, it probably has been for a long time. It does feel that they’ve been working incredibly hard behind the scenes to get runners from around the world, and people from around the world. The southern hemisphere seems to descend on London, Newmarket, England and Europe through the summer! It’s in that focal point where if people are coming on holiday, they seem to be coming to Royal Ascot as well now. For us as trainers, jockeys, owners, it’s where we want to be. It’s our Cheltenham Festival, it’s our Breeders’ Cup. We’ve been lucky to have some success there and long may it continue.
“We haven’t had a stakes winner at Royal Ascot yet. We’ve had three handicap winners, they are just handicaps but there’s that extra sense of achievement and they’re incredibly hotly contested. The whole world is watching. I think I was misquoted last year saying ‘we don’t want to take them there just for the day out’. And it’s nice to have backed it up with a winner. Everyone wants to have a winner at Royal Ascot.”
Billy Loughnane rode the stable’s most recent Royal Ascot winner – Soprano in the Sandringham Stakes. Boughey is quick to praise the 19-year-old’s skills, both on and off the track.
“It’s a relationship that was quite immediate to form. It wasn’t immediate success – I think we went 30 runners without a winner, there or thereabouts. And I think Billy was getting a little bit frustrated at the time. Along with other people, I saw the talent as soon as he walked into my Portakabin, that was then my office. He had this brilliant way about him.
“If anyone saw Billy last year at Royal Ascot, walking into the paddock with 50 owners and addressing them – Billy and I prepare meticulously beforehand, and we don’t really have to discuss much. And his way with people as well as horses is infectious. It’s about more than just riding winners now – and luckily he’s very good at that too!”
Inver Park wins the 2022 Buckingham Palace Stakes.
Boughey himself is hardly a veteran of the racing world, still in his early 30s yet with plenty of experience and success in his nascent training career. But, as with everyone in this great game, his dreams of future glory are motivation enough to ensure he won’t stand still.
“I think we had 130-something winners in my third year of training. And I just wanted to have winners every day, I wanted to improve. I don’t know where it’s going to stop, because we’ve nearly completed everything that I wanted to do!
“It’s about trying to provide for the horses, the owners, the staff, trying to make everything as enjoyable as possible. And I couldn’t be happier where we are here now. I do think it’s the little key in the chain that we needed to try and hopefully attract a better owner, a better horse, a better member of staff, and to just keep improving.”
Connections of Missed The Cut after winning the 2022 Golden Gates Stakes.
Connections of Soprano after winning the 2024 Sandringham Stakes.
THE AGA KHAN IV’S LASTING LEGACY AT ASCOT AND BEYOND
His Highness Prince Karim al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV was already well acquainted with Ascot by the time he had his first winner at the Royal Meeting with Dazari in 1983. In fact, Shergar’s victory in the 1981 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes was by far his highest profile winner at the track, over his subsequent 17 Royal Ascot victories as an owner.
Shergar may have subsequently joined public folklore for his disappearance rather than for his amazing performances on the track, but the Aga Khan IV’s colt was a generational talent who had won the Derby by ten lengths and the Irish equivalent at a canter. The King George proved to be his last victory, a fourlength success achieved with authority and wowing the huge crowd in attendance at Ascot. He was retired to the Aga Khan’s stud after a fourth-placed effort in the St Leger but was abducted on 8th February 1983 and never seen again.
But Shergar was far from the last champion to race to victory with those vaunted bloodlines – both equine and human. The Aga Khan III, the grandfather of the Aga Khan IV, had his first win at the Royal Meeting in 1922 with Cos in the Queen Mary Stakes –14 and a half years before the birth of the grandson who would eventually inherit his position. He enjoyed plenty of Royal Ascot success in the post-war period too which surely stoked the fires of passion for racing in the young prince. From Rivaz and Khaled’s two-year-old wins in 1945 to Toro’s Coronation Stakes victory in 1957, the year of his death, it was a fruitful period for the Aga Khan III who himself was British Champion Owner 13 times from 1924 to 1952 and the leading British breeder by prize money eight times between 1932 and 1952.
The Aga Khan IV’s father, Prince Aly Khan, bought out his father’s bloodstock interests after his passing. Sadly, his most prominent Royal Ascot success came one month after his own untimely death in May 1960, when Sheshoon took the Gold Cup that June, with Venture VII winning the St James’s Palace Stakes in the same week. But with such passion, investment, and eyes for equine excellence in the family, it was only natural that the Aga Khan IV would continue that legacy.
With the vast majority of the Aga Khan family’s horses having been moved to Chantilly, France, in the 1950s, it was expected
that Royal Ascot winners would become a less frequent occurrence after three generations of the family had enjoyed success. But in 1978, the Aga Khan IV resumed his interests in British racing by sending yearlings to Sir Michael Stoute and Fulke Johnson-Houghton – Shergar would be part of the second crop sent to Stoute in 1979. And in 1983, Dazari – also trained by Stoute – became the Aga Khan IV’s first Royal Ascot winner in the King George V Handicap, starting a four-year run of successes culminating with the progressive Dihistan winning the Hardwicke Stakes in 1986.
A 12-year lean spell ensued but after that drought followed a swell of winners. Maridpour’s 1998 Queen’s Vase win was followed by a double the next year – Sendawar made the cross-channel trip to take the St James’s Palace Stakes as favourite for trainer Alain de Royer-Dupré, before John Oxx and Johnny Murtagh gave the Aga Khan IV his first Gold Cup success when Enzeli caused a shock in the blue riband event.
The turn of the millennium would bring perhaps the best year for the Aga Khan IV at Royal Ascot – a treble on the opening day of the 2000 meeting. Kalanisi got things off to the perfect start with a battling victory over Dansili in the Queen Anne Stakes before Dalampour justified favouritism in the Queen’s Vase with a facile success. Sir Michael Stoute and Kieren Fallon combined for the first two, but the hat-trick was completed by the Oxx-Murtagh pairing once again as Katiykha held off Gallery God in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes.
The following day, Sendawar was sent off favourite for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes but couldn’t lay a hoof on the mighty Dubai Millennium. Meanwhile Enzeli was unable to repeat his Gold Cup heroics of the previous year as Kayf Tara regained the crown he’d lost in 1999. Nevertheless, that opening day treble meant the Aga Khan IV’s total of three wins was unmatched by any other owner
Azamour wins the 2004 St. James’s Palace Stakes.
at that year’s Royal Meeting.
Balakheri’s 2002 King Edward VII Stakes win was sandwiched by two winless years at Royal Ascot although 2003 saw Alamshar put in one of the iconic King George performances. After beating odds-on favourite Dalakhani – also owned by the Aga Khan IV – in the Irish Derby, Alamshar then came to Ascot and dismantled a top-class field including previous Group 1 winners Sulamani, Kris Kin, Bollin Eric, Falbrav, Warrsan, and favourite Nayef.
2004 brought another top-class colt to the Royal Meeting –Azamour. After an encouraging performance in the 2000 Guineas and an agonising near-miss in the Irish equivalent, he finally gained a Group 1 success in the St James’s Palace Stakes with a battling win over Diamond Green. The following year, with the Royal Meeting held at York due to Ascot’s redevelopment, he confirmed his status as one of the best middle-distance horses in the world when taking the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, beating the likes of Ouija Board and Elvstroem. That would be followed by the Aga Khan’s third and final success in the King George, with Newbury hosting the mile-and-a-half Group 1 and Azamour breaking the course record which had stood for more than 50 years. That year also saw the Queen Anne Stakes won by Valixir, a rare horse that was not bred by the Aga Khan Studs, having been bought as part of the Lagardère bloodstock purchase before the 2005 Flat season.
Following that golden era of success, Royal Ascot victories became rarer for the Aga Khan IV’s horses although the crowds were treated to some thrilling performances over the last 20 years. In 2015, Ervedya got up in the shadows of the post to beat Found in the Coronation Stakes, then eight years later, Tahiyra did what was expected of her in taking the same race. Both were winners for the Aga Khan IV’s legendary sire Siyouni, whose only Ascot appearance saw him finish fourth in the St James’s Palace Stakes.
His final winner at Royal Ascot was one of the most visually impressive of the 2024 meeting. Calandagan cruised away from
his challengers in the King Edward VII Stakes, delivering a 17th winner at the Royal Meeting for the Aga Khan IV, who passed away on 4th February 2025. But with the likes of sires Erevann, Siyouni, Vadeni and Zarak as well as countless mares continuing the longestablished bloodlines of his breeding empire, his influence on the sport will live on for a very long time.
Shergar in action during the 1981 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes.
Tahiyra wins the 2023 Coronation Stakes.
Lester Piggott wins the Gold Cup at Ascot on Sagaro, with Mistigri in second place (subsequently disqualified) and Le Bavard in third, 19th June 1975.
(Photo by Dennis Oulds/Central Press/Getty Images)
CELEBRATING SAGARO
Fifty years since his first Gold Cup win
The Gold Cup has always been seen as a true test of class and stamina; a gruelling two-and-a-half journey towards stardom and national acclaim. To repeat the feat was to prove endurance and heart beyond that of a normal equine athlete, and in the first 170 years of the Gold Cup, 11 horses managed to win the race twice. But never had it been achieved three times. Not until Sagaro.
Foaled in 1971, Sagaro was bred in Ireland by his owner, Gerald Oldham. He was sent into training with François Boutin and was quick to come to hand, winning as a two-year-old over an extended mile. His three-year-old season would see him emerge as a potential superstar, with staying success in the Grand Prix de Paris, then run over a trip of nearly two miles. With subsequent St Leger winner Bustino back in second, who would also finish runner-up in the ‘Race of the Century’ at Ascot in 1975, it would certainly prove strong form.
Staying trips were on the agenda entering his four-year-old season and connections weren’t too worried when Sagaro finished second in the Prix du Cadran – then run in May – saying that he wasn’t fully fit when following Le Bavard home. A month later,
and fully tuned-up for his first tilt at the Gold Cup, he’d prove his trainer correct. Lester Piggott was always in prime position and Sagaro quickly put the race to bed once asked, displaying the quickening ability which would become a trademark of his finishing efforts. Four lengths was the official winning distance, but in reality, Sagaro had won as he liked. Despite the ease of victory, this would somehow be Sagaro’s only win from six starts in 1975.
The following year would prove much more fruitful, both at home in France and of course at the Royal Meeting. The Prix de Barbeville and Prix du Cadran were once again taken in before Ascot, and this time Sagaro would make amends by winning both with consummate ease. The perfect warm-up for the Gold Cup, and once again Piggott enjoyed the perfect ride. Pulling widest of all entering the home straight, it was hands and heels from the champion jockey, supreme confidence in one of the greatest equine athletes ever seen, as Sagaro breezed past Crash Course inside the final furlong with Piggott standing up in his irons before even crossing the line.
A dual Gold Cup winner should have had plenty of value as a sire, but Sagaro reportedly garnered little interest at the end of his five-year-old season due to his stamina-based success as well as his unglamorous pedigree. Thus, Oldham decided to keep him in training for another year to bid for an historic third win in the big race. This time round though, a serious challenger had emerged in Buckskin.
Three times the pair faced off before the Royal Meeting, and three times it was the young Buck who had got the better of the battle. 20 lengths was the quite unbelievable margin of victory in their first tussle, the Prix de Barbeville, which was reduced to four lengths by the Prix Jean Prat and then just three quarters of a length in the Prix du Cadran. The latter might have been the shortest winning margin, but it also proved Buckskin’s battling qualities and stamina for extreme distances, outstaying the great champion who did not have any fitness excuses this time. The Gold Cup battle was well and truly on – and Buckskin would start as favourite.
With stamina assured, the die was cast early as Buckskin set out at the head of affairs and attempted to run the finish out of Sagaro. But once again, round the home turn the Ascot faithful bore witness to that now-familiar sight of Piggott with a double handful, toying with his opposition – even taking a glance over his shoulder at the
two-furlong marker to see that Brian Taylor on Bruni was sending out warning signals. And as with the last two years, it was a matter of when Piggott pushed the button. A furlong out, the moment came, and the response from his willing partner was instant. Sagaro catapulted himself past Buckskin and into the history books, with Piggott once again enjoying a panic-free ride aboard the great champion. It was his first ride on Sagaro since his success in the previous year’s Gold Cup – what a moment to be reunited with the horse he called ‘a magnificent stayer, as good as any I rode’.
Oldham’s decision to keep Sagaro in training would prove an inadvertent masterstroke. Even after his racing career eventually did end in 1977, his stallion value was diminished – he was sold to the Horserace Betting Levy board for just £175,000, whilst that year’s Derby winner, Minstrel, went to the USA with a valuation of $9 million.
His legacy as a racehorse would last the test of time though, with Ascot’s two-mile Group 3 race on Royal Ascot Trials Day now named in honour of one of the true greats of the staying division. Whilst Stradivarius might have since matched, and Yeats usurped, his achievements, Sagaro will always stand as the first three-time champion of Royal Ascot’s blue riband.
Gerald Oldham with Sagaro, after Lester Piggott rode him to victory in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, 19th June 1975. (Photo by Dennis Oulds/Central Press/Getty Images)
FROM CHOISIR TO ASFOORA: AUSTRALIAN SPRINTING SUCCESS AT ROYAL ASCOT
The eyes of the world have always been on Royal Ascot, but it was in 2003 when Australia first set its sights on sprint prizes at the Royal Meeting. Ironically, it took a second glance for connections of Choisir to choose Berkshire – and in doing so, they paved the way for others to pick a marathon journey for sixty seconds of glory.
With Singapore’s Krisflyer Sprint cancelled due to the SARS virus outbreak of 2003, a Plan B was needed at the last minute.
The King’s Stand Stakes wasn’t an obvious choice. Being a Group 2, Choisir would be carrying a penalty having won the Group 1 Lightning Stakes at Flemington that February. And with him being a September foal, he would carry the same weight as a four-yearold in the Northern Hemisphere, despite being a three-year-old in the Southern Hemisphere.
His odds of 25/1 certainly pointed to a lack of faith in him overcoming those hurdles. But connections felt – and knew – otherwise. Trainer Paul Perry had complete faith and jockey Johnny Murtagh had a simple task in leading from the front and never seeing another rival. Such was their confidence in the horse that the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes four days later was on the radar immediately after
the race. Once again, Choisir led from start to finish, this time only at a price of 13/2. But connections had rolled the dice and made history. The first Australian-trained horse to run at Royal Ascot. The first Australian-trained horse to win at Royal Ascot. The first Australian-trained horse to win any race in Britain, in fact. And, to seal his legacy, the first horse in history to win both the King’s Stand and the Golden Jubilee in the same year.
Choisir would go on to finish second at Newmarket in the July Cup before retiring to stud and, in 2010, there would be a familiar feel to the winner of the Golden Jubilee Stakes. Starspangledbanner, one of Choisir’s second crop of foals, had been the first Group 1 winner for his sire when winning the Caulfield Guineas in October 2009 and he came to Berkshire in June 2010 looking to emulate his father in winning the Royal Ascot six-furlong sprint as a southern hemisphere three-year-old. And like his sire, he led from start to finish, with Johnny Murtagh on board once more to further enhance the mirror image. This wouldn’t officially go down as an Australian victory though, with Aidan O’Brien having taken on the training mantle from Leon Corstens in March 2010 but this was certainly a success bred, born and battle-hardened in Australia.
Johnny Murtagh celebrates after Choisir wins the 2003 Golden Jubilee Stakes.
Before Starspangledbanner, there was Takeover Target. And ‘takeover’ is the right word, with five different horses also travelling from Australia over the three-year period from 2006 to 2008. Takeover Target ran in both sprints in all three years, though he wouldn’t better his Berkshire debut – a short-head victory over Benbaun in the King’s Stand, with fellow Australian runners Falkirk and Glamour Puss in fourth and seventh respectively. He’d go off favourite for the Golden Jubilee Stakes four days later but faded into third.
A repeat bid in 2007 would see him come up short in the King’s Stand but Miss Andretti was there to once again fly the flag for Australia – with Magnus in third to make it a 1-3-4 for Australia. All three would run again in the Golden Jubilee later that week, with Murtagh this time denying an Australian runner when partnering Soldier’s Tale to head Takeover Target on the line. The Joe Janiaktrained gelding showed remarkable consistency into 2008, with a second in the King’s Stand and a fourth in the Golden Jubilee meaning he never finished outside the first four in six runs at Royal Ascot – all the more remarkable with half of those runs coming just four days after the first.
But that wouldn’t be the end of the Australian challenge – far from it. Scenic Blast had followed the now-familiar route of Lightning Stakes glory to Royal Ascot contention, Miss Andretti and Takeover Target having also won that race en route to the Royal Meeting. And ‘blast’ would be an apt way to describe his 2009 performance in the King’s Stand Stakes, all eyes drawn to that big white face charging into contention and barely coming off the bridle under hands and heels from Steven Arnold. By now, there was a supreme confidence about Australian sprinters heading to these shores. And then, three years later, there was the wonder mare, Black Caviar.
2012 saw the renaming of the Golden Jubilee Stakes to the Diamond Jubilee Stakes to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It also saw the arrival of Australian racing royalty in Berkshire, with Black Caviar travelling over having won all 21 of her previous starts. The king of the track – Frankel – had proved dominant in the opening day Queen Anne Stakes, whilst Black Caviar would have to wait for the final day for her crowning moment. But nobody could have predicted the drama that unfolded.
(Images above) The drama and the glory as Black Caviar wins the 2012 Diamond Jubilee Stakes.
Jockey Luke Nolen said afterwards that he thought the mare did not feel her usual ebullient self on the way down to the start, and with what he thought was a commanding and unassailable lead, he started to ease up inside the final furlong to look after his pride and joy. Nolen maintained that he always had supreme confidence in her holding on, but Moonlight Cloud stormed home to make it a nervous wait for the judge to confirm a 22nd straight victory. The winning distance was a head, but that only told half the story of the race; a breathtaking success greeted by cheers and gasps in equal measure. For connections, that wasn’t the end of their remarkable half-hour. Queen Elizabeth II not only presented the trophies for the race honouring her reign, but also patted the mare who had reigned victorious over these six furlongs in Berkshire. Black Caviar’s journey from Australia to the winners’ enclosure at Royal Ascot had given every racing fan a journey like no other.
It would be another decade and nine attempts before further Australian success in the sprints. Chris Waller had come closest in 2015 when Brazen Beau just failed to pick up Undrafted for the USA, but seven years later Nature Strip made amends, in commanding
fashion. He had gone off favourite for his last nine races including the Lightning Stakes, in which he finished second behind stablemate Home Affairs. Victory in the T J Smith Stakes set him up for a run at Royal Ascot in the King’s Stand Stakes, and he would run out arguably the most visually impressive of all the victories so far, with four-and-a-half lengths back to Twilight Calls in second. Which brings us to last year, and Asfoora, in the King Charles III Stakes. This mare had to do it the hard way, with her nearside group not travelling as fast as the far side. Oisin Murphy didn’t panic, though, bringing her over to the pacesetting Big Evs and overtaking the favourite inside the final furlong to record the eighth and most recent Australian winner at Royal Ascot.
Asfoora’s connections are bidding for a second King Charles III Stakes, and it would be a truly historic achievement to become the first horse trained outside Europe to win the same race at consecutive Royal Meetings – in fact, outside Great Britain and Ireland, only Sagaro has managed that feat with his treble of Gold Cups.
And with the talented Storm Boy moving from Gai Waterhouse to Aidan O’Brien with eyes on Northern Hemisphere sprinting prizes, there could be plenty more Australian-themed success in the sprinting division at Royal Ascot on the way.
Asfoora wins the 2024 King Charles III Stakes.
Connections of Nature Strip celebrate after winning the 2022 King’s Stand Stakes.
STRENGTHENING TRANSATLANTIC TIES
Ascot’s alignment with 1/ST Racing and Gulfstream Park continues in 2025.
For the last two years, the winners of the Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes and Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies Stakes at Gulfstream Park have earned an automatic entry into one of Royal Ascot’s six two-year-old races in addition to a $25,000 equine travel stipend.
Crimson Advocate won the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies Stakes in 2023, then followed up in the Queen Mary Stakes in dramatic, unforgettable fashion as she bounced out of the stalls and made all, holding off the late challenge of Relief Rally and getting the verdict in the photo finish.
Last year, Gabaldon was successful on debut in the Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes and took up his entry in the Windsor Castle Stakes. Jose Francisco D’Angelo’s colt looked the winner entering the final furlong before the late charge of Ain’t Nobody denied a second straight year of US success in the Royal Ascot two-year-old races.
This year’s winners both seem intent on following this already welltrodden path. Sandal’s Song took the 2025 Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes for George Weaver - who trained Crimson Advocate - and the Kentucky-based handler has confirmed he’s eyeing up another shot at Royal Ascot glory with his colt. The Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies Stakes was won in grand style by Lennilu, trained by Patrick Biancone, who said it was ‘the plan all along’ to get to Ascot. Time
will tell if the final stage of Biancone’s blueprint comes to fruition, but this scheme has already had plenty of success in its early years.
Gabaldon (far side), second in the 2024 Windsor Castle Stakes.
Crimson Advocate (far side) wins the 2023 Queen Mary Stakes.
BREEDERS’ CUP CHALLENGE RACES AT
ROYAL ASCOT
Winners of the following races will earn automatic berths, travel and paid entry fees into the equivalent races at the 2025 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita:
• The Queen Anne Stakes
• The King Charles III Stakes
• The Prince of Wales’s Stakes
• The Norfolk Stakes
All four races will be televised live and streamed in the U.S. as part of NBC Sports Group’s live coverage of Royal Ascot.
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series presented by America’s Best Racing consists of the best races from around the world and awards each winner an
automatic and free entry into the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
It’s simple, they win and they’re in.
In recent history, Queen Anne Stakes winners Barathea and Goldikova have gone on to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile while Prince of Wales’s Stakes winners Fantastic Light and Highland Reel went on to be successful in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
The winner of the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes, for two-year-olds over five furlongs, will receive a free berth into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint while the King Charles III Stakes victor gains an automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, which will be run at 5 1/2 furlongs.
Last year Shareholder won the Norfolk Stakes on his second start but was unable to follow up that success in Del Mar –in fact, the horse that finished third in the Norfolk Stakes, Arizona Blaze, was second behind Magnum Force in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, with Whistlejacket and Aesterius also running well in both races.
ROYAL ASCOT’S GLOBAL REACH
30 broadcasters to showcase Royal Ascot in 180+ territories.
• Five new broadcasters with NBC taking the enhanced World Feed for the first time.
• Ascot commission ‘The Royal Procession: Celebrating 200 Years’ documentary to celebrate 200th anniversary of the Royal Procession and provide additional content for broadcasters.
Royal Ascot, scheduled from Tuesday 17th June to Saturday 21st June, will be broadcast in over 180 territories through more than 30 broadcasters, ensuring the event reaches audiences across every corner of the globe.
A jewel in the crown of international horse racing, it continues to attract significant broadcaster interest, with HBA Media delivering widespread coverage on behalf of Ascot Racecourse.
This year’s distribution includes five new broadcasters – Abu Dhabi Media (Yas TV) (MENA), Charlton (Israel), FanCode (India), WeDo Asia (Southeast Asia) and D-Smart (Turkey). Furthermore, NBC and Peacock will showcase the Royal Meeting across their linear and digital channels - exclusively taking the enhanced World Feed for the first time - coupled with an on-course presence later in the week with presenters Nick Luck and Britney Eurton.
CONTENT PACKAGES AVAILABLE TO BROADCASTERS:
• Daily five-hour coverage of ITV Racing’s World Feed, which includes the full 35-race card taking place across the Royal Meeting. The enhanced production, presented by Tom Stanley, Michelle Yu and Aly Vance, alongside former jockey Meg Nicholls and Irish specialist Jane Mangan, will provide broadcasters with uninterrupted coverage.
• CJR90 – Designed with a worldwide audience in mind, the bespoke 90-minute live show will contain exclusive interviews, expert analysis, curated features and the very best of the action and lifestyle from Gold Cup Day (Thursday). The CJR talent will be joined by a new sporting recruit, former sprinter Harry Aikines, who in making his Royal Ascot debut will help capture the excitement, elegance and global appeal of the Royal Meeting.
• The Royal Procession: Celebrating 200 Years – In celebration of the Royal Procession, Ascot has commissioned a 24-minute feature produced by Equine Productions. The short documentary will be offered as complimentary content to broadcasters, delivering highly sought-after factual programming that charts the history and heritage of the famed opening to the Royal Meeting.
Since 1825 this tradition has stood the test of time and through captivating visuals, first-hand experiences and expert commentary by Alice Loxton, the programme will trace the origins of this ceremonial journey from Windsor Castle to Ascot Racecourse showcasing its role in connecting the monarchy with the public and celebrating British culture at its finest.
DISTRIBUTION:
ITV Racing will present their award-winning coverage live from Ascot Racecourse in daily five-hour programmes, with Sky Sports Racing and Virgin Media supplementing the UK and Irish audience offering.
In the US, NBC and Peacock will broadcast the entire Royal Meeting, with ESPN catering for Latin and South American fans. Broadcast giants, Rogers, will make the Royal Meeting freely available to a Canadian audience on SportsNet with Sky Racing catering for the Australian audience.
European coverage will be complemented by committed broadcasters RAI (Italy), Setanta (Baltics and Eurasia), Polsat (Poland), CYTA (Cyprus), WeDo Sport (Germany, Switzerland and Austria), Silknet (Georgia), D-Smart (Turkey) and Viaplay (Netherlands, Scandinavia). Equidia will be onsite, covering a host of hopeful contenders making the trip across the Channel. Eurovision Sport will continue to provide a broadcast window for Royal Ascot in 20 dark market territories through a partnership with EBU.
Elsewhere, an exclusive agreement with OTT streaming platform FanCode (India) – one of India’s biggest channels that goes into 160 million homes – ensures the event is accessible to a multimillion regional audience. While SuperSport has renewed its deal that sees Royal Ascot broadcast across 52 territories in sub-Saharan Africa.
Coverage in the Middle East includes DMI, Al Kass and Charlton, their footprint spanning 20 territories. Across Asia, the Green Channel will service Japanese audience’s expectant of the nation’s first Royal winner. In addition, Abu Dhabi Media (Yas TV) (MENA) returns to racing after a four-year absence to broadcast the full World Feed every day, as part of a newly signed one-year deal featuring multiple international race events.
Globally, BBC HD Maritime will ensure full coverage of the Royal Meeting on Anuvu cruise ships, while Sport24 will make the CJR90 programme available on 10 airlines around the world. Magazine show TransWorld Sport will ensure the focus remains on Ascot even after the conclusion of its premier event.
Frank Sale, Chief Executive at HBA Media, said: “Each year, we take immense pride in amplifying the global presence of Royal Ascot on behalf of Ascot Racecourse. The sustained strength of our international distribution reflects not only the prestige of the Royal Meeting but also the depth of our partnerships across the broadcast landscape. Through compelling programming such as CJR90 and Timeless Tradition, we’re not just expanding the event’s global footprint — but focusing our attention on ensuring we resonate with audiences around the world with engaging programming.”
Jonathan Gregory, Chief Commercial Officer, Ascot Racecourse, added: “We’re incredibly proud of Royal Ascot and the enduring appeal it continues to hold for audiences around the world. None of this would be possible without the support and collaboration of our international broadcast partners, whose commitment plays such a vital role in showcasing the excitement, heritage and prestige of the Royal Meeting. This year is particularly special as we mark the 200th anniversary of the Royal Procession — a milestone we’re delighted to honour through a specially commissioned programme that brings this historic tradition to life for a global audience.”
World Pool is now in its seventh year, having started at Royal Ascot in 2019. World Pool is a collaboration of 20+ pool betting operators from around the globe who commingle their pools into a single “World Pool” operated by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. This results in enormous liquidity with huge value opportunities for racing fans while generating significant new funding for British and Irish racing.
British and Irish racecourses now host 22 World Pool days a year across nine racecourses. In 2024 there was a global turnover of £458 million on these racedays. By bringing together pool betting liquidity from across the globe, World Pool provides huge pools to bet into and exciting opportunities to look for value as racing fans support particular horses, jockey and trainers familiar to them. The pool betting model is agnostic about results so welcomes winning customers.
Since 2019 World Pool has contributed over £50 million to participating racecourses. In addition, there’s £100,000+ in prizes on offer to racing staff for World Pool Moment of the Day and Year and £50,000 for charity as part of the annual World Pool Jockeys’ Championship.
World Pool Moment Of The Day
All UK and Irish World Pool days featuring five or more races will see a Moment of the Day chosen and the winning groom receive a cheque for £4,000/€4,500. Each winning groom from this season’s World Pool days will receive £4,000 and have the chance to be named World Pool Moment of the Year. The Moment of the Year winner will win a VIP trip for four to Hong Kong for either the 2025 Hong Kong Derby or 2025 FWD Champions Day.
Royal Ascot has provided the top four turnover figures for individual World Pool meetings, with the current record standing at HK$351.8m (£36.5m).
The World Pool Jockeys’ Championship is an initiative for elite jockeys to compete against one another based on the World Pool WIN odds for all UK & Ireland World Pool races. The Championship began on 2000 Guineas Day on 3rd May and ends at QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on 18th October.
World Pool has been promoting the best international racing events and enhancing customer experience since its launch in 2019. This Championship provides a different perspective for racing fans to follow top class jockeys, their horses and high calibre races in UK and Ireland.
For the winning jockey of every World Pool race, points will be awarded based on the World Pool WIN odds. Different to most jockeys’ championship or challenges, the concept of this point system offers a level playing field for all jockeys, from leaders to rising stars, and their chances of winning are dictated by the public as reflects by the tote odds.
Billy Loughnane triumphed in the inaugural UK & Ireland World Pool Jockeys’ Championship and donated the £50,000 prize to The Christy Lambe Foundation.
Topping the leaderboard with 187.50pts, Loughnane finished over 90pts clear of Oisin Murphy (97.25pts) having triumphed on a number of outsiders through the World Pool season, including Rashabar in the Coventry Stakes (World Pool Win odds 129.90).
Loughnane said: “I’m very grateful to World Pool for this prize. It’s a significant amount of money and I’m honoured to be able to donate it to The Christy Lambe Foundation.
“Riding in these races on the big days is what I’ve always dreamed of, so to win a few and to top the leaderboard is a fantastic feeling.
“The Christy Lambe Foundation was only setup two years ago and this money will be very important. The charity works to help people struggling with mental health and poverty, and it’s a cause that’s close to my heart as Christy’s oldest brother Michael is my sponsor, through his company Lambe Construction.”
All five days of Royal Ascot are World Pool days, meaning all 35 races at the meeting count towards the World Pool Jockeys’ Championship.
2024 WORLD POOL JOCKEYS’ CHAMPIONSHIP
SUSTAINABILITY AT ASCOT
Ascot Racecourse is not only home to world-class racing, but also a leader in sustainable event management. As environmental challenges intensify, Ascot’s commitment to reducing its ecological footprint has grown stronger. Over the past 12 months we have made notable progress across emissions, energy usage, and innovation, underscoring Ascot’s role in shaping a greener future.
TACKLING TRAVEL AND ENCLOSURE IMPACT
Travel to and from Ascot by staff and racegoers remains the largest single contributor to the site’s emissions, accounting for 36% of the annual total. To address this, Ascot continues to focus on customer and staff travel. Last September, during The Big Ascot Food & Wine Festival in Association with Chapel Down, we ran a scheme to reimburse racegoers for their ticket cost if travelling by public transport.
Recognising that Ascot Racecourse attracts visitors year-round and is the heart of the village community, a new EV charging hub in Car Park 3, open to the public since May 2024, benefits the broader population and supports the growing shift to electric vehicles. Staff are also incentivised to switch to electric cars via a salary sacrifice scheme.
Royal Ascot is of course the crown jewel in our yearly offering and with over 270,000 visitors over the five days, plus lengthy build and break periods, we have made substantial efforts to reduce its environmental impact. The Village Enclosure mirrored its sustainability performance from 2023 but with better results. Total emissions dropped to 115 tCO2e - a 12% reduction year-on-yearwhile the recycling rate climbed to 59%. The enclosure is powered
entirely by rechargeable battery units during the day – the battery units charge overnight, showcasing a practical and low-carbon energy solution. For the third year in a row, the Village Enclosure will be run as a Net Zero enclosure in 2025 – this was a first in the racing world.
Solar-powered lighting in all toilet facilities across the Windsor Enclosure is another small but impactful shift in 2025. By replacing temporary diesel-powered lighting with solar energy, Ascot reduces emissions and enhances the guest experience. We continue to focus on reduction measures in this enclosure.
OFFSETTING AND INNOVATION
While reduction remains the core focus, responsible offsetting forms a vital part of Ascot’s carbon strategy. In partnership with CUR8, 253 tCO2e have been offset to date, of which 120 tCO2e have already been physically removed through biochar application, afforestation, and biobased building materials. These solutions go beyond avoidance; they’re about drawing carbon out of the atmosphere and locking it away, permanently.
Ascot is also investing in infrastructure that supports a circular, low-emissions economy. Since 2019 Ascot has used 100% renewable energy throughout the site and in 2026, photovoltaic panels will be installed on the Grandstand, enabling the racecourse to produce 482,000 kWh of power per year and saving 99.78 tonnes of CO2 in their first year of operation. Harvesting and storing utilities on-site is something we have already done for a number of years, with 100% of the water used for watering our track and grounds coming from our on-site reservoir.
The transition to LED lighting is well underway, with about 2,000 more bulbs scheduled for replacement. When complete, this will reduce energy consumption by 70%, benefitting both the environment and the business.
COMMUNITY AND BIODIVERSITY
Ascot’s sustainability programme extends far beyond carbon and kilowatts. Biodiversity and wellbeing are also central themes. The racecourse maintains two hives of honeybees on-site, which not only supports pollination but also produces honey which is used on site. In collaboration with the RSPB, new bird boxes are being installed around the stables to provide safe nesting spaces for local bird populations.
Through its “Ascot Racecourse Supports” initiative, the racecourse continues to work with the University of Surrey, where students take on real-world projects aimed at enhancing environmental practices at the venue. This partnership bridges education and application, helping ensure that fresh, science-based ideas feed directly into operations.
A BLUEPRINT FOR THE FUTURE
The progress we have made in recent years shows that deliberate, targeted action can lead to measurable environmental benefits. Whether it’s reducing energy use, investing in clean power, improving recycling, or encouraging greener travel, every initiative contributes to a wider picture of climate responsibility.
More importantly, Ascot is proving that large-scale events steeped in tradition can evolve without sacrificing experience or excellence. By focusing on innovation, community, and transparency, Ascot not only meets the demands of today but also sets the pace for a greener future in sport and hospitality.
Jonathan Parker, Managing Director, 1711 by Ascot, said: “At Ascot, we believe exceptional experiences and environmental responsibility go hand in hand. Whether it’s reducing food waste, sourcing locally, or embracing innovative low-carbon solutions, sustainability is embedded in everything we do. Our goal is to ensure that the magic of Royal Ascot leaves a lasting impression, but not a lasting footprint.”
FROM THE TRACK
ROYAL ASCOT 2025 LOOKBOOK
UNVEILED UNDER DANIEL FLETCHER’S CREATIVE DIRECTION FOR A SECOND YEAR
In April, Ascot Racecourse released the highly anticipated 2025 Royal Ascot Lookbook, once again guided by the creative vision of acclaimed British designer Daniel Fletcher. Now in his second year as Creative Director, Fletcher deepens his exploration of occasion dressing, blending contemporary fashion with British heritage and global influences.
Following the resounding success of his debut, Fletcher expands the Lookbook’s vision, celebrating versatility, inclusivity, and innovation while honouring Royal Ascot’s timeless dress codes. This year’s collection of edits showcases a rich interplay of British craftsmanship, international style, and vintage revival, inviting racegoers to embrace their individuality while paying homage to heritage.
The 2025 Royal Ascot Lookbook refines and reimagines key themes, offering sartorial inspiration for every racegoer:
THE ARCHIVE EDIT
A contemporary take on conscious fashion, this edit delves into the rich history of Royal Ascot style. Featuring vintage, rental, and borrowed pieces, it redefines elegance through the lens of bygone eras, proving that heritage and modernity can exist in harmony.
BEST OF BRITISH
A continuation of last year’s homage to British design, this edit showcases the finest homegrown talent, from esteemed heritage brands to dynamic high-street innovators. Playful styling, preppy aesthetics, and eccentric charm set the tone, with a whimsical British summertime backdrop featuring oversized strawberries, daisies, and orchard fruits.
Beyond these defining edits, the Lookbook spotlights key trends for Spring/Summer 2025, including the revival of polka dots, the emergence of matcha green as a leading pastel hue, and the earthy sophistication of Pantone’s Colour of the Year, Mocca Mousse. Luxurious fabrics – silk, ruffles, and sheer layering – further elevate the season’s aesthetic.
Daniel Fletcher, creative director for Royal Ascot: “Returning as Creative Director for a second year, I wanted to push the creative boundaries even further, balancing heritage with modernity and encouraging racegoers to see occasion dressing as an expression of individuality. The Archive Edit felt like a natural evolution of last year’s sustainability focus, drawing inspiration from Ascot’s storied style while championing vintage and rental pieces. Meanwhile, Best of British is more vibrant than ever, embracing playful
THE INTERNATIONAL EDIT
Reflecting Royal Ascot’s global appeal, this edit celebrates international designers, with a sleek, minimalist set design allowing the styles to take centre stage. This year also introduces traditional national dress – which is welcomed within the dress codes –including the Scottish national dress of kilt and sporran, adding a fresh cultural dimension to the event’s renowned dress codes.
pairings and unexpected twists that highlight the depth of UK fashion. I’m eager to see how racegoers make their own mark on Royal Ascot style in 2025.”
Felicity Barnard, CEO, Ascot Racecourse, added: “Royal Ascot is an unparalleled moment in the social and sporting calendar, where tradition and fashion converge and Daniel’s vision for the 2025 Lookbook is a really exciting mix of heritage alongside modern trends. This year’s edits pay homage to everything that Ascot is celebrated for, including the global influences that are shaping contemporary fashion. With a focus on craftsmanship, sustainability, and selfexpression, the 2025 Lookbook is designed to inspire racegoers to embrace the art of dressing up while honouring the dress codes that make Royal Ascot so truly special.”
PRINTS & PATTERNS
A bold and vibrant exploration of pattern and colour, this edit embraces the joyous prints that define Royal Ascot each summer. Stripes, florals, polka dots, statement graphics and appliqué take the spotlight, set against custom-designed backdrops that enhance their dynamic energy.
THE HISTORY OF FASHION AT ROYAL ASCOT -
KEY DATES:
L ate 1700 s
Beau Brummell, a close friend of the Prince Regent, who decreed that “men of elegance should wear waisted black coats and white cravats with pantaloons” and this set the tone for the dress code that is still adhered to by men in the Royal Enclosure.
1830 s
Queen Victoria’s visit to Royal Ascot saw her arrive in a pretty lace dress with a full bell skirt and shawl. She also started a craze for the porter bonnet, shielding the wearer from male eyes.
1890 s
As the dawn of a new century arrived, fashion took on an almost celebratory tone. Skirts were less full, but silhouettes made a greater statement with angular hips and puffed sleeves. Hats were large and full of feathers and adornments.
1900 s
One of fashion’s most iconic images; that of Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady was inspired when costume designer Cecil Beaton saw images of Black Ascot, The 1910 Royal Ascot meeting was in full mourning over the death of King Edward.
1920 s
Hemlines were shorter and cuts were smaller in the 1920s reflecting a post-war generation’s rebellion against old traditions. Pearls and furs were the accessories of the day.
1950 s
Christian Dior’s New Look, a small waist and full skirt, was proving popular however it was when the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth and her stylish sister Princess Margaret wore the style at Royal Ascot that it was cemented in history.
1960 s
Royal Ascot’s glamorous profile elevated when Italian actress Sophia Loren was photographed in the Royal Enclosure. In modern times some of the biggest names in Hollywood and fashion have attended.
1970 s
Trouser suits became more popular following their introduction to the dress code in 1971. Gertrude Shilling, The Ascot Mascot, delighted the press with her extravagant outfits. One year, one of her son David’s millinery designs outgrew the Shilling’s long-wheel-based Rolls Royce, so the hat had to follow in a van behind.
1980 s
Sharp lines and bright colours took centre stage during this decade. With statement hats and pointed heels, there was little room for floaty florals in 1980s glamour.
2012
Royal Ascot officially launches its Style Guide to racegoers outlining dress code regulations for the Royal Enclosure and Queen Anne Enclosure (formally known as Grandstand).
2017
The jumpsuit is formally accepted in the Royal Enclosure Dress Code and the Queen Anne Enclosure Dress Code is extended to the new Village Enclosure.
2018
Royal Ascot introduces Style Guides for the Village Enclosure and Windsor Enclosure.
2020
Royal Ascot runs behind closed doors for the first time in the event’s history during the global COVID-19 pandemic.
2021
Navy morning suits were permitted in the Royal Enclosure.
2024
Ascot appoints its first ever Creative Director, Daniel Fletcher, to oversee the launch of the Lookbook and Millinery Collective.
ASCOT UNVEILS THE 2025 MILLINERY COLLECTIVE, CELEBRATING
A DECADE OF ARTISTRY WITH NEW-GEN DESIGNERS AND ACCLAIMED MILLINERY ARTISTS
Marking a decade of sartorial brilliance, the Royal Ascot Millinery Collective celebrated its 10th anniversary with its inaugural, exclusive London Fashion Week presentation of 10 bespoke designs created exclusively for Royal Ascot.
Earlier this year Ascot unveiled the annual Royal Ascot Millinery Collective, reimagined once again under the visionary direction of its Creative Director, British fashion designer Daniel Fletcher. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Collective, celebrating a decade of exceptional craftmanship and innovation in millinery. For the first time, the designs were unveiled at a live salon-style show during London Fashion Week, as Ascot joins the British Fashion Council as a Patron—making history as the only sporting venue and event to do so.
Since its inception, the Royal Ascot Millinery Collective has played a pivotal role in shaping the occasionwear landscape each summer season. This milestone year pays tribute to its enduring impact, honouring the designers who have elevated raceday style and inspired a new generation of millinery talent. Drawing inspiration from past eras, as well as innovative techniques and materials, the 2025 collection features 10 bespoke hats crafted by industry veterans and emerging talents. In addition to their bespoke millinery designs, each model will be dressed in a custom cream trouser suit, inspired by the famed Royal Enclosure dress code and the art of traditional tailoring, designed by Fletcher.
GOLDING
AWON
Wild Cat
ALEXANDRA HARPER MILLINERY
Frenzied Moment
LISA TAN Aurelia
MERVE BAYINDIR Helix
CARRIE JENKINSON Sarah
KATHERINE ELIZABETH
Solar Noir
ELIURPI
Sculptural Hat
SALLY-ANN PROVAN
La Gambade - ‘The Frolic’
JANE TAYLOR
The Luna
This year’s esteemed lineup features emerging milliners Eliurpi and Carrie Jenkinson, selected for their bold and brilliant, avant-garde creations. Alongside them sit Katherine Elizabeth, Sally-Ann Provan, Alexandra Harper, and Merve Bayindir, who demonstrate meticulous craftsmanship and a forward thinking, contemporary approach to millinery. Other esteemed names include Stephen Jones OBE, Jane Taylor, Awon Golding, and Lisa Tan, whose designs have graced royalty and A-list celebrities alike consistently throughout the last decade. The diverse group of designers showcases fashion artistry and millinery innovation, which is woven into the very fabric of the Royal Ascot experience.
Felicity Barnard, Chief Executive, Ascot Racecourse: “This is a landmark moment for Ascot as we not only celebrate a decade of our Millinery Collective but also make our debut on the London Fashion Week calendar. Daniel has created a truly fitting tribute to the millinery world by bringing together 10 of the very best hat makers to form this year’s Collective. Exquisite hats and millinery masterpieces are woven into the very fabric of Royal Ascot’s heritage and we are committed to preserving and celebrating this tradition for generations to come.”
Daniel Fletcher, creative director for Royal Ascot: “It has been an incredible privilege to lead this visionary project into its 10th year and work with some of the world’s best milliners. This anniversary not only celebrates a decade of extraordinary craftsmanship but also the continued evolution of millinery as a truly dynamic art form. This year’s collection brings together a remarkable group of designers, each with a unique perspective and passion for their craft. With London Fashion Week as the perfect backdrop, I’m excited to see how the Royal Ascot Millinery Collective continues to inspire and shape the future of raceday fashion for the summer season.”
Glamazon
STEPHEN JONES OBE
Credit: Shona Williams
Launched by Her Majesty Queen Camilla in 2023, The Queen’s Reading Room is a charity dedicated to celebrating and promoting the power and benefits of reading in the UK and beyond.
As a charity, The Queen’s Reading Room promotes the accessibility and joy of stories and storytelling and reaches more than twelve million people in 174 countries around the world each year with their free, educational content around books and the people who write them; as well staging major events around the UK and internationally.
Through groundbreaking neuroscientific research, The Queen’s Reading Room seeks to discover and celebrate the unique power of books to improve brain health, mental health and social connection. Their first study, published in March 2024, used brain scans and skin conductance tests to determine that just five minutes of reading fiction both reduces stress by nearly 20% and improves the brain’s capacity to manage stress; all while boosting concentration and focus and reducing feelings of loneliness.
Key events include the annual Queen’s Reading Room Festival, which filled 20,000 at Hampton Court Palace in 2023 and 2024. In 2025, The Queen’s Reading Room Festival will take place at Chatsworth in Derbyshire, on 19th and 20th September.
This year at Royal Ascot, The Queen’s Reading Room will be located at the foot of the steps beneath Core A in the Queen Anne Enclosure, next to the Royal Enclosure, and open to guests from both.
Designed as a garden room with comfortable seating and books by authors presenting trophies during Royal Week, the space offers a quiet retreat to explore featured works, and to learn about the work of The Queen’s Reading Room, including their new partnership with St Mungo’s—who will receive signed books after the event. Visitors can also discover more about The Queen’s Reading Room’s grassroots initiatives, upcoming neuroscience research, and The Queen’s Reading Room Festival.
Credit: The Queen’s Reading Room
Credit: Jennifer Pattison
ROYAL ASCOT 2025: THE WORLD’S MOST MICHELIN-STARRED SPORTING EVENT SHINES BRIGHT WITH A COLLECTIVE TOTAL
Royal Ascot continues to blend world-class racing with exceptional dining experiences. This year’s collection of ‘Chefs in Residence’ will feature a remarkable lineup of Michelin-starred chefs, whose restaurants collectively hold an unprecedented 29 Michelin stars— the most ever for Royal Ascot or any sporting event worldwide.
Two new culinary talents, Yannick Alléno and Benoit Blin, join the esteemed roster this year, adding fresh perspectives and innovation to an already exceptional dining offering. Alléno, with 15 Michelin stars, debuts with an alfresco pop-up inspired by his London bar, Bar Antoine at Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane. Blin, a Master Pâtissier with over 30 years of expertise from Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and the Ritz Paris, introduces an exclusive Royal Ascot Afternoon Tea. Together with the wider lineup of Chefs in Residence, each will present a unique menu—from delicate canapés to indulgent desserts— ensuring a memorable culinary journey that complements the occasion’s elegance.
Fine Dining at Royal Ascot remains a defining feature of the event, offering a culinary experience that reflects the excitement of this world-renowned sporting event.
RAYMOND BLANC OBE
PANORAMIC RESTAURANT, ROYAL ENCLOSURE
Renowned chef Raymond Blanc OBE, bringing his expertise from Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons—his country house hotel in Oxfordshire that has held two Michelin stars for an astonishing 40 years— will once again take up residence in the prestigious Panoramic Restaurant located in the Royal Enclosure. Celebrating his tenth year at Royal Ascot, he will return with a four-course, tailored lunch menu and a refined service that promises to be one of the most superb, intimate culinary experiences found at the racecourse. With its elegant, light-filled setting and panoramic views of the racecourse and beyond, including the London skyline, the restaurant provides the perfect complement to Blanc’s culinary mastery.
SIMON ROGAN MBE
PARADE RING RESTAURANT, ROYAL ENCLOSURE
Simon Rogan, whose restaurants hold nine Michelin stars worldwide, returns to Royal Ascot for his seventh year, bringing his signature farm to fork ethos to the Parade Ring Restaurant. Celebrated as the chef behind L’Enclume, his flagship restaurant in Cartmel, Cumbria, holds three Michelin stars and is considered one of the finest dining destinations in the world. Since last year’s event, Simon has earned two additional Michelin stars (for Aulis London and ION Harbour in Malta), further solidifying his world-class reputation. His menu will offer guests an exquisite five-course à la carte lunch in a floral, formal, and regal setting.
YANNICK ALLÉNO
BAR ANTOINE, ROYAL ENCLOSURE
Renowned as one of the world’s finest chefs, Yannick Alléno holds an impressive 15 Michelin stars across 17 restaurants in London, France, Dubai, Monaco, and Japan. Making his Royal Ascot debut, this exclusive, soon-to-be-released pop-up invites racegoers to experience his innovative al fresco small-plate tasting concept, inspired by his debut bar concept, Bar Antoine at Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane. Celebrated for reinventing French cuisine, his unique style seamlessly blends tradition with cutting-edge techniques. Yannick and his team from the acclaimed Pavyllon London and Bar Antoine at the Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane, will be in residence for the first time this summer.
LISA GOODWIN-ALLEN
ON 5, QUEEN ANNE ENCLOSURE
Lisa Goodwin-Allen, Michelin-star chef and TV regular, returns for her second year as ‘Chef in Residence’ at Royal Ascot, headlining the Queen Anne Enclosure’s flagship Fine Dining restaurant, ON 5. Situated on the fifth floor, this fully glass-fronted restaurant embodies a bright, vibrant clubhouse atmosphere with a spacious trackside viewing balcony and a rooftop terrace offering spectacular views of the Royal Procession and the racing action. Lisa, executive chef of Michelinstarred restaurant Northcote in Lancashire, will serve a four-course lunch focusing on local seasonal ingredients, cooked with her signature twist. These elegant dishes will be paired with fine wines selected by the sommelier.
TOM SHEPHERD
THE SANDRINGHAM, ROYAL ENCLOSURE
Tom Shepherd returns for his second year from his eponymous, oneMichelin-star, sell-out restaurant, Upstairs by Tom Shepherd. He will host in the Royal Enclosure, The Sandringham, for 2025. This striking orangery-inspired structure is nestled in a sunny corner of the Lavender Courtyard, just a short stroll from the trackside lawns and the beautiful Royal Enclosure Gardens. To provide a more flexible dining option, Tom has curated four-course chef stations featuring appetisers, main courses, desserts, and cheese, alongside a signature menu served at the table. His seasonal, flavour-driven menu reflects his commitment to crafting dishes inspired by the surroundings.
TOM BARNES
THE VISTA, ROYAL ENCLOSURE
Michelin-starred chef and proprietor of the newly opened Skof in Manchester, brings his award-winning expertise to The Vista— a cuttingedge dining experience premiering at Royal Ascot 2025. Formerly Executive Head Chef at L’Enclume and Rogan & Co, Tom recently earned a Michelin star, cementing his reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting culinary talents. At The Vista, Tom will showcase his skills from an open kitchen, offering guests an immersive dining experience featuring a specially designed six-course tasting menu paired with fine wines. Set within an industrial-chic space, The Vista redefines modern dining at Royal Ascot, boasting breathtaking, uninterrupted views of the Straight Mile and finish line from an exclusive balcony.
TOM BOOTON
THE GRILL BY TOM BOOTON, ROYAL ENCLOSURE
Tom Booton, one of London’s most talented young chefs, made history in 2019 as the youngest-ever head chef at The Grill at The Dorchester. Bringing a wealth of experience and a passion for sourcing the finest produce, Tom returns to Royal Ascot for his fourth year, showcasing his signature innovative style in the Royal Enclosure Gardens. With a vibrant, fresh approach to cooking and a focus on the best of British ingredients, Tom’s exclusive four-course tasting menu promises to surprise and delight Royal Enclosure Members and their guests.
JAMES TANNER
THE DECK, QUEEN ANNE ENCLOSURE
James Tanner returns to The Deck this year with a thoughtfully curated three-course menu, perfectly suited to a summer day of sport and socialising. The Deck offers a relaxed yet sophisticated dining experience in an elevated setting inspired by an English country garden. With its private raised balcony and seamless access to the Home Straight entertaining area in the Queen Anne Enclosure, guests at The Deck can enjoy every moment of the action in style.
BENOIT BLIN ROYAL ASCOT AFTERNOON TEA, VARIOUS LOCATIONS
Making his Royal Ascot debut this year as Master Pâtissier, Benoit will be serving his specially designed Royal Ascot Afternoon Tea menu in Fine Dining restaurants, private boxes, and across the racecourse. A celebrated pastry chef with over 30 years of experience as Head Pastry Chef at the award-winning Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Benoit brings expertise from prestigious establishments like the Ritz Paris. He has also crafted a French-inspired afternoon tea at the Cadogan Hotel and continues to share his passion as a judge on Channel 4’s Bake Off: The Professionals and author of Bake with Benoit.
Jonathan Parker, Managing Director, 1711 by Ascot, says: “Fine Dining at Royal Ascot has gone from strength to strength, and each year we strive to elevate the experience. This year is no exception with Royal Ascot 2025 set to be the world’s most Michelin-starred sporting event, boasting a collective total of 28 stars. We’re also delighted to celebrate Raymond Blanc’s tenth year as Chef Patron, a milestone that underscores his enduring brilliance. At the same time, we’re thrilled to welcome superstar chef Yannick Alléno for his debut, alongside a remarkable lineup of talent that reflects the innovation and style of both the global and domestic culinary scene.”
FASHION DESIGN COMPETITION
Building on the success of our existing competition, this year we appointed a creative consultancy to facilitate a Fashion Design Enrichment Programme across 10 local schools/colleges for students aged 15yrs+ studying textiles, fashion and/or photography. Workshops were held to help build confidence, equip students with transferable skills, gain insight into the real-world design process whilst enhancing their portfolios.
This year, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our Millinery Collective, students were also asked to incorporate one of the hats, as featured at London Fashion Week, into their design.
Sofia Linares won the competition and her outfit will now be manufactured by British luxury fashion brand LK Bennett. Sofia has been invited to their Bond Street HQ to work through her design which will be made in time for her to wear to Royal Ascot on Saturday, 21st June alongside a hat made by Eliurpi.
Sofia will also have the opportunity of work experience in the Autumn.
ROYAL ASCOT LOCAL SCHOOLS
ART COMPETITION 2025 WINNERS
Our annual competition goes from strength to strength with another record year that saw 1,710 entries received from across 35 schools. Shortlisted entries were showcased at our Spring Family Raceday and online for a public vote which in total received a record 4,240 votes. All the winners and runners up were invited to the Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% Victoria Cup Raceday for a celebratory presentation tea. These images will be reproduced and added to the gallery of past winners ahead of Royal Ascot which are displayed in the Heath Tunnel for racegoers and the local community to enjoy.
The winners have also been invited to form a Jockey’s Guard of Honour on the final day of Royal Ascot.
RETRAINING OF RACEHORSES (ROR) DONATION
Ascot Racecourse Supports to donate £5,000 for each Ryan Moore winner.
Launched in 2024, this initiative sees the Ascot Racecourse Supports community and charity programme donate £5,000 to RoR for every winner our Racing Ambassador, Ryan Moore, achieves during Royal Ascot.
RoR is British horse racing’s official charity for the welfare of horses who have retired from racing.
Ryan succeeded in winning six times across the meeting last year equating to a charitable donation of £30,000..
THE KING’S FOUNDATION
MÉTIERS D’ART MILLINERY FELLOWSHIP AT ROYAL ASCOT
Ascot Racecourse is proud to announce its collaboration with The CHANEL & The King’s Foundation Métiers d’Art Millinery Fellowship in Partnership with le19M, marking a significant commitment to the future of millinery.
honoured craft continues to flourish, preserving the skills and creativity that define millinery as an art form.
In addition to the bursary which launches for the first cohort of students (2024/2025), going forward, as part of the 2025/26 curriculum that will run from September 2025 to April 2026, students will design a Royal Ascot-inspired hat, with one design selected as the 11th piece to feature in the Royal Ascot Millinery Collective from 2026 onwards.
To mark the 10th anniversary of the Royal Ascot Millinery Collective – unveiled at a live salon-style show during London Fashion Week as Ascot joins the British Fashion Council as a Patron – Ascot will introduce a £10,000 annual bursary to support a King’s Foundation and CHANEL graduating millinery student, nurturing the next generation of specialist milliners in the UK.
This initiative reflects Ascot’s deep-rooted connection to millinery, reinforcing its role as the world’s leading stage for raceday hat couture. By providing financial support, Ascot aims to ensure that this time-
Alongside this exciting educational partnership, the work of The King’s Foundation and CHANEL Fellowship’s students will be showcased in the Queen Anne Enclosure at Royal Ascot 2025, offering racegoers a unique opportunity to view the designs of emerging talent. This display will celebrate craftsmanship, innovation, and the enduring legacy of millinery in British fashion.
The CHANEL & The King’s Foundation Métiers d’Art Millinery Fellowship in Partnership with le19M was launched in 2024 with a cohort of six talented students. The intensive programme aims to train the next generation of specialist milliners in the UK, with the support of Parisien hat-maker Maison Michel at le19M in Paris. This forms part of The King’s Foundation’s wider work to protect traditional heritage skills that are at risk of being lost, a subject His Majesty The King is passionate about.
The highly skilled 35-week residential Millinery Fellowship is based at the CHANEL Metiers d’art Training Atelier at Highgrove and at The King’s Foundation at Trinity Buoy Wharf London. Students spend time at Maison Michel in Paris and the programme also includes a two-week industry placement, based in the UK.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
We have again created a dedicated viewing/ picnic area within the Heath Enclosure to enable up to 500 local students the opportunity to watch the spectacle of the Royal Procession and racing. Scotty, the Ascot Colts & Fillies Club Mascot, will visit the enclosure and each student will receive a free goody-bag and a Union Jack flag. 22 schools (890 students) have booked to attend.
Those living within a three-mile radius of the racecourse were also invited to take part in our Local Residents Ballot. We provided 500 pairs of Queen Anne Enclosure tickets for the second day of Royal Ascot which takes the total number of Royal Ascot tickets donated to residents beyond 5,000 since 2021.
We also acknowledge the important role that our local services and personnel play in supporting the racecourse/racegoers by extending discounted ticket offers to the NHS, Thames Valley Police, Fire and Ambulance services, to Royal Ascot and our other racedays.
UPCYCLED COMMUNITY ART INSTALLATION
As part of our wider ESG programme to spread awareness and education around sustainability, we have sponsored the creation of an interactive community art installation which will be revealed on the first day of Royal Ascot.
Our partners, Busy Buttons CORE Charity based in Windsor, ran creative workshops enabling students from 4 x SEN schools to get involved in “The Dream Horse” – an installation that will be comprised of upcycled items that can be found on the racecourse, ie. racing silks, corks, cutlery, water bottles, etc.
The front section of the installation will emerge from a wall in the concourse alongside a backdrop showcasing the community involvement with the remaining elements, including an interactive middle platform for the public to stand on, arriving in July.
ASCOT RACECOURSE SUPPORTS
“Ascot Racecourse Supports” was launched in 2017 and brings together all Ascot’s community and charity work into one programme for the benefit of the local community and beyond. Its goals are to support small, local charities and community groups with a focus on children and mental health issues in addition to equine charities.
In addition to the activations for Royal Ascot overleaf, the programme continues to deliver social impact which in 2025 will include:
TRIAL LUNCH SERVICE FOR CHARITY/COMMUNITY GROUPS
270 staff members from across 34 local charity and community groups that we support have been invited to enjoy lunch on the Monday before Royal Ascot. Diners will get to experience high qualityfood prepared across both our pop-up restaurants and by our Michelin-starred chefs. Not only does this provide a special
day out for the hard-working guests, but also an opportunity for our teams to hone their service skills ahead of the busy week ahead.
BUCKET COLLECTORS INCLUDING THE TRI-FORCES
We have again invited the three principal single service armed forces charities, comprising the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity, The Army Benevolent Fund and the RAF Benevolent Fund to be our nominated bucket collectors on the Wednesday and Friday of Royal Ascot. This dovetails with the “50% discount” ticket offer that has been extended to serving military personnel for both days.
New for 2025, we also welcome Quest Riding for the Disabled and Thames Hospice as our official collectors on the Tuesday and Thursday respectively.
To raise public awareness and complement our Net-Zero Village Enclosure, we have also invited City Harvest, our waste food distribution partners, to host an activation
and bucket collect in that area on the Saturday.
BOOKMAKERS TO DONATE ALL PROFITS FROM BRITANNIA STAKES
Bookmakers have also committed that if they do not make a profit on the race, they will make a combined donation of £200,000 to be split amongst this year’s nominated charities.
The bookmakers involved are Flutter (Paddy Power, Betfair, Sky Bet), Entain (Ladbrokes, Coral), Evoke (888 William Hill), Kindred (Unibet), Betway, Rank Group (Grosvenor Sport), Virgin Bet, Star Sports, QuinnBet, Tote and Bet with Ascot. They will hand over all profits made from win and each-way bets, after levy and duties are deducted, on the Britannia Stakes which is the fifth race on Thursday’s card.
£50K
donated via Berkshire Community Fund supporting OVER 3,700 BENEFICIARIES
4,000
raceday tickets donated to charity/community including OVER
Dedicated Sensory Room opened
STAFF VOLUNTEERING WEEK
582 = HOURS 83 DAYS
Record 104 staff members across 16 LOCAL CHARITIES
LEGACY FUNDING to Heros & Alma Beacon
Onsite bucket collections
£30K RAISED OVER
4,500
students have taken part in our Student Engagement Initiatives OVER
£60K OVER 200 STUDENTS
have taken part in free Educational Racedays
Hosted 50 students across 5 x Riding a Dream Academy Taster Days
OTHER BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE:
OVER 400 MEET & GREETS with our Equine Ambassador
SIDE GLANCE
Dedicated picnic area on Heath expanded to accommodate over 500 STUDENTS
£148K
raised in total for charitable causes
including new initiative based on Ryan Moore’s Royal Ascot winners, delivering £35K to Retraining of Racehorses
£262K
raised for charity via the BGC Britannia Stakes initiative
Trial Royal Ascot Lunch 220 STAFF MEMBERS invited from 28 LOCAL CHARITIES
ASCOT RACECOURSE
LAUNCHES SELF-SERVICE BETTING TERMINALS ON-COURSE
Earlier this year, Ascot Racecourse was pleased to announce the launch of self-service betting terminals (SSBTs) on-course, through Bet With Ascot, after a highly successful trial period, marking a debut for the technology on racecourses in the UK.
The terminals are the latest in a line of innovations produced in association with betting technology experts i-neda, aimed at improving the on-course experience and making a day at Ascot more accessible for all.
Two SSBT screens were trialled on the concourse at the Howden Christmas Racing Weekend in December 2024. This then increased to 12 screens across two locations at the BetMGM Clarence House Chase Raceday in January and the Betfair Ascot Chase Raceday in February.
Throughout the trial, it quickly became clear from racegoer feedback that the technology was attractive to people who wanted to explore the new screens and browse through the runners with the dividends on-screen before making their choice. Customer responses also indicated that the SSBTs made things easier for people who knew their selections and could control their own speed of service, and for those who may prefer to make their selections in their own time without being with an operator.
Starting in March 2025, the SSBTs became available in three permanent areas in the Grandstand concourse with a total of 18 screens, alongside the usual Bet With Ascot operators, to ensure that customers have more choice and freedom when it comes to placing bets. Further expansion plans are in place throughout 2025 including SSBTs being available across the racecourse at Royal Ascot.
The SSBTs offer win, place, each-way and placepot bets, with the screens designed with user experience at the forefront. Each bank of screens is managed by Bet With Ascot staff to assist with any queries as well as meeting compliance requirements for customers such as age verification. Winnings will be collected in the usual way from Bet With Ascot operators.
Chris Collard, Director of Ascot Racecourse Betting & Gaming Ltd, said: “We always look at how we can innovate to make the Ascot experience more accessible and available to everyone, and these SSBTs will really help us to do that.
“It was really pleasing to see how racegoers welcomed the SSBTs on course, and we have received some excellent feedback. Giving racegoers the decision of whether to use our SSBTs or to speak to our knowledgeable Bet With Ascot staff gives customers even more choice and freedom.
“Our thanks go to i-neda, who we have worked closely with throughout this project, for the seamless process of getting these SSBTs from concept to reality.”
Faye Cole, Operations Director at i-neda Ltd, said: “We are thrilled with the positive customer response to the launch of i-neda SSBT technology at Ascot Racecourse. Feedback gathered during the trials highlighted how easy the service was to use, with customers appreciating the added flexibility in making their selections and placing bets on racedays.
“The invaluable insights and close collaboration given by Chris and the Bet With Ascot team enabled us to successfully deliver this innovative new facility, and we are proud to be part of their continuing investment to give British racing customers first-class service.”
SCULPTURES IN THE ROYAL ENCLOSURE
Royal Ascot will once again be the site for exquisite fine art this year, with the support of Justin Gardner from Muse, The Sculpture Company. Following up their previous majestic installations, the likes of Holly Hickmore, Hamish Mackie and Edward Waites return to the Royal Meeting with more exceptional pieces.
SPIRIT
Justin says: “This piece is a brand-new work, 9ft high, that will be debuted at Royal Ascot. Steve Winterburn is a remarkable man, entirely self-taught, creating magnificent sculptures including major public pieces. He also oversees the running of his own foundry in North Yorkshire, casting his works and bronzes for other sculptors. Here you see the artist working on the original clay before it goes into mould to be cast in bronze.”
Location: Royal Enclosure Car Park 1 entrance, next to The Sandringham
https://www.instagram.com/stevewinterburn/
Justin will be taking guided tours of the sculptures daily; he and most of the sculptors will be available for media opportunities throughout the week – please contact Justin directly for more details. www.instagram.com/musesculptureco/ justin@thesculpturecompany.co.uk
Justin says: “Nicolas is an award-winning stone carver based in Northamptonshire. He is passionate about his craft and his art, using tools and methods that would be recognized by stone carvers a thousand years ago.
“His work ‘Catherine Wheel’ is a two piece marble base. The total height of carving plus base is 190cm. The work will weigh around 850kg and is made using marble and Ancaster limestone.”
Location: Trianon Bar, Lavender Courtyard
https://www.instagram.com/nicolasmoreton/
Stephen Winterburn
Nicolas Moreton
CATHERINE WHEEL
FAMILY OF ROE
Justin says: “Hamish is probably the country’s best-known sculptor of wildlife works and is a regular in all the top publications – he will be very familiar to Royal Enclosure guests. We have shown Hamish’s work at Ascot for many years, and he has always been a favourite. Hamish lives and works in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds and has, rather like Steve Winterburn, a good deal of images and videos on his Instagram page.”
The family of Roe features a life-size Hind, Fawn and Buck. These are cast in bronze by the Lockbund foundry in Banbury.
Location: Close to the Pre-Parade Ring and Ascot Shop.
GOLDEN
Justin says: “Judy is a Wiltshire-based sculptor who has created equestrian bronzes both tabletop and monumental. She also sculpted the Badminton Horse Trials trophy.
SWIMMING OTTERS
“Hamish’s latest work depicting Swimming Otters will stand 2.5m high on its plinth.”
Location: On the paved walkway by the Dorchester Grill
https://www.instagram.com/hamishmackiesculpture/
“Her work Golden will stand just over 2m on its base and depicts a racehorse closing on the finish.”
Location: Lavender Courtyard, close to The Sandringham
Judy Boyt
Hamish Mackie
Zoe Carmichael
JUNO, HASTINGS,
VERONA
Justin says: “Zoe is the most ‘Royal Enclosure’ of the sculptors we are showing. She and her family have been attending for many years. Royal Enclosure guests will enjoy her as she is not only a super-talented and award-winning sculptor, but she is young, engaging, confident and very photogenic. She works closely with the Household Cavalry being its first ‘Sculptor in Residence.’
“The work we will have from Zoe will be three wonderful bronzes depicting Horses of the Household Cavalry. Part of proceeds from the sale of the works go to the ‘Household Cavalry Foundation.’”
Location: In the Grandstand, next to the Ascot Shop www.instagram.com/zoe_carmichael_designs/
THE OLYMPIAN
Justin says: “Hampshire based sculptor Holly Hickmore has established herself as one of the leading lights in equestrian sculpture and will return to Ascot for the fourth time. She plans her sculpting year so that there will always be a work that will be first shown at this most important event.’
“This year there will be two new sculptures, The Olympian and Gaia. The Olympian is part of an ongoing series including Artemis, Athena, Gaia and the next monumental piece. 171cm, 160cm, 35cm. To be part of a Bronze world edition of just 9.”
Location: Montjeu Lawn
Edward
Waites
LIFESIZE WALKING STALLION
Justin says: “Edward Waites is a Newmarket based self taught sculptor. He started his professional career at just 17, supported by his local fine art foundry, and has since shown with the most prestigious galleries and events. He has works in significant collections world wide.’
His magnificent life size study of a stallion is presented as part of a Bronze world edition of just 3 and was created and cast in the UK.”
Location: Lavender Courtyard
GAIA
“Her second work is titled Gaia, a life size twisting 122cm 115cm, 42cm, on its base standing over 2m high. Presented as a Bronze world edition of 9, it was created and cast in the UK.”
Location: On the Owners & Trainers Lawn in the Queen Anne Enclosure
Holly Hickmore
ROYAL ENCLOSURE
WC Toilets
A Royal Enclosure Track Crossing
B Helicopter Pick Up & Drop Off
C Lavender Courtyard
D Winning Post Track Crossing
E ATM
F Cloakroom & Left Luggage
G Royal Enclosure Gardens
H Ascot Shop (Concourse Level)
I Pre-Parade Ring
J Beyond Developments Dubai
K The Queen’s Reading Room
L Betfred Betting Shop (Concourse & Level 4)
M Royal Enclosure Trackside Viewing
N Picnic Collection
O LK Bennett Boutique
P Longines Boutique
(Concourse Level)
QUEEN ANNE ENCLOSURE
VILLAGE ENCLOSURE
Key First Aid
WC Toilets Water Station Food to Go Bar/s
A Main Stage
B Betfred Betting Shop
C Picnic Collection
D Live Music in the Dome
E Helicopter Pick Up & Drop Off
F Cloakroom & Left Luggage
G ATM
H Ascot Shop
I The Village Viewing
J Tunnel to Ascot High Street
K Restaurant in the Village Viewing
L The Meadows Viewing
ACCESSIBILITY
WC Accessible Toilets
Wheelchair Viewing Area
Wheelchair Hire
& TICKET OFFICES 1 Ticket Office
*Advance booking required
WINDSOR ENCLOSURE
Key First Aid
WC Toilets
Water Station
Food to Go
Bar/s
A Saddle Stage
B Picnic Collection Point
C ATM
D Ascot Shop
E Betfred Betting Shop
F Cloakroom & Left Luggage
ACCESSIBILITY
WC Accessible Toilets
WC* No Accessible Toilets
Wheelchair Viewing Area
Wheelchair Hire
ENTRANCES & TICKET OFFICES
1 Windsor Enclosure Entrance
2 Ticket Office
UPGRADES*
1 Reserved Picnic Benches
2 Windsor VIP
*Advance booking required
OFFICIAL
PARTNERS, SPONSORS AND SUPPLIERS
OFFICIAL PARTNERS
OFFICIAL SPONSORS
OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS
PARTNERS, SPONSORS & SUPPLIERS
QIPCO HOLDING, OFFICIAL PARTNER AND SPONSOR OF QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS DAY
QIPCO Holding, based in Doha, was established in 1999 and is considered one of the leading investment companies in Qatar. QIPCO has a diverse range of interests including real estate, construction, oil and gas, trading and services, finance and health. In more recent years QIPCO has made a significant investment in horse racing, not only as sponsors but also as owners and breeders through its global racing and bloodstock company, Qatar Racing, a subsidiary of QIPCO, founded and chaired by Sheikh Fahad bin Abdullah Al Thani.
QIPCO is an Official Partner of Ascot and Royal Ascot, and title sponsor of QIPCO British Champions Day. The ten-year deal, signed in 2015, with British Champions Series and Ascot remains the largest in the history of British racing. The agreement has since been extended until 2026, cementing QIPCO as a long-term partner of the Royal Racecourse.
QIPCO was the inaugural sponsor of British Champions Day in 2011 when significant changes were made to the autumn racing programme in the UK, including the transfer of the G1 Champion Stakes from its traditional home in Newmarket to Ascot.
Held at Ascot on Saturday 18th October, QIPCO British Champions Day is the finale of the British Flat racing season and the richest
raceday in the British calendar with over £4.35 million of prize money on offer. The QIPCO Champion Stakes is set to be one of the richest races in the UK with £1.3 million in prize money, with the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (sponsored by QIPCO) at £1.1 million –both feature races are the richest of their kind in Europe. The three remaining pattern races on the card; the QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup, the QIPCO British Champions Sprint and the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, will offer a total prize fund of £1.4 million. The programme for QIPCO British Champions Day consists of five Group 1 races and the Balmoral Handicap (sponsored by QIPCO), Europe’s most valuable mile handicap.
QIPCO is proud to have supported the British Champions Series Hall of Fame, the first of its kind in British Flat racing, which launched in 2021 to immortalise the modern greats of the sport from 1970 onwards, as well as Club 26, a free to join club for young people between 18 to 26-years-old, to help encourage younger fans to attend Great Britain’s 26 finest Flat racedays. Having launched in 2023, Club 26 now boasts over 14,000 members and is the largest and most successful club of its kind.
For more information please visit: qipco.com.qa
OFFICIAL TIMEKEEPER
Longines – A dedicated supporter of equestrian sports
The name of Longines has long been associated with sports timekeeping. In the past, at equestrian events, the brand has constantly pushed the boundaries of precision, and its involvement in the equestrian world has progressively intensified. In 1912, a further step was taken when Longines established its first official partnership with a showjumping event in Lisbon, Portugal, marking the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship with the discipline.
Throughout the years, countless equestrian competitions have benefited from the qualities and reliability of the chronograph calibres and automated instruments that Longines developed to time sporting performances. With its legitimacy and expertise, Longines plays an important role today in equestrian sports such as flat racing, showjumping, dressage, driving and eventing.
Over the years, Longines’ engagement with the equestrian world has been further strengthened by its dedicated support for major equestrian institutions, such as the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA). With these partnerships, Longines permeates all levels of equestrianism and fosters excellence in flat racing and showjumping by playing a pivotal role in events such as the Longines FEI Rising Star Award, the Longines World’s Best Racehorse and Horse Race Awards, and the Longines World’s Best Jockey Award. The brand’s presence at the pinnacle of the sport is often highlighted by its presence in the most demanding competitions such as Royal Ascot, which require the highest level of precision and excellence.
Howden is one of the largest insurance groups in the world.
We are 5th largest employee-owned business in the UK and manage premiums on behalf of millions of clients from Europe and the Middle East to Australia and Latin America.
We have grown from a company of just three people and a dog in 1994 to a business of more than 22,000 based in 55 countries in 2025.
But we’re here at Ascot because a love of horses is part of our DNA.
Over the years we’ve built-up vast expertise in equine insurance and our world-class bloodstock team is second-to-none.
So there’s not much we don’t know about equestrian risk! And today we work with everyone from racecourses and racehorse trainers to owners.
Our passion comes from the very top. Our CEO David Howden is not just a horse owner and breeder. He is the founder and President of Cornbury House Horse Trials.
He created the Thoroughbred Aftercare Programme in 2024 which ensures ex-racehorses can have a second career through a training and mentorship initiative, whether that be as a hack, in eventing or something completely different.
And, through the Howden Way, he’s developing a brilliant new generation of British event riders as well as horses.
OFFICIAL PARTNER
BEYOND
ANNOUNCED AS OFFICIAL REAL ESTATE PARTNER OF ASCOT AND ROYAL ASCOT
Last month, Ascot Racecourse announced a landmark partnership with BEYOND Developments, a pioneering real estate brand born in Dubai.
The collaboration sees BEYOND become the Official Real Estate Partner of Ascot and Royal Ascot across all 26 race days, including the globally renowned Royal Ascot in June. This partnership represents a convergence of legacies - on one side, the enduring heritage of Ascot, a symbol of British tradition; on the other, BEYOND, established in Dubai, a city where the love for horses runs deep and equestrianism is an integral part of its cultural fabric.
Felicity Barnard, CEO, Ascot Racecourse, said: “We are thrilled to welcome BEYOND as an Official Partner. It’s very much a natural fit for both brands, with our focus on quality and luxury. We’re excited to work with BEYOND across our global network and on our race days throughout the year, and I’m sure that racegoers will
be impressed by their activation at Royal Ascot.”
Adil Taqi, Chief Executive Officer of BEYOND Developments, added: “It is an honour to join the Ascot family as an Official Partner. This collaboration represents our commitment to connecting cultures through vision, heritage, and thoughtfulness. Horses have long symbolised grace, strength, and forward motion, values deeply embedded in the culture of the UAE, and echoed in how we approach progress and bold expression. In many ways, this partnership is a reflection of shared ideals shaped by legacy and driven by purpose.”
Guided by Dubai’s bold vision and shaped by commitment to exceptional waterfront living, BEYOND, brings a fresh perspective to Ascot, one that blends refined design with a lifestyle shaped by clarity, creativity, and connection to place. At Royal Ascot 2025, BEYOND will offer racegoers a
glimpse into the evolving landscape of modern living in the UAE, where coastline, lifestyle experiences, human connections, innovation, modern architecture, nature and community come together in harmony.
BEYOND, a new venture under the OMNIYAT Group, represents the next evolution in Dubai’s real estate landscape, committed to creating spaces that go beyond living, offering experiences that inspire, connect, and elevate the everyday.
BEYOND Developments is honoured to be the Official Real Estate Partner of Ascot and Royal Ascot. This prestigious partnership reflects a shared commitment to legacy, elegance, and excellence.
As one of Dubai’s most visionary real estate brands, BEYOND is crafting a new chapter in contemporary living, inspired by the calm of the waterfront, the warmth of design, and the soul of true living.
Rooted in purpose and cultural awareness, BEYOND curates lifestyle destinations that transcend architecture. Its communities are thoughtfully designed to inspire movement, spark imagination, and foster connection. Every detail is shaped with emotional depth and clarity, offering residents more than just a place to live, but a place to feel, belong, and thrive.
As BEYOND grows, it remains guided by a clear philosophy. Each development is crafted with intention, reflecting a belief in the power of design to shape how people live and experience the world. From visionary placemaking to emotionally resonant environments, BEYOND is setting a new standard for purposeful, design-led living.
This collaboration with Ascot and Royal Ascot places BEYOND within a cultural landmark celebrated for its heritage, precision, and world-class performance. These are values that closely mirror our own. Just as each champion horse represents years of dedication and pursuit of excellence, every BEYOND destination is a testament to vision, craft, and enduring value.
At Royal Ascot, we invite you to experience BEYOND in a new light. Our bespoke activation showcases BEYOND’s signature developments set against the iconic Dubai skyline, offering an immersive glimpse into the world of bold elegance that defines our brand. It is more than a space. It is a preview of what life in Dubai truly feels like.
Step into the spirit of BEYOND.
Where waterfront serenity blends with the warmth of design, and every detail is thoughtfully crafted to awaken the soul of true living.
ANNOUNCED AS OFFICIAL MIXER OF ASCOT AND ROYAL ASCOT
This year, Ascot Racecourse announced that Schweppes would become the Official Mixer of Ascot and Royal Ascot. The three-year agreement will see Schweppes mixer products available across retail outlets at the racecourse while they will have a permanent, yearround bar in the Grandstand as well as additional on-site presence during the Royal Meeting.
Schweppes was founded in 1783 by Jacob Schweppe and to this day remains one of the leading premium mixer brands in the world. Schweppes has long been synonymous with timeless British elegance and quality and this collaboration with Ascot reinforces both brands’ dedication to celebrating the best of British heritage and traditions.
As Official Mixer of Ascot and Royal Ascot, Schweppes will have a year-round presence across all 26 racedays as well as non-raceday events. In addition to being featured across Ascot bars and hospitality
areas, Schweppes will host experiential activations and bespoke cocktail bars during key racedays throughout 2025.
These activations will create memorable experiences for Schweppes shoppers and consumers, while giving racegoers the chance to enjoy curated cocktails that highlight the exceptional quality and versatility of Schweppes’ mixers.
During Royal Ascot, a limited-edition cocktail crafted especially for the occasion will celebrate the glamour and electric atmosphere of the Royal Meeting, offering racegoers a unique taste.
This is the first time that Schweppes will be partnering with Ascot but the brand became synonymous with racing as far back at 1963 through the Schweppes Gold Trophy at Newbury, a sponsorship that lasted until 1985.
Chloë Hamlett, Head of Partnerships at Ascot Racecourse, said: “We are delighted to welcome Schweppes onboard as the
Official Mixer of Ascot and Royal Ascot. The Schweppes brand and range of products aligns so well with our own vision for the customer experience we want to provide at Ascot across the year and we look forward to working with the team at Schweppes to bring this to life.”
Hanna Lauri, Senior Brand Manager, Schweppes Great Britain, commented: “Schweppes has been at the heart of British refreshment for over two centuries, and we’re thrilled to embark on this new partnership with Ascot Racecourse. Ascot is an iconic British institution, and this collaboration allows us to bring our brand’s heritage to life, while inviting racegoers to enjoy our premium mixers and a special limited-edition cocktail during one of the most celebrated events of the British summer.”
SILENT POOL GIN
ANNOUNCED AS OFFICIAL SUPPLIER OF ASCOT AND ROYAL ASCOT
This year, Ascot Racecourse announced that Silent Pool would become an Official Supplier of Ascot and Royal Ascot. The three-year agreement will see Silent Pool Gin available year-round at Ascot including a permanent bar in the Grandstand and additional bars across the site at Royal Ascot.
In addition, Silent Pool Gin will be served as part of the Royal Ascot Blush, Ascot’s best-selling Signature Serve cocktail, available at the Royal Meeting.
As well as on-site presence, Silent Pool Gin will be bringing this exciting collaboration to life with two high profile travel retail activations this summer, at London Gatwick and London Heathrow airports.
Handcrafted in the heart of the Surrey Hills, Silent Pool Gin was founded by a group of friends with a passion for craft distilling in 2014 and has since become known for its delicate flavour profile. Boasting 24 aromatic botanicals, Silent Pool Gin is a full-bodied and fresh spirit with an
unrivalled clarity and depth. Inspired by the Silent Pool on the distillery grounds and contemporary England, its bottle is etched with a truly unique and striking design that is recognised globally.
With a commitment to local ingredients and sustainable production, Silent Pool Gin has built a reputation for quality worldwide, amassing numerous industry awards including gold at the Spirits Business Gin Master 2019. Ascot Racecourse is the latest venue to align with Silent Pool Gin, who have also sponsored events such as the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in recent years.
Chloë Hamlett, Head of Partnerships at Ascot Racecourse, said: “We are delighted to welcome Silent Pool Gin as an Official Supplier of Ascot and Royal Ascot. Silent Pool’s commitment to quality and their quintessential English influence fits perfectly with our own values and the experience that we want to give our customers at Ascot and Royal Ascot. We are excited to team up and showcase the
best of our brands, both on course and with our planned activations.”
Ian McCulloch, Founder of Silent Pool Gin, added: “I am absolutely delighted Silent Pool Gin is the official gin of Ascot. As an ultra-premium handcrafted gin with its distillery located in Surrey, Silent Pool Gin is the perfect partner for the quintessential English luxury of Ascot. We look forward to developing this exciting collaboration over the coming years.”
OFFICIAL SPONSOR
Founded on 20th December 1983, Dubai Duty Free, has grown into one of the biggest single travel retail operators in the world.
Now employing 6,000 people, the operation has consistently raised the benchmark for airport retailing, and it continues to grow.
In 2024, Dubai Duty Free celebrated its 41st anniversary and achieved a new annual sales record of US$2.164 billion. Over 20.733 million sales transactions were recorded throughout the year, an average of 56,649 sales transactions per day, while a staggering 55.137 million units of merchandise were sold. It is also estimated that over 13.7 million customers shopped in Dubai Duty Free’s Arrivals and Departures stores in 2024.
Currently operating around 40,000 sqm of retail space across Dubai International (DXB) and Al Maktoum International airports (AMIA), Dubai Duty Free has continued its investment in the development and expansion of its retail off¬er including the refurbishment in Concourse B and the renovation of its three Arrivals shops in DXB.
In addition to the retail division Dubai Duty Free operates a Leisure Division which includes The Irish Village both in Garhoud and Studio One Hotel, the Century Village, the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, home to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, and The Jumeirah Creekside Hotel.
A supporter of British horseracing for 30 years, Dubai Duty Free is the title sponsor of four events in the UK and Ireland including the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup.
Dubai Duty Free also flies the flag in the UK in April and September at Newbury Racecourse which stages the Dubai Duty Free Spring Trials Weekend and the Dubai Duty Free International Weekend and is also the title sponsor of one of the most prestigious fixtures in Europe, the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, held at The Curragh.
To date, Dubai Duty Free has received over 780 awards. In 2024 alone, Dubai Duty Free won 17 awards including its 23rd consecutive Business Traveller Middle East Award for “Best “Airport for Duty Free Shopping in the Middle East”, the Trazees Award for “Favorite Duty-Free Shopping” and the eighteenth consecutive Global Traveler Award for “Best Duty-Free Shopping in the World.”
OFFICIAL SPONSOR
Born in the ’90s with a distinctly British spirit, LK Bennett’s flagship boutique and design studio are based in the heart of Bond Street. Every piece is designed in-house, with hand-drawn prints, iconic silhouettes, and luxurious fabrics forming the foundation of its timeless collections.
As part of its ongoing support for British fashion, LK Bennett is proud to partner with the Royal Ascot Fashion Competition. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to nurturing emerging talent and celebrating the next generation of designers shaping the future of style.
This season, LK Bennett unveils its limited-edition 2025 Royal Ascot Collection. An exclusive edit of bespoke dresses, modern tailoring, and beautifully-crafted accessories, all made to be worn now and loved forever. Visit the LK Bennett Boutique by the Parade Ring— open every race day—to explore the collection and discover eventready essentials, from comfortable flats to sunglasses and handbags.
Moët & Chandon has been associated with the equestrian world since 1908 when two three-year-old horses, one named “Moët” and the other “Chandon”, belonging to Monsieur Alfred Simon, the House’s sales representative in London, finished first in Epsom and Newbury respectively. That same year, “Moët” ran fourth in the Hunt Cup at Ascot and as a result, Alfred Simon referred to it as his “lucky” race.
As the champagne of celebration, Moët & Chandon brings people together to toast the most iconic moments throughout the year, with Royal Ascot as one of the highlights of the British Summer season. Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage, Official Champagne of Royal Ascot, is made only in remarkable years and is available across the racecourse in a variety of formats and vintages.
As the official lager sponsor of Ascot Racecourse, Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% is proud to champion a responsible way to enjoy race day in style. With all the refreshing Italian flavour, it offers racegoers the unmistakable crisp, refreshing taste of Peroni Nastro Azzurro, at zero alcohol.
During Royal Ascot week, guests can pick up a Blue Ribbon flyer from one of our ambassadors in the car parks and redeem it at any bar across the racecourse for a complimentary bottle of Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%.
Whether you’re celebrating a victorious race, savouring the moment, or simply enjoying a mindful beverage, Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% invites you to indulge responsibly, all while embracing the essence of Italian elegance.
Betfred has been the Official Bookmaker of Ascot and Royal Ascot since 2019. Founded in 1967 with a single shop in Salford, Greater Manchester, Betfred is one of the world’s largest independent bookmakers with over 1350 shops throughout the UK and a global online business rapidly expanding in the United States and South Africa.
Betfred remain committed to offering excellent customer service and added value via their unparalleled bonuses and look forward to welcoming Ascot racegoers to one of their on-course betting shops.
OFFICIAL BOOKMAKER
OFFICIAL BEER
OFFICIAL CHAMPAGNE
OFFICIAL PRIVATE AVIATION
OFFICIAL ENGLISH SPARKLING WINE
For the second year, we are pleased to welcome Chapel Down as the ‘Official English Sparkling Wine’ of Royal Ascot.
Chapel Down are England’s leading winemaker with a mission to change the way the world thinks about English wine. Based in the Garden of England, their world-class winemaking team produce award-winning sparkling wines of exceptional quality.
To mark this exciting partnership, Chapel Down have released a limited edition commemorative Royal Ascot Edition Brut sparkling wine for Royal Ascot this summer. This is available at Waitrose stores nationwide, as well as www.chapeldown.com
During Royal Ascot, the English wine producer will also be serving its sparkling wines from the ‘Yeats Bar by Chapel Down’ located within the Queen Anne enclosure. Its wines will also be served in the main bars and hospitality boxes each day.
Flexjet returns once again to Royal Ascot 2025 as Official Private Aviation Supplier and host of the Royal Ascot Heliport, where the team welcomes all those flying in or out by helicopter.
A global leader in private aviation for 30 years, Flexjet offers a world-class fleet of over 300 private jets, including in Europe the ultra-long-range Gulfstream G650 and super-midsize Praetor 600, alongside a fleet of premium, twin-engine helicopters, such as the Sikorsky S-76. Renowned for its approach to personalised service, luxury hospitality and exquisite style, each and every Flexjet flight is a memorable and exceptional travel experience.
OFFICIAL TROPHIES AND SILVERWARE
Founded in London in 1735, Garrard is the world’s oldest jewellery house, renowned for its iconic creations, including treasures in the British Crown Jewels and Princess Diana’s engagement ring. A Royal Warrant holder, Garrard combines heritage with contemporary design, showcasing exceptional craftsmanship and expertise in coloured gemstones, adored by royalty and global icons alike.
Garrard makes trophies that commemorate some of the hardestwon sporting achievements in the world, including Royal Ascot’s Gold Cup, the Queen’s Vase and the Royal Hunt Cup. Garrard also provides the trophies for winning owners in all Group 1 races at Royal Ascot and supplies the silver snuff boxes, picture frames and strawberry dishes that are awarded to owners, trainers and jockeys.
Established in 1933, Hallgarten & Novum Wines has over 90 years of experience as one of the UK‘s leading ‘specialist’ wine merchants. Hallgarten imports wines from around the world, supplying the premium hospitality and retail trade across the UK. Already in 2025 Hallgarten has achieved the impressive ‘double’ of being named the Drink Business ‘Drinks Company of the Year’ and ‘On Trade Supplier of the Year’, thanks to its focus on comprehensive service and support for its customers. Its experienced buying team, including one of the UK‘s most respected palates in Steve Daniel, and Master of Wine Beverly Tabbron, has constructed a diverse and award-winning portfolio of over 1,600 wines from 24 wine producing countries. It blends some of the world’s greatest producers from the classic winegrowing regions, together with innovative up-and-coming wineries and winemakers from the emerging and esoteric winemaking world. Hallgarten is proud to supply all the wines of Royal Ascot.
awfully nice with ice and a slice
OFFICIAL WATER
2025 marks 10 years since Harrogate Spring Water became the official water of Ascot Racecourse, and the partnership continues to sparkle.
Harrogate Spring Water, synonymous with Ascot Racecourse, is firmly rooted within British history. After the discovery of its first mineral spring in 1571, Harrogate became renowned for its fine waters and as a wellness destination that the nation flocked to. 450 years later, the brand proudly holds the status of the No.1 purchased water in the out of home market.
Building on a decade of success, Harrogate Spring is returning to Royal Ascot to celebrate its rich heritage. This month brings the launch of the new brand platform ‘Good Taste, Since 1571’, which embodies British Elegance with a slice of quintessential wit.
Harrogate Spring Water will bring the essence of its story to life at Royal Ascot, providing high-class hydration to racegoers to help them elevate and enjoy every moment.
At their very own Harrogate Spring Bar, and across the racecourse, Harrogate Spring Water will be encouraging guests to ‘Refresh their Round’ with a bottle of their finest still and sparkling, or with the Ascot Julep Sprint (0.0%) – an official signature serve for 2025.
OFFICIAL WINE
OFFICIAL COFFEE
Steeped in Italian history, for 130 years, Lavazza has been sourcing, roasting and blending to create the highest quality coffee possible. The company’s passion for excellence and sustainability is demonstrated by the attention given to every step of the journey, from the selection of the raw material to the product in the cup. Lavazza’s authentic Italian espresso and creamy lattes, as well as the Lavazza Martini and other signature Coffeetails can be enjoyed throughout the racecourse, from Lavazza on 4 or the Espresso Martini Cart in the Royal Enclosure, to the Tierra Bar and the Cedar Tree Lawn in the Queen Anne Enclosure.
OFFICIAL GIN
Silent Pool Gin is an ultra-premium London Dry Gin distilled in the Surrey Hills in the heart of the English countryside. A blend of 24 botanicals including locally sourced Albury honey and delicate florals including lavender, chamomile, and elderflower are expertly crafted to deliver a full-bodied yet balanced aromatic flavour profile.
The teal colour bottle is inspired by Silent Pool’s jewel-like hue, with an intricate copper botanical illustration showcasing all 24 botanicals in the recipe. Silent Pool Gin has worked with Ascot to create a range of serves available across all the bars including bespoke cocktails and a classic Gin & Tonic.
OFFICIAL MIXER
Schweppes has long been synonymous with timeless British elegance and has been at the heart of British refreshment for over two centuries. Through this collaboration, Ascot and Schweppes are dedicated to celebrating the best of British heritage and traditions. This is the first time that Schweppes will be partnering with Ascot, but the brand has been associated with racing as far back as 1963 when they sponsored the Schweppes Gold Trophy at Newbury. The sponsorship lasted until 1985, and the brand remains a historical British icon to this day.
Schweppes is one of the leading mixer brands in the world, and as the Official Mixer of Ascot and Royal Ascot will invite racegoers to enjoy sparkling beverages during one of the most celebrated events of the British summer. You’ll find a dedicated year-round bar in the Grandstand and products available across retail outlets at the racecourse.
OFFICIAL HOSPITALITY
Sodexo Live! – the global leader in hospitality, catering and events – is the culinary partner for Ascot Racecourse across its 26 annual race days, and other conferences and events throughout the year. As a long-standing partner of Ascot Racecourse, Sodexo Live! operates there under the 1711 by Ascot brand, which has seen significant growth over the years with the introduction of industry leading culinary activations and innovation. Delivering outstanding hospitality, fine dining and on-site catering, Sodexo Live! is proud to be the official hospitality of Royal Ascot. For more information on Sodexo Live! see www.sodexolive.co.uk
OFFICIAL PREMIUM ROSÉ WINE
Château d’Esclans, a magical property, is situated in the heart of Provence, northeast of St. Tropez overlooking the Esclans Valley with the Mediterranean coast in the faint distance. The vision of Sacha Lichine (Founder) with his acquisition of the Château in 2006 was to create the greatest rosés in the world igniting the “Rosé Renaissance”. This led to conceiving and crafting a world class rosé portfolio including The Pale, Whispering Angel, Rock Angel, Château d’Esclans, Les Clans, and Garrus: a new generation of rosés characterized by elegance, depth, richness and complexity. Sold in over 100 countries, Whispering Angel is today’s worldwide reference for Provence rosé.
Wheely, the Swiss-founded British luxury services company headquartered in London, is delighted to be the Official Chauffeur for Ascot Racecourse and Royal Ascot.
As the first chauffeuring service to partner with Forbes Travel Guide, Wheely is renowned for their commitment to exquisite journeys and uncompromising passenger privacy. All Wheely chauffeurs are trained at The Wheely Chauffeur Academy, where they are certified on the finer points of etiquette, discretion, and superlative personal service.
Wheely journeys may be booked on-demand and in advance, through their refined app, with four available fare classes for Ascot attendees:
• Business, featuring the Mercedes-Benz E-Class
• First, featuring the new W223 S-Class
• SUV, featuring the latest generation Range Rover Long Wheelbase 4x4 (exclusively available to members)
• XL, featuring the Mercedes-Benz V-class Special fixed-rate return journeys between Ascot and London are available. Attendees with Royal Enclosure badges may also use this service to enjoy the Exclusive Wheely Drop-Off.
OFFICIAL CHAUFFEUR
ASCOT HISTORY
HISTORY AND TRADITIONS
It was Queen Anne who first saw the potential for a racecourse at Ascot, which in those days was called East Cote. Whilst out riding in 1711, she came upon an area of open heath, not far from Windsor Castle, that looked an ideal place for “horses to gallop at full stretch.”
The first race meeting ever held at Ascot took place on Saturday, August 11, 1711. Her Majesty’s Plate, worth 100 Guineas and open to any horse, mare or gelding over the age of six, was the inaugural event. Each horse was required to carry a weight of 12st and seven runners took part.
This contest bore little resemblance to racing seen at Ascot today. The seven horses were all English Hunters, quite different to the speedy thoroughbreds that race on the Flat now. The race consisted of three separate heats which were four miles long (each heat was about the length of the Grand National), so the winner would have been a horse with tremendous stamina.
Sadly, there is no record of the winner of the first Plate. The racecourse was laid out by William Lowen, who was assisted by a team of helpers; William Erlybrown, a carpenter, Benjamin Cluchett, a painter, and John Grape, who prepared the paperwork for racing. The first permanent building was erected in 1793 by George Slingsby, a Windsor builder. It held 1,650 people and was used until 1838.
In 1813, Parliament passed an Act of Enclosure. This Act ensured that Ascot Heath, although the property of the Crown, would be kept and used as a racecourse for the public in the future. Racing at Ascot was now secure. The precise origin of the Royal Meeting is unclear.
It was an event that evolved, perhaps, rather than was introduced at a specific time, but the first four-day meeting took place in 1768. Arguably, the meeting as we know it today started to take shape with the introduction of the Gold Cup in 1807. Gold Cup Day is the third day of Royal Ascot.
Although you won’t find it in any marketing or promotional literature, Thursday is colloquially known as Ladies’ Day. The term Ladies’ Day seems to have been first used in 1823, when an anonymous poet described the Thursday of the Royal Meeting as “Ladies’ Day, when the women, like angels, look sweetly divine.”
In the formative years, Thursday was certainly the dominant day in terms of the racing, attracting the largest crowds and, it must be assumed from the emergence of the term, more ladies! Almost every racecourse markets a Ladies’ Day now but the great charm of the original is that it has not been manufactured. It is the public, not the racecourse, who call it Ladies’ Day.
The Gold Cup is Ascot’s oldest surviving race, and the winning owners receive a gold trophy which becomes their property. Trophies to keep are only awarded for ten races at the Royal Meeting, the others being the Queen’s Vase, inaugurated in 1838 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s accession, the Royal Hunt Cup (1843) and the remaining Group 1 races.
It was at around the time of the first running of the Gold Cup that the roots of today’s traditional Royal Enclosure dress code emerged. Beau Brummell, a close friend of the Prince Regent, decreed that men of elegance should wear waisted black coats and white cravats with pantaloons. Over the years, this has evolved into the wearing of morning suits and equally formal clothes for ladies, who must wear hats. Although a Royal Stand dates back to the 1790s, the Royal Enclosure that current regulars are used to at Ascot was conceived in 1822 when King George IV commissioned a two storey stand to be built with a surrounding lawn. Access was by invitation of the King. In 1825, the Royal Procession as an annual tradition began.
The King, leading four other coaches with members of the royal party, drove up the centre of the racecourse in front of the crowds and this has continued to the present day. The administration of Ascot has always been handled by a representative appointed by the monarch.
The racecourse was run on behalf of the Sovereign by the Master of the Royal Buckhounds up until 1901 when Lord Churchill was appointed as the first official Representative of His Majesty, a post held today by Sir Francis Brooke BT.
In 1955, the rules of divorce were relaxed and divorcees were able to enter the Royal Enclosure. However, a redevelopment of the Enclosure shortly before this had added the new Queen’s Lawn, which was by invitation and the Court rules governing divorce still applied. Ascot’s first major redevelopment came to fruition in 1954, with the relocation of the straight mile north to allow more space behind the stands.
In 1913, when the Ascot Authority was established by an Act of Parliament, His Majesty’s Representative became Senior Trustee of the Authority with the Clerk of the Course acting as Secretary.
Today, as Ascot Authority (Holdings) Limited, Ascot has a formal board sitting under the three Trustee structure.
This was the second such move and even this time around, they didn’t go quite far enough as the track was moved a further 42 metres north as part of the 2005 redevelopment. Prior to the second move, the straight track cut right through the existing Number One Car Park into the current site of Heatherwood Hospital.
The Queen Elizabeth II Grandstand, built by Wimpey, was erected between the 1960 and 1961 Royal Meeting and the Members’ Stand went up between Royal Ascot 1963 and 1964. The car parks at Ascot
almost certainly play more part in the event than at any other venue – they are far from merely functional with lavish picnics, including butlers, candelabra and silver service not uncommon, especially in Car Park 1 and Car Park 2.
In 2006, a Country Life survey found that Royal Ascot is the South of England’s most popular picnic spot and the most popular sporting occasion at which to picnic in the country. Although Ascot likes to think it runs Car Park 1, it is far from uncommon for berths in this sought after spot to be passed down formally from generation to generation. There is currently a waiting list of 400 names.
Ascot’s much loved tradition of “singing around the bandstand” or “community singing” began in the 1970s under the stewardship of Lady Beaumont, wife of the then Clerk of the Course, Captain Sir Nicholas Beaumont. The now unmissable sing song of British favourites and flag waving after racing was an immediate success with thousands of racegoers staying on and making it an integral part of their day. Now, traditional singing is listed as part of the day’s formal proceedings in the racecard and song books and flags are handed round.
2002 saw plenty of change to the established pattern at Royal Ascot as the meeting expanded to five days to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. In addition, one race name was changed as the newly promoted Cork & Orrery Stakes became the Golden Jubilee Stakes (then was renamed the Diamond Jubilee Stakes in 2012).
The racecourse closed for redevelopment in September 2004 –with the Finale Meeting ending with singing around the bandstand, the only time this has been done outside Royal Ascot. The 2005 Royal Meeting was staged in York, providing the city with its biggest ever sporting event.
The city, region and racecourse threw themselves into the extravaganza, which saw expansion into the Knavesmire so as to accommodate circa 50,000 people each day. Royal Ascot at York took place with a Royal Enclosure and Royal Procession every day. The bell used to instruct jockeys to mount at Ascot travelled up along with the Brown Jack statue commemorating the Ascot legend.
The “Greencoats,” who form the ceremonial guard for the Monarch at Royal Ascot, came to York. Their garb rather speaks for itself and it is rumoured that the original velvet uniforms were made from material left over from curtains in Windsor Castle.
Historically, Ascot Racecourse redevelops every 50 years or so, once a generation, and throughout considerable changes the Royal Meeting has maintained its position as a much loved event at the heart of the national sporting and social calendar.
Ascot’s traditions remain as strong, strictly observed and loved now as they ever were, whilst the racing goes from strength to strength (Group 1 races have increased from three in 1999 to eight, with the addition of the Commonwealth Cup in 2015).
The new Ascot was officially reopened by Queen Elizabeth II, on time and to its £220 million budget, on 20th June, 2006. The modern era immediately had a new equine legend in Yeats, who won an unprecedented four Gold Cups before retiring in 2009. A statue to commemorate his achievements now stands in the Parade Ring.
2011 saw Ascot celebrate its tercentenary and 2012 was another exciting landmark occasion for the racecourse as the Royal Meeting played its part in Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations. On the track, the great Frankel won the Queen Anne Stakes and Black Caviar made her only appearance outside Australia, winning the Diamond Jubilee Stakes. There was a royal winner in 2012 when Estimate won the Queen’s Vase.
That horse went on to provoke scenes of unbridled joy from the crowd when winning the following year’s Gold Cup. Estimate’s jockey in 2012 was Ryan Moore, who broke another record at Royal Ascot in 2015 with nine winners across the week. In 2016, Queen Elizabeth II’s success continued with Dartmouth winning the Hardwicke Stakes.
In 2017, The Village Enclosure was opened, the first new enclosure for 100 years.
In 2020, for the first time in its history Royal Ascot was run behind closed doors, due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Tactical won the Windsor Castle Stakes and proved to be the 24th and final Royal Ascot winner for Queen Elizabeth II.
Queen Elizabeth II attended Royal Ascot for the final time in 2021 when a reduced crowd of 12,000 was allowed to attend each day as the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted slowly across the country.
2022 saw a full scale Royal Ascot return in all its colour and wonder. On the track, Nature Strip was a brilliant winner of the King’s Stand Stakes for Australia while runners from Japan and America also returned the Royal Meeting to its full international flavour.
In 2023, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II the previous year, the six-furlong Group 1 sprint on the final day of Royal Ascot was renamed The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes in her honour. Meanwhile, King Charles III and Queen Camilla attended all five days of the Royal Meeting in their Coronation year. In 2024, The King’s Stand Stakes was run as The King Charles III Stakes for the first time, having been permanently renamed with the permission of His Majesty.
KEY DATES
Summer, 1711
It was Queen Anne who first saw the potential for a racecourse at Ascot, which in those days was called East Cote. Whilst out riding she came upon an area of open heath, not far from Windsor Castle, that looked an ideal place for “horses to gallop at full stretch.”
June, 1711
Charles, Duke of Somerset instructed Sir William Wyndham, Master of the Royal Buckhounds, to have the open heath cleared of scrub and gorse in preparation for a race meeting.
11 August 1711
The first race meeting ever held at Ascot took place. Her Majesty’s Plate, worth 100 guineas and open to any horse, mare or gelding over the age of six, was the inaugural event. Each horse was required to carry a weight of 12st and seven runners took part.
September 17, 1711
The success of Her Majesty’s Plate in August meant the second meeting followed soon after in September.
July 31, 1727
John Cheny published a prototype form book, which evolved into the Racing Calendar, recording the conditions of each race and the prize.
1744
The Yeoman Prickers were formed. Employed by the Master of the Buckhounds, their distinctive livery of forest green coats with gold facings are worn today by the Ascot Greencoats, who attend Royal Ascot each year.
1752
The popularity of attending the racing at Ascot was becoming apparent in social circles, prompting the Duke of Bedford to write that when arriving in London ‘I could find no soul to dine or sup with’.
1762
The first use of racing colours was introduced, although it wasn’t mandatory for another two decades.
1768
The first four-day meeting took place.
1773
James Weatherby, Keeper of the Match Book (the book of records for match races), was authorised by the Jockey Club to publish a racing calendar. James Weatherby began a family firm, still in existence today. Weatherbys are the secretariat of horse racing in Britain.
June, 1791
The Oatlands Stakes was run at Ascot – an important landmark race as it was the first handicap race, where the weights of the runners were adjusted according to their form to give them, in theory, equal chances.
1793
The first permanent building was erected by George Slingsby, a Windsor builder. It held 1,650 people and was used until 1838.
1807
The inaugural running of the Gold Cup for three-year-olds and upwards. It is significant that the first Gold Cup was won by a three-year-old, this was an event designed to attract horses bred to compete much younger than had been the case the previous century. In the modern era, three-year-olds do not run in the race.
1813
Parliament passed an Act of Enclosure. This Act ensured that Ascot Heath, although the property of the Crown, would be kept and used as a racecourse for the public in the future. Racing at Ascot was now secure. The Master of the Buckhounds continued to manage the races and the racecourse – just as it was more than 100 years before.
1820
George III died and the Prince Regent ascended the throne as George IV. He immediately ordered alterations to be made to the Royal Stand by John Nash. Nash’s alterations did not satisfy the King and so, in 1822, Nash designed a brand new Royal Stand, erected in just five weeks.
1822
The Royal Enclosure was born when King George IV commissioned a two-storey stand to be built with a surrounding lawn. Access was by invitation of the King where he entertained his friends in style.
1825
King George IV’s greatest legacy to Royal Ascot was the Royal Procession. The King leading four other coaches with members of the royal party drove up the Straight Mile in front of the crowds. A diarist of the day commented; ‘the whole thing looked very splendid’.
1837
Turf on the track was relaid by the Clerk of the Course, William Hibburd, to improve the ground. Rails and posts were constructed along the track.
1838
Queen Victoria made her first visit to Ascot as Sovereign. To mark her first visit, the Queen inaugurated a new race over one and a half miles, known today as the Queen’s Vase (now two miles).
1838
Horses were numbered in the racecard.
July, 1838
A decision was made to construct a new stand between the betting stand and the Royal Stand. The new stand took 10 months to build and was warmly welcomed when it opened on May 20, 1839. The lower half of the stand could hold about 3,000 people and contained a betting hall.
1839
For the first time at Ascot, the judge hoisted the number of the winner onto a large blackboard, thus putting an end to the disputes as to which horse had won.
1856
The railway was brought to Ascot with the opening of the Staines to Wokingham line.
1861 (approx)
Racing in the mid-19th century was becoming more professional with Ascot appointing its first official Clerk of the Scales, James Manning (whose family stayed in the post until 1970, latterly working for the Jockey Club).
1861
Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, died and Queen Victoria did not return to Ascot again.
1862
A new race at the meeting was named after Prince Albert: The Prince of Wales’s Stakes.
1863
Prince Albert, eldest son and second child of Victoria and Albert, known as Bertie, attended his first Ascot meeting aged 21 and continued to lend his support to the Royal Meeting with enthusiasm. He restored the Royal Procession and revived the custom of inviting overseas visitors to Ascot.
1873
Ascot witnessed the first victory for the riding phenomenon Fred Archer. Over 14 years, he rode 80 winners at the racecourse.
1896
The Grandstand had a clock tower erected.
1901
Racing at Ascot took place in sombre mood to mark the death of Queen Victoria. Prince Albert ascended the throne as King Edward VII.
1901
The role of Master of the Buckhounds was disbanded and a new role created, that of the King’s representative. The first man to undertake this role was Viscount Churchill.
1901
All three stands in the Royal Enclosure were demolished under the instruction of King Edward VII and two new stands were built between September, 1901 and May, 1902. The total cost was £28,350.
1902
A third stand was built at a cost of £27,636. This stand included lifts, the first to be installed on a British racecourse. In order to have the work completed by May, 1902, some 500 men were employed on the task, working day and night shifts.
1908
The ‘Five Shilling Stand’ was built – later known as the Silver Ring Stand at a cost of £30,000.
1912
Racegoers began to arrive by car and for the first time, motor cars were allowed to park on the Heath.
1913
The Ascot Authority was established by an Act of Parliament. His Majesty’s Representative became Senior Trustee of the Authority with the Clerk of the Course acting as Secretary.
1926
The Royal Enclosure buildings were extended and a new Iron Stand was erected. Ascot began to install a new watering system, with the facility to dispense around two million gallons of water onto the turf.
1929
The Tote building was constructed (still standing today, beside the Pre-Parade Ring). The designs had been agreed by the Racecourse Betting Control Board (RBCB), the authority overseeing wagering at this time.
1936
George V died and was succeeded by his eldest son, who became Edward VIII. The new King was a keen follower of horse racing but he never attended the Royal Meeting as reigning monarch. By the end of the year Edward VIII had abdicated in order to marry Wallis Simpson.
1937
George VI & Queen Elizabeth attend their first Ascot race meeting.
1940
Racing at Ascot cancelled. The racecourse was commandeered by the army, the Grandstand providing accommodation for gunners of the Royal Artillery.
15 May 1943
Racing at Ascot resumed, with an eight-race card.
May 21, 1945
Ascot staged its first post-war fixture and the 19-year-old Princess Elizabeth attended for the first time.
1946
Major Crocker Bulteel was appointed as the Clerk of the Course, regarded as ‘the outstanding racing administrator of his day.’ The Duke of Norfolk was appointed as the King’s Representative.
1946
The Ascot fixture list extended to include racing in July, September and October.
1953
Queen Elizabeth II crowned on June 2 (ascended the throne on February 6, 1952).
1955
The rules of divorce were relaxed and divorcees were able to enter the Royal Enclosure. However, a redevelopment of the Enclosure shortly before this had added the new Queen’s Lawn. Entrance was by invitation only and the Court rules governing divorce still applied.
June 13, 1961
The Grandstand was demolished and the Queen Elizabeth II Stand was built. It took 11 months to build, with 550 workers at a cost of £1 million. The stand represented a state-of-the-art facility at the time, accommodated 13,000 people and had 280 private boxes.
1975
The BBC outside-broadcast staff picketed and there was no television coverage.
April, 1998
Lord Hartington, Her Majesty’s Representative, revealed that changes to the racecourse were being contemplated.
2001
In order to facilitate the redevelopment, Ascot incorporated as Ascot Authority (Holdings) Limited, the most significant milestone in its structure since the 1913 Act of Parliament.
2002
Plans were announced to redevelop Ascot Racecourse. The existing Queen Elizabeth II stand was to be replaced and the course realigned. The Golden Jubilee was celebrated. Royal Ascot extended from four to five days.
September, 2004
Ascot held its last meeting with the old facilities. Demolition of the stand began and the redevelopment programme commenced.
2005
Royal Ascot takes place at York Racecourse.
June, 2006
The new Ascot Grandstand was opened on time and on budget.
2009
Yeats won his fourth Gold Cup, beating Sagaro’s record, set in the 1970s.
2011
Ascot celebrated its Tercentenary.
June, 2012
The country celebrates Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. The Golden Jubilee Stakes became The Diamond Jubilee Stakes and was won by Black Caviar.
2010 to 2012
Frankel, officially the greatest horse since ratings began, made five appearances at Ascot, winning at two, three and four. He retired unbeaten with 14 wins.
2015
Following an extensive review of the European sprinting programme, a new Group 1 six furlong race, the Commonwealth Cup, was added to the Royal Ascot programme.
2017
The new Village Enclosure opened and the jumpsuit was introduced to the Royal Enclosure dress code. ITV Racing became the host broadcaster.
2020
Royal Ascot takes place behind closed doors without spectators during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021
Queen Elizabeth II attended for the final time.
2023
King Charles III attended his first Royal Ascot as King, the 13th monarch to oversee the running of Ascot Racecourse. The Platinum Jubilee Stakes was permanently renamed as the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes in memory of Queen Elizabeth II.
2024
The King’s Stand Stakes was run as The King Charles III Stakes for the first time, after being permanently renamed with the kind permission of His Majesty.
TUESDAY
RACE HISTORIES & CONDITIONS
The Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1)
One Mile I Four Year Olds & Upwards
Founded in 1840, the Queen Anne Stakes commemorates the monarch who established racing at Ascot in 1711. Run as the Trial Stakes until 1929, the Queen Anne Stakes was first awarded Group 3 status in 1971, becoming Group 2 in 1984. The race, attracting Europe’s top older milers, achieved the highest three-year average rating of any Group 2 race in Britain from 1999 to 2002 according to the then International Classifications and was elevated to Group 1 status accordingly in 2003. Run as the opening race of the week since 2008, it will once again get the Royal Meeting underway and includes Frankel and Baaeed on the recent roll of honour.
The Coventry Stakes (Group 2)
Six furlongs I Two Year Olds
First run in 1890, the race was named after the ninth Earl of Coventry, Master of the Buckhounds between 1886 and 1892. This is traditionally the first Group contest of the year for juveniles and as a result attracts some of the very best precocious young horses, forming part of the high-class opening day card. Many top-quality horses have won this race before going on to achieve greatness, including Canford Cliffs, Dawn Approach and Caravaggio, since the race was promoted to Group 2 status in 2004.
The
King Charles III Stakes (Group 1)
Five furlongs I Three Year Olds & Upwards
A Stand Plate was first run on the round course in 1837, becoming the Royal Stand Plate in 1858. The race was renamed the Queen’s Stand Plate in 1860 for two-year-olds, over the sprint distance of four furlongs, finally becoming the King’s Stand Plate in 1901. Today the race remains a sprint, although now run over the minimum trip of five furlongs for three-year-olds and upwards. In 2008 it was promoted to Group 1. The 2019 renewal was officially the highest-quality sprint race in the world with a rating of 120.25 after Blue Point and Battaash fought out the finish. Nature Strip was a brilliant winner for Australia in 2022 and ended the year as the world’s best sprinter. The race was renamed The King Charles III Stakes ahead of the 2024 running.
The St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1)
One Mile I Three Year Old Colts
Named after the Tudor Royal residence, the inaugural running of the St James’s Palace Stakes in 1834 was a walkover for the Derby winner Plenipotentiary. This race features the best male milers from the Classic generation, often attracting horses that have run in the British, French and Irish 2,000 Guineas. Frankel, Kingman and Palace Pier are recent stars to have won the race.
The Ascot Stakes (Handicap)
Two miles, four furlongs I Four Year Olds & Upwards
First run in 1839, the Ascot Stakes is run over two-and-a-half miles. Like the Gold Cup and Queen Alexandra Stakes, this race provides a thorough test of stamina. It is one of just four races at the Royal Meeting in which the field passes the winning post twice. As well as attracting some high-class horses from the Jumps sphere, the race normally features horses that will go on to run in the major staying handicaps throughout the season including the Northumberland Plate and the Ebor.
The Wolferton Stakes (Listed)
One mile, two furlongs I Four Year Olds & Upwards
First run in 2002 as part of the five-day Royal Ascot meeting to celebrate The Queen’s Golden Jubilee, this is a Listed race over 10 furlongs for four-year-olds and upwards, having been a Listed Handicap until 2017. Addeybb won the race in 2019 before going on to Group 1 success around the world while John Gosden is the leading trainer trainer with five victories, the last as part of a partnership with son Thady.
The Copper Horse Stakes (Handicap)
One mile, six furlongs I Four Year Olds & Upwards
Staged over a mile and three quarters, the Copper Horse Stakes was one of the six additional races to be run at Royal Ascot in 2020. Open to four-year-olds and upwards, Queen Elizabeth II graciously consented to the race’s name being included and it now forms part of the permanently expanded programme. It is inspired by the magnificent statue of King George III – mounted on horseback –which marks the end of the Long Walk in Windsor Great Park. The inaugural running was won by Fujaira Prince who went on to win the Ebor at York and was then second in the Group 1 Irish St. Leger and third in the British Champions Long Distance Cup on QIPCO British Champions Day.
WEDNESDAY
The Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2)
Five furlongs I Two Year Old Fillies
Named after the consort of King George V, this race was first run in 1921. The Queen Mary Stakes is the first major race of the season exclusively for two-year-old fillies. Run over the minimum distance of five furlongs and promoted to Group 2 status in 2004, it provides a useful opportunity to assess their ability and potential to perform at Group 1 level. American trainer Wesley Ward has an exceptional record in the race having saddled the winner four times since 2009, including most recently with Campanelle in 2020.
The Queen’s Vase (Group 2)
One mile, six furlongs I Three Year Olds
Promoted to Group 2 in 2017, the race was named to honour Queen Victoria and first run in 1838. This race became the King’s Vase in 1903 and reverted to its original name of the Queen’s Vase on the succession of Queen Elizabeth II. Run over a-mile-andthree-quarters, this contest provides a test of stamina for threeyear-olds and winners of the race often go on to compete in the Gold Cup in future years. Estimate, owned by Queen Elizabeth II, and star stayer Stradivarius are the most recent Queen’s Vase winners (2012 and 2017 respectively) to win the historic Gold Cup in subsequent seasons.
The Duke of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2)
Old mile I Four Year Olds & Upwards Fillies & Mares
Run as the Windsor Forest Stakes until 2013, this race was a new addition to the Royal Meeting in 2004 and part of an industrywide initiative to encourage connections of the leading Classic generation fillies from the previous year to keep their stars in training. It is open only to fillies and mares aged four or over. As a Group 2 race, Group 1 winners carry a penalty, so the option of the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes, where no penalties are carried, is still open to the very best fillies.
The Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1)
One mile, two furlongs I Four Year Olds & Upwards
The Prince of Wales’s Stakes, first run at Royal Ascot in 1862, is named after the son of Queen Victoria (later to become King Edward VII). Originally staged over a mile and five furlongs, the race often attracted horses that had participated in the Classics. There was no Prince of Wales’s Stakes from 1946 until 1968, a year before the Prince of Wales’s investiture in 1969, then it was reintroduced and the distance changed to one mile and two furlongs. In 2000, The Prince of Wales’s Stakes was upgraded to Group 1 status and restricted to four-year-olds and upwards. The race is now worth £1 million in prize money and is one of the features of the week.
The Royal Hunt Cup (Heritage Handicap)
One mile I Three Year Olds & Upwards
The Royal Hunt Cup always provides one of the greatest spectacles of the Royal Meeting as a maximum field thunders up Ascot’s Straight Mile course for one of the biggest betting races of the season. First run in 1843, it was originally staged over seven furlongs and 155 yards. The current distance of a mile was established in 1955 when the straight course was re-aligned as part of the previous redevelopment.
The Kensington Palace Stakes (Handicap)
One Mile I Four Year Olds & Upwards Fillies
A new handicap introduced for the first time in 2021 for fouryear-old and upwards fillies and mares. Kensington Palace, set in Kensington Gardens, has been a residence for Members of the Royal Family since the 17th century. The inaugural winner was Lola Showgirl, a first Royal Ascot winner for trainer David Loughnane and jockey Laura Pearson.
The Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed)
Five furlongs I Two Year Olds
First run in 1839 over the straight mile course, this race was originally designed to attract three-year-old colts and fillies that had competed in the early season Classics. It is now run over the minimum distance of five furlongs and restricted to two-year-olds. The 2020 renewal was won by Tactical for Queen Elizabeth II, a home bred son of Toronado. Trained by Andrew Balding and ridden by James Doyle, he was Queen Elizabeth II’s 24th and final winner at the Royal Meeting.
THURSDAY
The Norfolk Stakes (Group 2)
Five furlongs I Two Year Olds
First run in 1843, this race was formerly known as the New Stakes and staged over a distance of just under four furlongs. In 1973 it was renamed after the Duke of Norfolk, Queen Elizabeth II’s Representative at Ascot between 1945 and 1972. For two-year-olds, it was promoted to Group 2 status in 2006. In 2023 it was won by 150-1 outsider Valiant Force.
The King George V Stakes (Handicap)
One mile, four furlongs I Three Year Olds
Like the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, this is a Handicap for middle distance performers, staged over one and a half miles for threeyear-olds only. The inaugural running was in July 1946, as part of the fixture list expansion to include racing in July, September and October, before the race was transferred to Royal Ascot in 1948. The 2020 winner Hukum proved better than a handicapper in time, going on to Group 1 success. Meanwhile Desert Hero won the 2023 renewal for Their Majesties The King and The Queen - their first winner at the Royal Meeting.
The Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2)
One mile, four furlongs I Three Year Old Fillies
This race, mirroring the conditions of the Oaks, is named after the fourth Baron Ribblesdale, Master of the Buckhounds between 1892 and 1895. First run in 1919, this race was originally staged over a mile for three and four-year-olds. It is now restricted to Classic generation fillies and run over the longer distance of a mile and a half.
The Gold Cup (Group 1)
Two miles, four furlongs I Four Year Olds & Upwards
Founded in 1807, the Gold Cup (which, contrary to popular opinion is not called the “Ascot Gold Cup”) is the oldest and one of the most prestigious races at Royal Ascot. Staged over the marathon trip of two-and-a-half miles, the race is a stiff test of stamina and attracts the very best staying horses in Europe. Many horses have distinguished themselves with multiple Gold Cup wins, enhancing the race’s reputation as a specialists’ event. Sagaro won three times in the 1970s and Stradivarius claimed his third straight success in 2020 but Yeats still stands tallest of all, becoming a four-time winner in 2009. Estimate won the 2013 Gold Cup for Queen Elizabeth II, becoming the first horse to win the Gold Cup for a reigning monarch.
The Britannia Stakes (Heritage Handicap)
One mile I Three Year Old Colts & Geldings
First run in 1928 over the straight mile of the Royal Hunt Cup course and run under similar conditions today. Open to three-yearold colts and geldings only, the Britannia is almost as popular these days as the Royal Hunt Cup.
The Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3)
Ten furlongs I Three Year Olds
This 10-furlong event, restricted to three-year-olds, was originally part of the Saturday Heath Day card, under the title of the New Stakes, and joined Royal Ascot as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002. It was rechristened The Tercentenary Stakes in 2011, when the racecourse celebrated 300 years since its inauguration and was also promoted from Listed to Group 3 in tandem. The race reverted back to being the Hampton Court Stakes in 2017.
The Buckingham Palace Stakes (Handicap)
Seven furlongs I Three Year Olds & Upwards
One of six races added to Royal Ascot for 2020, the seven-furlong Buckingham Palace Handicap was reintroduced to the card having been lost when The Commonwealth Cup was created in 2015. Available to three-year-olds and upwards, it was first established in 2002 when a fifth day was added to the meeting to mark the Golden Jubilee. In 2020 it opened the Royal Meeting and is now retained permanently as part of the expanded programme and concludes the Thursday card.
FRIDAY
The Albany Stakes (Group 3)
Six furlongs I Two Year Old Fillies
This race was first run in 2002 as the Henry Carnarvon Stakes, honouring the former racing manager of Queen Elizabeth II, and proved so successful that it was promoted to Group 3 status in 2005. Restricted to two-year-old fillies, the six-furlong event provides one of the first opportunities of the season for promising types to prove their ability and go on to harbour Guineas aspirations.
The Commonwealth Cup (Group 1)
Six furlongs I Three Year Olds Colts & Fillies
The Commonwealth Cup was a completely new race in 2015 and joined the King’s Stand Stakes and Platinum Jubilee Stakes to become the third Group 1 sprint at Royal Ascot. The race, run over six furlongs, is restricted to three-year-old colts and fillies and was put in place as a Europe-wide measure to create a better Pattern for young sprinters and improve the quality of sprint races across the continent. Several races in the run up to the Commonwealth Cup were promoted in tandem, including the Commonwealth Cup Trial at Ascot, in April to Group 3. The 2019 renewal of the Commonwealth Cup, won by Advertise, was the joint highest rated three-year-old race in the world.
The Duke of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap)
One mile, four furlongs I Three Year Olds & Upwards
Originally the Bessborough Stakes, named after the fifth Earl of Bessborough, who was Master of the Buckhounds between 1848 and 1866, the race was renamed the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes in 1999. First run in 1914 as a five-furlong event for two-year-olds, it has now evolved into a middle distance handicap for three-yearolds and upward.
The Coronation Stakes (Group 1)
One mile I Three Year Old Fillies
First run in 1840 to commemorate the Coronation of Queen Victoria two years previously, the Coronation Stakes is for threeyear-old fillies and regularly attracts the winners of the British, Irish and French 1,000 Guineas. It has also started to attract some of the top American fillies and so is a race that acts to crown the best of that year’s Classic generation over a mile. It was promoted to Group 1 level in 1988 and in recent years the likes of Sky Lantern, Winter, Alpha Centauri, and Tahiyra have won one of the 1,000 Guineas races before following up in the Coronation Stakes.
The Sandringham Stakes (Handicap)
One mile I Three Year Old Fillies
Originally registered as the Fern Hill Stakes, this race was part of the traditional Heath Day card on the Saturday after Royal Ascot. It was renamed after the Norfolk royal residence when the Royal Meeting was expanded to five days as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002. This is a competitive handicap over a mile, limited to three-year-old fillies only.
The
King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2)
One mile, four furlongs I Three Year Old Colts & Geldings
Formerly known, and still colloquially referred to as the Ascot Derby, this race was inaugurated in 1834 and regularly featured horses of both sexes that had competed in the middle-distance Classics. First run as the King Edward VII Stakes in 1926, it is now restricted to three-year-old colts and geldings. Recent winners, Japan, Pyledriver, Alenquer and King of Steel all went on to Group 1 success.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes (Handicap)
Five furlongs I Three Year Olds
The final race on Friday was among six prizes added to the Royal Ascot race programme in 2020. A five-furlong sprint for three-yearolds, Queen Elizabeth II graciously consented to the race name, which recognises the Monarchy’s official Scottish residence. A race with similar conditions used to be run regularly on the Saturday Heath Day card and featured as part of the full Royal Ascot programme in 2002 and 2003 as the Balmoral Handicap. Upon its return in 2020, it was won by Art Power who had Group success in Ireland before Group 1 victory back at Ascot in 2023.
SATURDAY
The Chesham Stakes (Listed)
Seven furlongs I Two Year Olds
Named after the third Baron Chesham, who was the last Master of the Buckhounds from 1900 to 1901. First run in 1919, the Chesham Stakes replaced the first leg of the Triennial Stakes, which had been run over five furlongs for two-year-olds. Now a Listed contest, the race takes place over the longer distance of seven furlongs and is restricted to youngsters whose sire has won over ten furlongs or further. It was won in 2019 by the champion two-year-old that year, Pinatubo, in a track record time.
The Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2)
One mile, four furlongs I Four Year Olds & Upwards
Named after the fifth Earl of Hardwicke, Master of the Buckhounds between 1874 and 1879, the race was first run in 1879. The Group 2 contest continues to attract the best older middle distance horses and is often an informative guide to the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes in July. It is run with no Group 1 or 2 winners’ penalties as a quasi-Group 1 race with top level horses regularly competing.
The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (Group 1)
Six furlongs I Four Year Olds & Upwards
First run in 1868, this six-furlong contest was originally named after Lord Cork, another Master of the Buckhounds, and known as the Cork and Orrery Stakes. Royal Ascot’s most prestigious sprint was given a new name – the Golden Jubilee Stakes - and elevated to Group 1 status to celebrate The Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002. It then assumed the mantle of the Diamond Jubilee Stakes and the Platinum Jubilee Stakes for subsequent celebrations. In 2023 it was permanently renamed in memory of Queen Elizabeth II, as the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. Now worth £1 million in prize money, it is routinely won by some of the best sprinters in the world, including Black Caviar, Undrafted and Blue Point in recent years.
The Jersey Stakes (Group 3)
Seven furlongs I Three Year Olds
The Jersey Stakes replaced the second leg of the Triennial Stakes in 1919. Named after the fourth Earl of Jersey, who was the Master of the Buckhounds between 1782 and 1783, this specialist seven furlong contest is framed for three-year-olds who have often competed at the top level, including in the Guineas.
The Wokingham Stakes (Heritage Handicap)
Six furlongs I Three Year Olds & Upwards
The inaugural running of the Wokingham Stakes took place in 1813, making this race the oldest handicap at Royal Ascot. This famous sprint is named after the market town seven miles from Ascot Racecourse, and the first dual winner was appropriately also named Wokingham (1881 and 1882). Over the years, the race has developed a reputation as a fiercely competitive handicap and one of the major betting heats of the season.
The Golden Gates Stakes (Handicap)
One mile, two furlongs I Three Year Olds
The penultimate contest at Royal Ascot was among the six prizes added to the race programme in 2020 and one of three newly named contests to be staged. The Golden Gates are the ceremonial entrance point as the Royal Procession arrives at the top of Ascot’s famous Straight Mile. Queen Elizabeth II graciously consented to the race title which is run over a mile and a quarter for three-year-olds only. The inaugural running proved a highclass contest with the winner, Highland Chief, subsequently being placed at Group 2 level.
The Queen Alexandra Stakes (Conditions)
Two miles, six furlongs I Four Year Olds & Upwards
Run over the marathon trip of two-and-three-quarter miles, the Queen Alexandra Stakes is not only the longest race of the meeting, but also the longest contest run under Flat racing rules. Named after the consort of King Edward VII, the race was first run in 1864 as the Alexandra Plate over three miles. It will always be associated with Brown Jack, arguably Royal Ascot’s greatest equine legend, who won the race on six consecutive occasions between 1929 and 1934. The Queen Alexandra Stakes always closes the meeting and, perhaps because of its extreme distance in a time when so much emphasis is on speed, it has become a national institution and is affectionately supported by regulars.
DID YOU KNOW...?
Since Queen Anne founded Ascot Racecourse back in 1711, a further 12 monarchs have acceded to the British throne.
Mrs Gertrude Shilling was undeniably the premier indefatigable sartorial dame of Ascot (nicknamed The Ascot Mascot), but she has met with competition from all over the world, including in 1976 when Australia’s Dame Edna Everage, alias Barry Humphries, attended with a four foot Sydney Opera House perched on “her” head. Following the successes of Choisir, Takeover Target, Miss Andretti, Scenic Blast and Black Caviar on the track, Royal Ascot is as much an institution in Australia as at home these days, but back then Dame Edna said to the assembled press that she: “wasn’t aware it was a racing event until the other day. I always thought it was an exhibition of gas water heaters!”
Viscount Churchill was appointed as the first sovereign’s representative at Ascot in 1901. He is reputed to have taken personal charge of vetting applications for entrance into the Royal Enclosure, sorting letters into three baskets marked ‘Certainly’ ‘Perhaps’ and ‘Certainly Not.’ Viscount Churchill loved this task and became notorious for recognising faces in the Royal Enclosure and challenging those who should not be there. For this purpose he was granted special access to the Divorce Registry, as those on it were not permitted access to the Royal Enclosure.
Many people were sympathetic to the Ascot Authority in June, 1964, after the Royal Meeting had to be curtailed due to severe rain, thus blighting the opening of the new Royal Enclosure Stand. None more so than the old lady who sent the Authority £1 because she was so distressed to hear of the course’s bad luck. The Duke of Norfolk, Her Majesty’s Representative at the time, responded with equal magnanimity, thanking the lady and inviting her to a day’s racing.
In the days before actors were allowed in the Royal Enclosure, King Edward VII asked the actor Charles Hawtrey if he would be seeing him at Royal Ascot. Hawtrey explained that rules prevented it, whereupon the King took it upon himself personally to send Hawtrey the necessary badge. When Ascot came, Hawtrey entered the Enclosure to the great surprise of Lord Churchill, His Majesty’s Representative at Ascot, who said: “I don’t remember sending you a badge.” Hawtrey explained that this was not surprising as he hadn’t – “King Edward did!”
It is said that when Queen Anne was in residence at Windsor Castle, she imported a large quantity of green velour material from France, in which she dressed her “Yeoman Prickers,” who were armed with pikes to move people out of the way at the races! That particular practice doesn’t sit comfortably with the modern day customer service ethic but the outfits are remembered with today’s “Greencoats”, the ceremonial guard for The King at Ascot, wearing the livery.
In the early 1920s, Lord Lonsdale drove every day from his rented house adjoining the Winkfield Road crossing, up the High Street to the racecourse entrance with outriders, drivers and footmen, all wearing his distinctive yellow livery. The proceedings were so grand that critics claimed he was trying to rival the Royal Procession.
The Duke of Norfolk must have been dismayed to read in The Times and The Telegraph on April 27, 1971 that Ascot would permit ‘hot pants’ in the Royal Enclosure! The next day he corrected the misinformation in no uncertain terms.
Back in 1954, Queen Elizabeth II had a famous Royal Ascot triumph with the brilliant Aureole, who had suffered a minor eye injury a few days before the Meeting. When visiting the paddock just before the race, Queen Elizabeth II asked her jockey, Eph Smith, who wore a hearing-aid, whether he would win. The reply came: “Well, Ma’am, we are rather handicapped. The horse is blind in one eye and I’m deaf!”
King Edward VII’s mother, Queen Victoria, was known to have frowned upon her son’s general and unparalleled enthusiasm for good living and, of course, racing, but on his accession in 1901, the new King closed the Royal Stand completely for the Royal Meeting due to the death of his mother and requested that all those who attended within the Royal Enclosure wear black.
Due to the knock on effects of the General Election, the 2001 Royal Procession was restricted to two days as the horses and carriages were required to convey Queen Elizabeth II to Wesminster for the State Opening of Parliament on the Wednesday and had to be in place for a practice on Tuesday. The Royal Party, including Queen Elizabeth II, came by car on both days and arrived in time for racing.
Sir John Crocker Bulteel was Clerk of the Course from 1946 until his death in 1956. A figure of great importance in the history of Ascot Racecourse, Sir John Crocker Bulteel was known as an outstanding racing administrator but it was his love of racing that he is most famous for. It is due mainly to the dedication of Sir John that today Ascot stages more than just the Royal Meeting. The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, initially run as the Festival of Britain Stakes, was his brainchild. The race was first run in 1951 and did more than any other race to change the face of top-level racing in this country and, ultimately, the world. It promoted the cause of international inter-age competition and more often than not, its winner is the seasonal champion.
During the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001, the management suggested that ladies bear in mind the precautionary foot and mouth disinfectant mats on all entrances to the racecourse when considering their footwear. Not everyone listened which made for some interesting pictures in the likes of “Hello” and “Harpers” that year!
In 1964, Trelawny was to bid for a third consecutive Ascot Stakes/Queen Alexandra Stakes double. He was beaten in the Ascot Stakes but would have walked over in the Queen Alexandra on Friday had the meeting not been abandoned due to waterlogging. This is the answer to a question which appeared in the Racing Post Christmas quiz in 2001 and resulted in numerous calls to all departments at the racecourse!
In 2005, Ascot auctioned some 300 lots of memorabilia associated with the old stand. The auction raised £389,965 with Racing Welfare the primary beneficiary with the bulk of this coming from a bid of £280,000 for the wrought cast iron entranceway from the track to the Winners’ Enclosure, purchased by leading owner Bill Gredley. The crowd fell silent as the bid just kept going up and up from an original reserve of just £20,000 - £30,000!
Jockeys at Ascot are called to mount by a bell in the parade ring and, unique to Ascot, a bell is also rung as the horses swing into the straight for races run on the Round course.
MEDIA & RACING CONTACTS
Nick Smith LVO
Director of Racing & Public Affairs 07771 791449 nick.smith@ascot.com
Will Aitkenhead
Head of Corporate & Industry Affairs 07817 124115 will.aitkenhead@ascot.com
Chris Stickels
Head of Racing and Clerk of the Course 07970 621440 chris.stickels@ascot.com
Brand and Creative Lead, Marketing 07890 630608 alexandra.bertram@ascot.com
For press enquiries, including photography requests, please email pr@ascot.com
During Royal Ascot, Racenews are contracted to provide up to the minute quotes and press releases to their email database. Please email racenews@racenewsonline.com
RACING FACTS & FIGURES
JOCKEYS
INTERNATIONAL RUNNERS
RACES
Background
THE QUEEN ANNE STAKES
First run in 1840, the Queen Anne Stakes commemorates the monarch who established racing at Ascot. In the early summer of 1711, while being driven in a carriage from Windsor Castle, Queen Anne decided that Ascot Heath would be a good place to establish a racecourse. A few weeks later, on August 11, 1711, the Royal Meeting was founded. Between 1840 and 1929, this race was known as the Trial Stakes.
Run over Ascot’s straight mile, the Queen Anne Stakes attracts the leading older milers from across Europe and beyond. The establishment of the Pattern race system for categorising the top events in 1971 saw the Queen Anne Stakes have G3 status, before becoming a G2 in 1984. The race was elevated to G1 status in 2003, when it also became restricted to four-year-olds and older. The race is a Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ contest for the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
A remarkable renewal in 1974 saw the first three horses - Confusion, Gloss and Royal Perogative - disqualified for causing interference, with the race awarded to the Italian challenger Brook who went pass the post in fourth for trainer Mario Benetti and jockey Brian Taylor.
Notable winners include Cape Cross (1999) – went on to become a top stallion, siring Derby winners Sea The Stars and Golden Horn, plus wonderful mare Ouija Board, who was successful in seven G1 races including the 2006 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Goldikova (2010) – brilliant mare and winner of 14 G1 contests; became the first horse to win three renewals of the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Frankel (2012) – perhaps the greatest racehorse of all time, with an unprecedented Timeform rating of 147; unbeaten in 14 starts, 10 of which came at G1 level; won five races at Ascot in total, including the St James’s Palace Stakes, the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes sponsored by QIPCO and the QIPCO Champion Stakes. His Queen Anne Stakes performance was simply breathtaking as he stormed to an 11-length success.
Tepin (2016) – became the first US-trained victor of the race and the second winner from the USA of a non-juvenile race at Royal Ascot. The champion mare, a six-time G1 winner, was later sold to Coolmore for $8 million at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky 2017 November Mixed Sale.
Baaeed (2022) – took his unbeaten record to eight when winning the race as a four-year-old. Would go on to win the Sussex Stakes and the International at York as well, being awarded an official rating of 135, the highest given on turf since Frankel in 2012 and just one below is own sire, Sea The Stars, in 2009.
Overseas-trained winners (since 1946)
Ireland (7): Southbourne (1952), Upadee (1954), Imperial March (1975), Ad Valorem (2006), Haradasun (2008), Declaration Of War (2013), Circus Maximus (2020)
France (6): Solina (1948), Argur (1953), Roi Soleil (1971), Valixir (2005), Goldikova (2010), Solow (2015)
Italy (1): Brook (1974)
USA (1): Tepin (2016)
Oldest winner (since 1946)
Eight-year-old Welsh Rake in 1963, trained by Jack Jarvis and ridden by Ron Hutchinson.
Betting (since 1946)
Longest-priced winner: Garrick 50/1 (1950)
Shortest-priced winner: Frankel 1/10 (2012)
Market leaders: 24 favourites or joint favourites have succeeded in the 79 runnings
Most successful trainer (since 1946)
7 wins: Saeed bin Suroor – Charnwood Forest (1996), Allied Forces (1997), Intikhab (1998), Cape Cross (1999), Dubai Destination (2003), Refuse To Bend (2004), Ramonti (2007)
The six-furlong Coventry Stakes is the early season highlight for two-year-olds. First run in 1890, it is named after the ninth Earl of Coventry, who was Master of the Buckhounds between 1886 and 1892 and again between 1895 and 1901.
The Coventry Stakes regained G2 status in 2004, having been a G3 since 1984. It is the first Group race for two-year-olds in Britain each year.
Notable winners include
The Tetrarch (1913) – one of the fastest two-year-olds ever and described as “the spotted wonder” after winning all seven starts as a juvenile, including a 10-length demolition in the Coventry Stakes, before injury forced retirement; champion sire in 1919 and left lasting impression on the breed through daughter and influential broodmare Mumtaz Mahal.
Mill Reef (1970) – European horse of the year in 1971 thanks to dominant victories in the Derby, Eclipse, King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe; sired winners of the Derby and 2,000 Guineas.
Chief Singer (1983) – won the Coventry Stakes by four lengths on debut; returned the following year to win the St James’s Palace Stakes by eight lengths prior to victories in the July Cup at Newmarket and Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
Canford Cliffs (2009) – achieved rare feat of winning at Royal Ascot three years in row; romped home by six lengths in the Coventry Stakes, won the 2010 St James’s Palace Stakes during a sparkling three-year-old campaign and defeated outstanding French mare Goldikova in 2011 Queen Anne Stakes.
Coventry Stakes/2,000 Guineas double
The double has been achieved five times since the Second World War – Tudor Minstrel (1946), Palestine (1949), Martial (1959), Henrythenavigator (2007) and Dawn Approach (2012)
Overseas-trained winners (since 1977)
Ireland (13): Solinus (1977), Verglas (1996), Harbour Master (1997), Fasliyev (1999), Landseer (2001), Statue of Liberty (2002), Henrythenavigator (2007), Power (2011), Dawn Approach (2012), War Command (2013), Caravaggio (2016), Arizona (2019), River Tiber (2023)
Betting (since 1977)
Longest-priced winner: Nando Parrado 150/1 (2020)
Shortest-priced winner: Primo Dominie 4/7 (1984)
Market leaders: 22 favourites or joint favourites have been successful in the 48 runnings
Most successful trainer (since 1977)
10 wins
Aidan O’Brien IRE – Harbour Master (1997), Fasliyev (1999), Landseer (2001), Statue of Liberty (2002), Henrythenavigator (2007), Power (2011), War Command (2013), Caravaggio (2016), Arizona (2019), River Tiber (2023)
Most successful jockey (since 1977)
4 wins
Ryan Moore – Power (2011), Caravaggio (2016), Arizona (2019), River Tiber (2023)
Most successful owner (since 1977)
10 wins
Coolmore partnerships - Harbour Master (1997), Fasliyev (1999), Landseer (2001), Statue of Liberty (2002), Henrythenavigator (2007), Power (2011), War Command (2013), Caravaggio (2016), Arizona (2019), River Tiber (2023)
COVENTRY STAKES WINNERS
Background
THE KING CHARLES III STAKES
Bad weather played a crucial role in the origins of the King Charles III Stakes. In 1860 heavy rain made it impossible for the two-mile Royal Stand Plate to take place so the race was renamed the Queen’s Stand Plate and run over four furlongs, the only raceable part of the course.
The race was then run over five furlongs and, with the accession of King Edward VII in 1901, was renamed the King's Stand Stakes, but curiously did not revert to its original name when Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne in 1952. It became the King Charles III Stakes to mark The King's 75th birthday.
The King Charles III Stakes regained G1 status in 2008, having been a G2 since 1988, G1 from 1973 to 1987 and G2 in 1971 and 1972. There have been 13 overseas-trained winners since the turn of the century. The King Charles III Stakes is a Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ contest, offering a place in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.
Notable winners include
Abernant (1949) – considered the greatest sprinter of the 20th century with a Timeform rating of 142; won 14 of his 17 career starts including back-to-back victories in the July Cup, King George Stakes and Nunthorpe Stakes in 1949 and 1950.
Dayjur (1990) – followed up Ascot success by setting a course record at York in the Nunthorpe Stakes, which stood for 29 years, before victories in the Haydock Sprint Cup and the Prix de l’Abbaye.
Choisir (2003) – the first Australian-trained horse to win in Britain. He doubled up four days later in the six-furlong Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, making him the first horse since Stanerra in 1983 to win twice at the same Royal Meeting.
Miss Andretti (2007) – the Australian-trained mare had the 2006 victor and fellow Australian Takeover Target back in fourth when setting a track record time of 57.44s (the course was remodelled in 2005), which still stands.
Blue Point (2019) – landed the King Charles III Stakes for the second successive year and emulated Choisir later in the week by doubling up in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes; won all bar one of his six starts at Ascot.
Multiple winners
There have been 12 dual winners of the King Charles III Stakes but only four since the Second World War – Elbio (1991 & 1993), Equiano (2008 & 2010), Sole Power (2013 & 2014) and Blue Point (2018 & 2019)
Oldest winner (since 1946)
Four horses aged seven have succeeded – The Tatling (2004), Takeover Target (2006), Sole Power (2014) and Nature Strip (2022)
Overseas-trained successes (since 1946)
Ireland (8): Sound Track (1950), Cassarate (1952), Abergwaun (1973), Godswalk (1977), Solinus (1978), Bluebird (1987), Sole Power (2013 & 2014)
France (7): Palariva (1956), Amber Rama (1970), Flirting Around (1975), Last Tycoon (1986), Don’t Worry Me (1997), Nuclear Debate (2000), Chineur (2005)
Australia (6): Choisir (2003), Takeover Target (2006), Miss Andretti (2007), Scenic Blast (2009), Nature Strip (2022), Asfoora (2024)
Hong Kong (1): Little Bridge (2012)
Spain (1): Equiano (2008)
USA (1): Lady Aurelia (2017)
Betting (since 1946)
Longest-priced winners: Squander Bug (1948) & Don’t Worry Me (1997), both 33/1
Shortest-priced winner: Lochsong 3/10 (1994)
Market leaders: 20 favourites or joint favourites have been successful in the 78 runnings
7 wins: Lester Piggott - Right Boy (1957), Majority Rule (1963), Swing Easy (1971), Abergwaun (1973), Godswalk (1977), Solinus (1978), Never So Bold (1985)
KING CHARLES III STAKES WINNERS
Background
THE ST JAMES’S PALACE STAKES
Named after the Tudor Royal residence, the inaugural running of the St James’s Palace Stakes in 1834 gave little indication of the high-quality and competitive fields that the race would later produce - while it attracted a Derby winner in Plenipotentiary, the colt was the only runner and consequently allowed a walkover.
A host of Derby winners have gone on to win the St James’s Palace Stakes, notably British Triple Crown winners Ormonde (1886), Rock Sand (1903) and Bahram (1935).
In the post-war period, the Epsom graduates surrendered their dominance to the emerging category of thoroughbred, the mile specialist, and the St James’s Palace Stakes usually features colts that won or were placed in the English, Irish or French 2,000 Guineas.
The race started out with G2 status in 1971 and was promoted to G1 for the 1988 renewal. It is open to three-year-old colts and staged over the round mile.
Notable winners include Tudor Minstrel (1947) – champion two-year-old of 1946; eight-length victor of the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket despite being eased down, the biggest winning distance in the Classic’s history.
Brigadier Gerard (1971) – won 17 of his 18 careers starts over distances from five furlongs to a mile and a half; successful in one of the best renewals of the 2,000 Guineas that also featured Mill Reef and My Swallow; unbeaten in five starts at Ascot.
Frankel (2011) – unbeaten in 14 starts, 10 of which came at G1 level; won five races at Ascot in total, including the Queen Anne Stakes by 11 lengths, the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and the QIPCO Champion Stakes; rated 147 by Timeform, the highest in the organisation’s history.
Major 2,000 Guineas/St James’s Palace Stakes double (since 1946)
English Guineas (16): Tudor Minstel (1947), Palestine (1950), Nearula (1953), Darius (1954), Right Tack (1969), Brigadier Gerard (1971), Bolkonski (1975), To-Agori-Mou (1981), Rock Of Gibraltar (2002), Henrythenavigator (2008), Frankel (2011), Dawn Approach (2013), Gleneagles (2015), Galileo Gold (2016), Poetic Flare (2021), Coroebus (2022)
French Guineas (3): Kingmambo (1993), Sendawar (1999), Shamardal (2005)
Irish Guineas (14): Right Tack (1969), Jaazeiro (1978), Dara Monarch (1982), Shaadi (1989), Black Minaloushe (2001), Rock Of Gibraltar (2002), Araafa (2006), Henrythenavigator (2008), Mastercraftsman (2009), Canford Cliffs (2010), Kingman (2014), Gleneagles (2015), Paddington (2023), Rosallion (2024)
Overseas-trained winners (since 1946)
Ireland (17): Chevastrid (1957), Thatch (1972), Jaazeiro (1978), Dara Monarch (1982), Brief Truce (1992), Giant’s Causeway (2000), Black Minnaloushe (2001), Rock Of Gibraltar (2002), Azamour (2004), Excellent Art (2007), Henrythenavigator (2008), Mastercraftsman (2009), Dawn Approach (2013), Gleneagles (2015), Circus Maximus (2019), Poetic Flare (2021), Paddington (2023)
France (3): Venture VII (1960), Kingmambo (1993), Sendawar (1999)
Betting (since 1946)
Longest-priced winner: Brief Truce 25/1 (1992)
Shortest-priced winner: Venture VII 1/33 (1960)
Market leaders: 38 favourites or joint favourites have been successful in the 79 runnings
Most successful trainer (since 1946)
9 wins: Aidan O’Brien IRE – Giant’s Causeway (2000), Black Minnaloushe (2001), Rock of Gibraltar (2002), Excellent Art (2007), Henrythenavigator (2008), Mastercraftsman (2009), Gleneagles (2015), Circus Maximus (2019), Paddington (2023)
Most successful jockey (since 1946)
6 wins: Mick Kinane - Dara Monarch (1982), Brief Truce (1992), Grand Lodge (1994), Giant’s Causeway (2000), Rock of Gibraltar (2002), Azamour (2004)
Most successful owners (since 1946)
9 wins: Coolmore partnerships – Giant’s Causeway (2000), Black Minnaloushe (2001), Rock of Gibraltar (2002), Excellent Art (2007), Henrythenavigator (2008), Mastercraftsman (2009), Gleneagles (2015), Circus Maximus (2019), Paddington (2023)
ST JAMES’S PALACE STAKES WINNERS
Background
THE ASCOT STAKES
Founded in 1839, the two-and-a-half-mile handicap is one of only four races at the Royal Meeting in which the field passes the winning post twice.
Trainers whose main emphasis is Jump racing have enjoyed great success in the race, particularly Martin Pipe and Willie Mullins.
Pipe, who was Britain’s champion Jump trainer 15 times, enjoyed five successes in the Ascot Stakes, while Willie Mullins has gained four victories since 2012.
Notable winners include
Junior (2010) – trained by Martin Pipe’s son David, Junior completed a rare double when successful in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase at the 2011 Cheltenham Festival.
Simenon (2012) – also ran away with the Queen Alexandra Stakes later in the same week and was beaten a neck by Estimate in the 2013 Gold Cup.
Coltrane (2022) – established himself as one of the leading stayers around with G2 successes in the Doncaster Cup and Lonsdale Cup, as well as finishing second in the 2023 Gold Cup.
Ascot Stakes/Queen Alexandra Stakes double
Three horses have won these two long-distance races at Royal Ascot in the same week since 1977 – Mountain Cross (1978), Baddam (2006) and Simenon (2012)
Overseas-trained winners (since 1977)
Ireland (9): San Sebastian (1998), Barba Papa (2000), Leg Spinner (2005), Simenon (2012), Domination (2014), Clondaw Warrior (2015), Jennies Jewel (2016), Thomas Hobson (2017), Lagostovegas (2018)
Fran Berry – Leg Spinner (2005), Well Sharp (2013), Domination (2014)
Ryan Moore – Simenon (2012), Clondaw Warrior (2015), Thomas Hobson (2017)
Most successful owner (since 1977)
2 wins
Sheikh Mohammed – Zero Watt (1988), High And Mighty (1999)
ASCOT STAKES WINNERS
Background
THE WOLFERTON STAKES
The race conditions changed in 2018, with the Wolferton Stakes becoming a Listed contest rather than a Listed handicap, which it had been since its inauguration in 2002 with the extension of Royal Ascot to a five-day meeting.
The mile-and-a-quarter contest for older horses takes its name from the Norfolk village of Wolferton, situated near the King’s country retreat, the Sandringham Estate.
Notable winners include Contributer (2014) – subsequently a dual G1 winner in Australia, capturing the Chipping Norton Stakes and Ranvet Stakes.
Addeybb (2019) – continued his excellent record at Ascot with victory in the 2020 QIPCO Champion Stakes; three-time G1 winner in Australia.
Overseas-trained winners
Ireland (2) – In Time’s Eye (2003), Sir Isaac Newton (2016)
Betting
Longest-priced winner: Imperial Stride (2005), Championship Point (2007), Snoano (2017), all 25/1
Shortest-priced winner: Rainbow Peak 13/8 (2010)
Market leaders: 4 favourites or joint favourites have been successful in the 23 runnings
Most successful trainer 5 wins
John Gosden - Beachfire (2011), Gatewood (2012), Mahsoob (2015), Monarchs Glen (2018), *Israr (2024) *as part of a training partnership
Most successful jockey 2 wins
Ryan Moore - Perfect Stride (2009), Sir Isaac Newton (2016)
William Buick - Beachfire (2011), Gatewood (2012)
Daniel Tudhope - Addeybb (2019), Dubai Future (2022)
Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum – Juan Elcano (2021), Royal Champion (2023)
WOLFERTON STAKES WINNERS
Background
THE COPPER HORSE HANDICAP
Run over a mile and three-quarters, this handicap for four-year-olds and upwards was introduced as part of the enhanced order of running for Royal Ascot in 2020. It is named after The Copper Horse, a statue of King George III mounted on horseback marking the end of the Long Walk in Windsor Great Park, adjacent to the racecourse. The statue was sculpted by by Sir Richard Westmacott and erected in October 1831.
Notable winners
Fujaira Prince (2020) – won the Ebor on his next start and finished second in the Irish St Leger.
Vauban (2023) – beat subsequent Ebor winner Absurde by seven and a half lengths; returned to Ascot to finish fourth in the 2024 Gold Cup before winning the G2 Lonsdale Cup at York later the same season.
COPPER HORSE HANDICAP WINNERS
YR/DATE
John & Thady Gosden Hollie Doyle Imad Al Sagar
Roger Varian Andrea Atzeni Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum
Background
THE QUEEN MARY STAKES
The Queen Mary Stakes for two-year-olds fillies was founded in honour of the consort of King George V.
Selene was runner-up in the initial running in 1921 and would later produce the great Hyperion, the Derby winner in 1933 and one of the most influential sires in history.
The five-furlong contest was promoted from G3 to G2 status in 2004 after a string of top-class winners.
Notable winners include Mumtaz Mahal (1923) – won by 10 lengths in 1923 and went on to become an important broodmare; her descendants include champions such as Abernant, Secretariat, Mill Reef, Shergar and Oh So Sharp.
Marling (1991) – following an agonising defeat in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket, she gained a G1 hat-trick in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, Coronation Stakes and Sussex Stakes.
Lyric Fantasy (1992) – the first two-year-old filly to go on and win the all-aged Nunthorpe Stakes at York in August.
Queen’s Logic (2001) – crowned champion two-year-old filly of Europe after a seven-length success in the Cheveley Park Stakes; retired unbeaten.
Lady Aurelia (2016) – the most impressive of US trainer Wesley Ward’s four Queen Mary Stakes winners; made all to win by seven lengths and was dominant again when returning to Royal Ascot in 2017 to win the King Charles III Stakes.
Queen Mary Stakes/1,000 Guineas double
Two fillies have done the double since the Second World War – Waterloo (1971) and Attraction (2003)
Overseas-trained winners (since 1977)
Ireland (5): Gloriella (1988), Damson (2004), Elletelle (2007), Anthem Alexander (2014), Quick Suzy (2021) USA (5): Jealous Again (2009), Acapulco (2015), Lady Aurelia (2016), Campanelle (2020), Crimson Advocate (2023)
Betting (since 1977)
Longest-priced winner: Night Of Wind 50/1 (1983)
Shortest-priced winner: Amaranda 4/6 (1977)
Market leaders: 16 favourites or joint favourites have been successful in the 48 runnings
Most successful trainer (since 1977)
5 wins
Richard Hannon snr – Fly Baby (1981), Lyric Fantasy (1992), Risky (1993), Gilded (2006), Best Terms (2011)
The Duke Of Cambridge Stakes was introduced in 2004 with the aim of encouraging connections to keep fillies and mares in training beyond their three-year-old campaigns.
Run over the straight mile for older fillies and mares and originally titled the Windsor Forest Stakes, the race was renamed in honour of Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, in 2013.
Notable winners include Soviet Song (2006) – five-time G1 winner whose finest moment came when beating the boys in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood in 2004.
Integral (2014) – built on her Ascot success with G1 triumphs in the Falmouth Stakes and Sun Chariot Stakes, both at Newmarket.
Nazeef (2020) – emulated Integral by going on take the Falmouth Stakes and Sun Chariot Stakes.
Overseas-trained winners
France (3): Sabana Perdida (2008), Usherette (2016), Qemah (2017) Ireland (2): Lolly For Dolly (2011), Duntle (2013)
Betting
Longest-priced winner: Amazing Maria 25/1 (2015)
Shortest-priced winner: Soviet Song 11/8 (2006)
Market leaders: 6 favourites or joint favourites have been successful in the 21 runnings
Most successful trainer
5 wins
John Gosden – Nannina (2005), Joviality (2012), Nazeef (2020), *Indie Angel (2021), *Running Lion (2024) *as part of a training partnership
Most successful jockey 3 wins
William Buick – Joviality (2012), Aljazzi (2018), Saffron Beach (2022)
Most successful owner
5 wins
Cheveley Park Stud – Peeress (2005), Nannina (2007), Spacious (2009), Integral (2014), Indie Angel (2021)
DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE STAKES WINNERS
Background
THE PRINCE OF WALES’S STAKES
The Prince Of Wales’s Stakes was first run at Royal Ascot in 1862, a year after the death of Prince Albert. The popular Prince of Wales (later to become King Edward VII) had taken over many of the social duties previously carried out by his mother, Queen Victoria, who continued to remain in mourning for her late husband.
In the early years, it was mainly three-year-olds who competed in the race, then run over one mile and five furlongs. Horses often ran in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes after having participated in one or more of the Classics. In the first half of the 20th century, it generally became rarer for horses of the Classic generation to run in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes. One very notable exception was the great Hyperion, who was successful in 1933, the same year that he won the Derby and St Leger.
When racing resumed at Royal Ascot in 1946, there was no Prince Of Wales’s Stakes because George VI was on the throne and, as he had no male heirs, there was no Prince of Wales. The race did not take place again until 1968, a year before the former Prince of Wales’s investiture in 1969, with the distance changed to a mile and a quarter. The Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, which became a G1 contest for four-year-olds and upwards in 2000, is a Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ contest.
Notable winners include
Brigadier Gerard (1972) – won 17 of his 18 careers starts over distances from five furlongs to a mile and a half; successful in one of the best renewals of the 2,000 Guineas that also featured Mill Reef and My Swallow; Timeform rating of 144, bettered only by Frankel and Sea-Bird.
Mtoto (1987 & 1988) – dual winner who won two Eclipse Stakes as well as Ascot’s King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Bosra Sham (1997) – fragile filly who showed her class with a memorable eight-length victory, having captured the 1,000 Guineas and Champion Stakes the season before.
Dubai Millennium (2000) – one of the modern-day greats on dirt and turf; won the Dubai World Cup by six lengths before an eight-length victory in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.
Ouija Board (2006) – star racemare who racked up seven G1 successes on three continents during her career; dam of 2014 Derby winner Australia.
So You Think (2012) – won back-to-back Cox Plates, Australia’s most prestigious race, for legendary trainer Bart Cummings; continued his career in Europe for Aidan O’Brien – adding five G1s to his CV including the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, Eclipse Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes.
Multiple winners
There have been three dual winners – Connaught (1969 & 1970), Mtoto (1987 & 1988) and Muhtarram (1994 & 1995)
Overseas-trained winners (since 1968)
Ireland (9): Stanerra (1983), Azamour (2005), Duke Of Marmalade (2008), So You Think (2012), Free Eagle (2015), Highland Reel (2017), Love (2021), State Of Rest (2022), Auguste Rodin (2024) France (5): Gift Card (1973), Admetus (1974), Manduro (2007), Vision d’Etat (2009), Byword (2010)
Betting (since 1968)
Longest-priced winner: Bob Back 33/1 (1985)
Shortest-priced winner: Royal Palace 1/4 (1968)
Market leaders: 23 favourites or joint favourites have been successful in the 57 runnings
Most successful trainer (since 1968)
5 wins: Sir Henry Cecil – Lucky Wednesday (1977), Gunner B (1978), Perpendicular (1992), Placerville (1993), Bosra Sham (1997); John Gosden – Muhtarram (1994 & 1995), The Fugue (2014), Lord North (2020), *Mostahdaf (2023) Aidan O'Brien IRE – Duke Of Marmalade (2008), So You Think (2012), Highland Reel (2017), Love (2021), Auguste Rodin (2024) *as part of a training partnership
Most successful jockey (since 1968)
5 wins: Pat Eddery – Record Run (1975), English Spring (1986), Two Timing (1989), Batshoof (1990), Placerville (1993)
Most successful owner (since 1968)
5 wins: Godolphin – Faithful Son (1998), Dubai Millennium (2000), Fantastic Light (2001), Grandera (2002), Rewilding (2011) Coolmore partnership – Duke Of Marmalade (2008), So You Think (2012), Highland Reel (2017), Love (2021), Auguste Rodin (2024)
Background
THE ROYAL HUNT CUP
One of the major betting races of the season, the inaugural running of the Royal Hunt Cup in 1843 was won decisively by Knight Of Whistle, but behind was a desperate battle for second place between Garry Owen, Epaulette and Bourra Tomachathe judge could not split them and eventually awarded a triple dead-heat for the runner-up position.
The Royal Hunt Cup has long been the subject of heavy gambles and two notable touches were landed at the turn of the 20th century. Prior to the 1900 running, Royal Flush had shown form only in minor races and appeared to be out of his depth. But his trainer, Enoch Wishard, had perfected the technique of doping and was able to induce the necessary improvement. Royal Flush won and netted a fortune for his unscrupulous American owners.
The next significant tilt at the ring was executed by the infamous Druid’s Lodge Confederacy. Lally, one of the best horses ever trained at Druid’s Lodge, was thought to be a certainty for the 1906 Derby at Epsom over a mile and a half, and was backed down to favouritism. Unable to stay the trip, he was prepared for the 1907 Royal Hunt Cup, which he won defeating Andover by half a length.
The handicap was originally over a distance of seven furlongs and 155 yards, until the course was re-aligned and a straight mile laid out in time for the 1955 meeting. A maximum field of 30 is allowed.
Fly To The Stars, favourite in 1998 to defy 9st 11lb, could not cope with 20/1 chance Refuse To Lose, but went on to success in three Group races culminating with the G1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in 1999, demonstrating what a competitive race the Royal Hunt Cup is.
Notable winners include
Master Vote (1947 & 1948) – the only horse to win two editions of the Royal Hunt Cup.
Buzzards Bay (1982) – completed prestigious handicap double when winning what is now the John Smith’s Cup at York the following month; returned to Ascot later in the year to win the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
Cesare (2006) – progressed into high-class miler, with his most notable success coming at Ascot in the 2007 G2 Summer Mile; also runner-up to Paco Boy in 2009 Queen Anne Stakes.
Real World (2021) – followed up his Ascot triumph with four straight wins in Stakes company, including G2 victories in France and Dubai, before chasing home Baaeed in the Lockinge Stakes and Queen Anne Stakes.
Overseas-trained winners (since 1960)
Ireland (3): Continuation (1966), Portage (2016), Settle For Bay (2018)
Market leaders: Only 5 favourites or joint favourites have been successful in the 65 runnings
Most successful trainer (since 1960)
3 wins
John Sutcliffe jnr – Tempest Boy (1972), My Hussar (1977), Tender Heart (1980)
John Dunlop – Camouflage (1973), Patriarch (1986), Eurolink The Lad (1991)
Saeed bin Suroor – Invisible Man (2010), Real World (2021), Wild Tiger (2024)
Most successful jockey (since 1960)
4 wins
Lester Piggott – Spaniard’s Close (1963), Casabianca (1965), Kamundu (1969), Jumping Hill (1976)
Most successful owner (since 1960)
5 wins
Godolphin – Invisible Man (2010), Portage (2016), Dark Vision (2020), Real World (2021), Wild Tiger (2024)
ROYAL HUNT CUP WINNERS
Background
THE QUEEN’S VASE
Queen Victoria donated a gold vase for a mile and a half race at Ascot in 1838. This race would become the Gold Cup Vase and then in 1960 was renamed the Queen’s Vase after Queen Elizabeth II. It was restricted to three-year-olds in 1987.
In 2017, the distance of the Queen’s Vase was reduced to a mile and six furlongs, having previously been run at two miles, while the race was upgraded to G2 status for the first time.
Notable winners include
Le Moss (1978) – one of the greatest stayers of modern times; completed the stayers’ Triple Crown in 1979 by winning the Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup and Doncaster Cup; did the treble again in 1980, defeating future Gold Cup hero Ardross on each occasion. Joanna Morgan became the first female jockey to ride at Royal Ascot in the 1978 Queen’s Vase on Gallowshill Boy, who finished ninth.
Estimate (2012) – subsequently gained a memorable success in the 2013 Gold Cup, establishing Queen Elizabeth II as the first reigning monarch to win the prestigious race.
Stradivarius (2017) – prolific stayer who won three successive editions of the Gold Cup; also a four-time winner of the Goodwood Cup; crowned Europe’s champion stayer in 2018, 2019 & 2020.
Kew Gardens (2018) – captured the Grand Prix de Paris next time out before winning the St Leger at Doncaster; ended Stradivarius’ 10-race winning streak when the pair clashed for the first time in the QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot in October 2019.
Queen’s Vase/St Leger double
The Queen’s Vase has become a classier race in recent years. This is emphasised by Leading Light (2013), Kew Gardens (2018) and Eldar Eldarov (2022) all going on to victory in the St Leger at Doncaster.
Queen’s Vase/Irish Derby double
Santiago (2020) continued the excellent record of recent winners when going on to take the Irish Derby eight days later.
Introduced in 2021, the Kensington Palace Handicap is run over the Old Mile for four-year-old and upwards fillies and mares rated 0-105. Kensington Palace, set in Kensington Gardens, has been a residence for Members of the Royal Family since the 17th century.
THE WINDSOR CASTLE STAKES
Background
Established in 1839, the Windsor Castle Stakes was originally aimed at three-year-old colts and fillies who had competed in the Classics. It is now restricted to two-year-olds and run over five furlongs.
Notable winners include Pharaoh's Delight (1989) – took high rank among that season's juvenile fillies, defeating the boys in the Phoenix Stakes as well as finishing second in the Moyglare Stud Stakes.
Strike The Tiger (2009) – first success at Royal Ascot for pioneering US-based trainer Wesley Ward; also the first Americantrained horse to win at Royal Ascot.
Tactical (2020) – Queen Elizabeth II's 24th and final Royal Ascot winner.
Little Big Bear (2022) – graduated to G1 honours with a seven-length victory in the Phoenix Stakes.
Big Evs (2023) – followed up with wins in the Molecomb Stakes, Flying Childers Stakes and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.
Overseas-trained winners (since 1977)
Ireland (5): Tardot (1977), Cooliney Prince (1980), Washington DC (2015), Southern Hills (2019), Little Big Bear (2022) USA (2): Strike The Tiger (2009), Hootenanny (2014)
Coolmore partnerships – Hootenanny (2014), Washington DC (2015), Southern Hills (2019), Little Big Bear (2022)
WINDSOR CASTLE STAKES WINNERS
Background
THE NORFOLK STAKES
First run in 1843, this race was formerly known as the New Stakes and staged over a distance of just under four furlongs. It was renamed in 1973 after the Duke of Norfolk, His and Her Majesty's Representative at Ascot between 1945 and 1972, and is for two-year-olds over five furlongs.
The Norfolk Stakes was promoted to G2 status in 2006 and is part of the Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ series.
Notable winners include Pall Mall (1957) – followed up victory in the Norfolk Stakes with success in the 2,000 Guineas in 1958, becoming Queen Elizabeth II's first home-bred Classic winner.
Godswalk (1976) – returned to Royal Ascot in 1977 to win the King Charles III Stakes, despite stumbling leaving the stalls; became one of Coolmore’s early stallions and the first to shuttle between Ireland and Australia.
Johannesburg (2001) – crowned champion juvenile on both sides of the Atlantic following a brilliant unbeaten campaign that included G1 victories in the Phoenix Stakes, Prix Morny, Middle Park Stakes and on dirt in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
No Nay Never (2013) – trained by US handler Wesley Ward to break the two-year-old track record (which he still holds), stopping the clock at 58.80s; won the Prix Morny at Deauville on his next start; now a successful stallion.
Perfect Power (2021) – recorded a G1 double later in the campaign, with dominant victories in the Prix Morny at Deauville and Newmarket’s Middle Park Stakes, and returned to Royal Ascot to win the 2022 Commonwealth Cup.
Overseas-trained winners (since 1973)
Ireland (8) – Faliraki (1975), Godswalk (1976), Day Is Done (1981), Magic Mirror (1984), Johannesburg (2001), Waterloo Bridge (2015), Sioux Nation (2017), Valiant Force (2023)
USA (2) – No Nay Never (2013), Shang Shang Shang (2018)
Betting (since 1973)
Longest-priced winner: 150/1 Valiant Force (2023)
Shortest-priced winner: 4/11 Precocious (1983)
Market leaders: 11 favourites or joint favourites have been successful in the 52 runnings
Four fillies have triumphed since 1973 – Petillante (1989), Niche (1992), Superstar Leo (2000), Shang Shang Shang (2018)
NORFOLK STAKES WINNERS
Background
THE KING GEORGE V HANDICAP
The King George V Handicap, a 12-furlong contest for three-year-olds, was first run in July 1946 before moving to Royal Ascot in 1948.
Notable winners include
Moon Madness (1986) – went on to win the St Leger at Doncaster later that season before gaining further G1 success in the 1987 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.
Dandino (2010) – progressed to win the Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket in 2011; runner-up in the 2013 Hardwicke Stakes and ran several excellent races throughout the world, including seconds in the Canadian International and Caulfield Cup.
Brown Panther (2011) – runner-up in the 2011 St Leger before gaining a first G1 success in the Irish equivalent three years later; a homebred by former footballer Michael Owen, the top stayer also finished third in the 2014 Gold Cup.
Hukum (2020) – multiple Pattern-race winner, including a G1 success in the 2022 Coronation Cup at Epsom Downs; full-brother to champion Baaeed.
Desert Hero (2023) – provided His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen with their first Royal Ascot success.
Overseas-trained winners (since 1977)
Ireland (1): South Pacific (2019)
Betting (since 1977)
Longest-priced winner: 66/1 Cosmic Sun (2009)
Shortest-priced winner: 9/4 Carlingford (1989)
Market leaders: 10 favourites or joint favourites have been successful in the 48 runnings
Most successful trainer (since 1977)
6 wins
Mark Johnston – Diaghilef (1995), Systematic (2002), Fantastic Love (2003), Linas Selection (2006), Fennell Bay (2012), Baghdad (2018)
Most successful jockey (since 1977)
4 wins
Pat Eddery – John O’Groats (1980), Carlingford (1989), Source Of Light (1992), Give The Slip (2000)
Most successful owner (since 1977)
4 wins
Highclere Thoroughbred Racing – Heritage (1997), Beekeeper (2001), Admiral (2004), Colony (2008) Godolphin – Elite Army (2014), Space Age (2015), Atty Persse (2017), Secret State (2022)
at York
KING GEORGE V HANDICAP WINNERS
Background
THE RIBBLESDALE STAKES
First run in 1919, the Ribblesdale Stakes was originally staged over a mile for three and four-year-olds.
Named after the fourth Baron Ribblesdale, Master of the Buckhounds between 1892 and 1895, it is now run over a mile and a half, restricted to three-year-old fillies and mirrors the equivalent contest for colts and geldings, the King Edward VII Stakes.
Notable winners include Park Top (1967) – blossomed as a five-year-old, returning to Ascot to win both the Hardwicke Stakes and the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes as well as the Coronation Cup at Epsom Downs.
Shoot A Line (1980) – went on to capture both the Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks later in the same season; finished runner-up to Ardross in the 1981 Gold Cup and was the grand-dam of US champion Thunder Gulch, winner of the 1995 Kentucky Derby.
Hellenic (1990) – subsequently won the Yorkshire Oaks and was runner-up in the the St Leger; enjoyed great success as a broodmare, producing G1 winners Islington, Mountain High and Greek Dance.
Star Catcher (2019) – notched up a G1 hat-trick following her Ascot triumph, landing the Irish Oaks, Prix Vermeille and QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes.
Warm Heart (2023) – secured three G1 prizes afterwards, taking the Yorkshire Oaks, Prix Vermeille and Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational.
Coolmore partnerships – Bracelet (2014), Curvy (2015), Even Song (2016), Magic Wand (2018), Warm Heart (2023), Port Fairy (2024)
RIBBLESDALE STAKES WINNERS
THE GOLD CUP
Background
Founded in 1807, the Gold Cup is one of the most prestigious races at Royal Ascot. At two miles and four furlongs, it thoroughly tests a horse’s stamina, but is not the longest contest of the meeting, with that accolade going to the Queen Alexandra Stakes over approaching two miles and six furlongs on the final day.
Pretty Polly’s defeat by Bachelor’s Button in 1906 is arguably the race’s greatest upset. The brilliant 1904 Oaks winner seemed to be unsettled by the sweltering conditions and a wart on her belly.
Winners of the Derby rarely run in the Gold Cup nowadays, but for much of its history, the race served as the primary objective after Epsom Classic glory. West Australian, the first winner of the Triple Crown (2,000 Guineas, Derby, St Leger), The Flying Dutchman (1850), Gladiateur (1866) and Isinglass (1895) are other famous winners of both races. Ocean Swell, successful in 1945, is the last horse to have completed the Derby/Gold Cup double. Blakeney, who was runner-up in 1970, and Serpentine (2021, 8th) are the most recent Derby winners to have lined up.
Notable winners include
Sagaro (1975, 1976 & 1977) – one of the greatest stayers of all time and the first horse to win the Gold Cup on three occasions; renowned for being a stayer with a true turn of foot, he also won the Grand Prix de Paris and the Prix du Cadran.
Ardross (1981 & 1982) – part of a vintage era of stayers that also included Sagaro and Le Moss; went down by three-quarters of a length to Le Moss in the 1980 Gold Cup before going on to dominate the staying division for the next two years; beaten a head on final appearance in Europe’s premier middle-distance contest, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, in 1982.
Yeats (2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009) – the only horse to win the Gold Cup four times; one-time Derby contender who also won the Coronation Cup, Irish St Leger, Prix Royal-Oak and Goodwood Cup; became the oldest winner (8yo) of the Gold Cup since Merman in 1900 when gaining his fourth success in 2009 and is commemorated with a statue in Ascot’s parade ring.
Estimate (2013) – Queen Elizabeth II's stayer created history by becoming the first horse owned by a reigning monarch to win the Gold Cup. A half-sister to the 1999 Gold Cup winner Enzeli, Estimate also won the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot in 2012.
Stradivarius (2018, 2019 & 2020) – big race haul also included four Goodwood Cups, three Lonsdale Cups, three Yorkshire Cups, two Doncaster Cups as well as further success at Ascot in the Queen’s Vase, QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup and Sagaro Stakes.
Overseas-trained winners (since 1946)
France (15) – Caracalla II (1946), Souverain (1947), Arbar (1948), Pan II (1951), Elpenor (1954), Macip (1956), Wallaby II (1959), Sheshoon (1960), Balto (1962), Pardallo II (1968), Lassalle (1973), Sagaro (1975, 1976 & 1977), Westerner (2005) Ireland (13) – Gladness (1958), Levmoss (1969), Enzeli (1999), Yeats (2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009), Rite Of Passage (2010), Fame And Glory (2011), Leading Light (2014), Order Of St George (2016), Kyprios (2022 & 2024) Italy (1) – Botticelli (1955)
Betting (since 1946)
Longest-priced winner: 25/1 Indian Queen (1991)
Shortest-priced winner: 1/5 Ardross (1981)
Market leaders: 32 favourites or joint favourites have been successful in the 78 runnings
Most successful trainer (since 1946)
9 wins: Aidan O’Brien IRE – Yeats (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009), Fame And Glory (2011), Leading Light (2014), Order Of St George (2016), Kyprios (2022 & 2024)
9 wins: Coolmore Partners – Yeats (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009), Fame And Glory (2011), Leading Light (2014), Order Of St George (2016), Kyprios (2022 & 2024)
46/20/06
GOLD CUP WINNERS
Background
THE BRITANNIA HANDICAP
First run in 1928, the Britannia takes place over the straight mile of the Royal Hunt Cup course.
The race is a handicap for three-year-old colts and geldings.
Notable winners include Teleprompter (1983) – subsequently won the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot in 1984 and the following year’s Arlington Million in Chicago, USA.
Fly To The Stars (1997) – went on to capture the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in 1999.
Overseas-trained winners (since 1977)
Ireland (2) – Roca Tumu (2013), War Envoy (2015)
Betting (since 1977)
Longest-priced winner: 100/1 Fox Chapel (1990)
Shortest-priced winner: 100/30 Mostashaar (2005)
Market leaders: 11 favourites or joint favourites have been successful in the 48 runnings
Most successful trainer (since 1977)
4 wins
Sir Michael Stoute – Finite (1977), Bal Dancer (1982), Ajaad (1991), Mostashaar (2005) John Gosden – North Song (1996), Plan-B (1998), El Gran Papa (2000), Analyser (2001)
Most successful jockey (since 1977)
4 wins
Pat Eddery – Rhineland (1978), Dallas (1986), Foreign Survivor (1988), Show Faith (1993)
Jamie Spencer – New Seeker (2003), Sir Gerard (2006), Defrocked (2016), Bless Him (2017)
Most successful owner (since 1977)
3 wins
Hamdan Al Maktoum – Mostashaar (2005), Fareer (2009), Khaloosy (2020)
at York
BRITANNIA HANDICAP WINNERS
Background
THE HAMPTON COURT STAKES
Initially run as the New Stakes as part of the Saturday Heath Day card after the four days of Royal Ascot, the Hampton Court Stakes became a Royal Ascot contest in 2002 when the Royal Meeting was extended to five days.
The 10-furlong contest for three-year-olds was named the Tercentenary Stakes between 2011 and 2016 as the racecourse celebrated 300 years since its inauguration but reverted to the Hampton Court Stakes in 2017.
Notable winners include Collection (2008) – went on to become one of Hong Kong’s top middle-distance performers, winning both the Hong Kong Derby in 2009 and the Hong Kong Gold Cup in 2010.
Cannock Chase (2014) – graduated to G1 honours when taking the Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine in 2015.
Hawkbill (2016) – followed up Royal Ascot success with victory in the Eclipse Stakes next time out, his sixth consecutive victory; added another G1 to his CV at Meydan, taking the 2018 Dubai Sheema Classic.
Benbatl (2017) – Godolphin flagbearer who subsequently landed G1 prizes in Australia, Germany and Dubai.
Ryan Moore – Glass Harmonium (2009), Cannock Chase (2014), Hunting Horn (2018), Russian Emperor (2020)
Most successful owner
4 wins
Khalid Abdullah – Burning Sun (2002), Remote (2013), Time Test (2015), Sangarius (2019) Coolmore partners – Moscow Ballet (2004), Indigo Cat (2005), Hunting Horn (2018), Russian Emperor (2020)
HAMPTON COURT STAKES WINNERS
YR/DATE GR
24/20/06 3
23/22/06 3
Background
THE BUCKINGHAM PALACE HANDICAP
The Buckingham Palace Handicap was reinstated in 2020 as part of the extended race programme following a six-year hiatus.
It was originally introduced to the expanded Royal meeting in 2002, the year of Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee, and named after the London royal residence. Staged over seven furlongs for three-year-olds and upwards, the contest typically attracted a maximum field and was one of the big betting races on Friday. It was removed from the race programme ahead of Royal Ascot 2015 to allow space for the G1 Commonwealth Cup.
Notable winners include
Jedburgh (2005) – subsequently captured the Minstrel Stakes at the Curragh for his owner-breeder The Earl Cadogan; also runner-up in Goodwood’s Celebration Mile.
Regal Parade (2008) – went on to win the Ayr Gold Cup later in the season and proved even better as he got older, taking the 2009 Haydock Sprint Cup and the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville in 2010.
Highfield Princess (2021) – having started out in handicaps with an official rating of 57, progressed to win a hat-trick of G1 sprints in 2022 - the Prix Maurice de Gheest, Nunthorpe Stakes and Flying Five Stakes.
Witch Hunter (2023) – followed up his shock 50/1 Royal Ascot success with victory in the Hungerford Stakes at Newbury.
Overseas-trained winners
None
Oldest winner
Uhoomagoo was eight when scoring in 2006.
Betting
Longest-priced winner: Witch Hunter 50/1 (2023)
Shortest-priced winner: English Oak 10/3 (2024) Market leaders: 1 favourite has been successful in the previous 18 runnings.
Most successful trainer
2 wins
Kevin Ryan - Uhoomagoo (2006), Lightning Cloud (2013) Richard Hannon – Motakkayyel (2020), Witch Hunter (2023)
This race was first run in 2002 as the Henry Carnarvon Stakes, honouring Queen Elizabeth II's late racing manager, and the Listed event proved so successful that it was promoted to G3 status in 2005.
Restricted to two-year-old fillies, the six-furlong contest provides one of the first opportunities of the season for promising types to prove their ability and go on to harbour Guineas’ aspirations.
Notable winners include Samitar (2011) – progressed to land the Irish 1,000 Guineas in 2012.
Cursory Glance (2014) – successful in Ireland’s Moyglare Stud Stakes later in the season.
Brave Anna (2016) and Porta Fortuna (2023) – gained G1 honours in Newmarket's Cheveley Park Stakes in the autumn.
Meditate (2022) – defeated subsequent 1,000 Guineas heroine Mawj; twice runner-up at G1 level later that season before a dominant success in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Overseas-trained winners
Ireland (5): Cuis Ghaire (2008), Brave Anna (2016), Meditate (2022), Porta Fortuna (2023), Fairy Godmother (2024) France (1): Different League (2017)
Betting
Longest-priced winner: Nijoom Dubai 50/1 (2007)
Shortest-priced winner: Cuis Ghaire 8/11 (2008)
Market leaders: 6 favourites or joint favourites have been successful in the 23 runnings
Sir Robert Ogden – La Chunga (2005), Sander Camillo (2006) Coolmore partherships – Meditate (2022), Fairy Godmother (2024)
ALBANY STAKES WINNERS
3
Background
THE COMMONWEALTH CUP
The inaugural running of the Commonwealth Cup in 2015 marked the first G1 sprint contest in Europe confined to three-yearolds.
It was also the first new race in the 44-year history of the European Pattern to go straight in with G1 status, rather than with a probationary period at a lower level or no grade at all.
Notable winners include Muhaarar (2015) – remained unbeaten for the rest of the year in three more G1 sprints, the July Cup, the Prix Maurice de Gheest and the QIPCO British Champions Sprint, becoming European champion sprinter.
Quiet Reflection (2016) – proved more than a match for her elders later that season with a dominant victory in the Sprint Cup at Haydock Park.
Caravaggio (2017) – 2016 Coventry Stakes winner doubled his tally at Royal Ascot in an outstanding renewal of the race; chased home by Harry Angel, who ended the year as Europe’s champion sprinter, and Blue Point, who in 2019 emulated Choisir by winning the King Charles III Stakes and Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.
Overseas-trained winners
Ireland (1): Caravaggio (2017)
USA (1): Campanelle (2021)
Fillies
Two fillies have been successful – Quiet Reflection (2016) and Campanelle (2021)
Betting
Longest-priced winner: 12/1 Eqtidaar (2018)
Shortest-priced winner: 5/6 Caravaggio (2017)
Market leaders: 4 favourites or joint-favourites have been successful in the 10 runnings
Hamdan Al Maktoum – Muhaarar (2015), Eqtidaar (2018) COMMONWEALTH CUP WINNERS
Charlie
Background
THE CORONATION STAKES
First run in 1840, the Coronation Stakes was founded to commemorate the crowning of Queen Victoria in 1838. The mile event for three-year-olds became the fillies’ equivalent of the St James’s Palace Stakes and established itself as a natural progression for fillies who had run in the the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket in early May.
The first filly to complete the 1,000 Guineas/Coronation Stakes double was the Jos Dawson-trained Lady Augusta in 1863. Twelve fillies have done the double in the post-war period – Belle Of All (1951), Zabara (1952), Happy Laughter (1953), Festoon (1954), Fleet (1967), Humble Duty (1970), One In A Million (1979), Russian Rhythm (2003), Attraction (2004), Ghanaati (2009), Sky Lantern (2013) and Winter (2017).
The Coronation Stakes, run over the round mile, was promoted to G1 status in 1988.
Notable winners include
Pretty Polly (1904) – one of the greatest fillies of all time. Won 22 of her 24 races, including the 1,000 Guineas, Oaks, St Leger, two renewals of the Coronation Cup and the Champion Stakes; went on to become an outstanding broodmare.
Book Law (1927) – runner-up in the 1,000 Guineas before going on to Classic glory in the St Leger at Doncaster over three quarters of a mile further; dam of Archive, who went on to sire brilliant chaser Arkle.
Meld (1955) – gained the fillies’ Triple Crown with victories in the 1,000 Guineas, Oaks and St Leger; dam of the 1966 Derby winner Charlottown.
Humble Duty (1970) – top miler, who won the 1,000 Guineas by seven lengths, and then Goodwood’s Sussex Stakes.
Ridgewood Pearl (1995) – a G1 winner in four countries, winning the Irish 1,000 Guineas, the Prix du Moulin and the Breeders’ Cup Mile in addition to her Royal Ascot success.
Attraction (2004) – captured the 1,000 Guineas, Irish 1,000 Guineas and the Coronation Stakes; also won the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot during an unbeaten juvenile campaign.
Alpha Centauri (2018) – won by six lengths in a track record time of 1m 35.89s, over a second inside the previous best set by Barney Roy in the 2017 St James’s Palace Stakes; won four G1 prizes in 2018.
Overseas-trained winners (since 1946)
Ireland (17) – Display (1962), Calve (1972), Lisadell (1974), Orchestration (1977), Sutton Place (1978), Cairn Rouge (1980), Flame Of Tara (1983), Kooyonga (1991), Ridgewood Pearl (1995), Sophisticat (2002), Lush Lashes (2008), Lille Langtry (2010), Winter (2017), Alpha Centauri (2018), Alpine Star (2020), Tahiyra (2023), Porta Fortuna (2024) France (12) – Midget II (1956), Toro (1957), Barbaresque (1960), Kesar Queen (1976), Golden Opinion (1989), Gold Splash (1993), Shake The Yoke (1996), Banks Hill (2001), Immortal Verse (2011), Ervedya (2015), Qemah (2016), Watch Me (2019)
Betting (since 1946)
Longest-priced winner: 25/1 Rebecca Sharp (1997)
Shortest-priced winner: 1/6 Humble Duty (1970)
Market leaders: 34 favourites or joint favourites have been successful in the 79 runnings
Most successful trainer (since 1946)
5 wins
Sir Henry Cecil – Roussalka (1975), One In A Million (1979), Chalon (1982), Chimes of Freedom (1990), Kissing Cousin (1994)
Most successful jockey (since 1946)
4 wins
Joe Mercer – Festoon (1954), Rosalba (1959), Haymaking (1966), One In A Million (1979)
First run over five furlongs as the Bessborough Stakes in 1914, the race is now a mile and a half handicap open to three-yearolds and upwards rated 0-105.
It was renamed the Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap in 1999.
Notable winners include Blueprint (1999) – owned by Queen Elizabeth II; captured the following year’s Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket and was subsequently placed in G1s in the USA.
Young Mick (2006) – Ascot specialist, who completed a four-timer at the course during the 2006 season, culminating in the Cumberland Lodge Stakes in September.
Fox Hunt (2011) – won German St Leger for Mark Johnston before being transferred to Godolphin and winning the Nad Al Sheba Trophy at Meydan in 2012.
Arab Spring (2014) – dual G3 winner for Sir Michael Stoute and Ballymacoll Stud.
Quickthorn (2021) – multiple Group-race winner, headlined by a stunning front-running victory in the 2023 Goodwood Cup.
Overseas-trained winners (since 1977)
Ireland (3): Katiykha (2000), Okita Soushi (2023), Crystal Black (2024)
Betting (since 1977)
Longest-priced winner: Scarlet Dragon 33/1 (2020)
Shortest-priced winner: Arab Spring 11/4 (2014)
Market leaders: 11 favourites or joint favourites have been successful in the 48 runnings
Most successful trainer (since 1977)
6 wins
Sir Michael Stoute – Greek Palace (1998), Blueprint (1999), Notable Guest (2005), Sugar Ray (2008), Opinion (2013), Arab Spring (2014)
Most successful jockey (since 1977)
5 wins
Ryan Moore – Sugar Ray (2008), Opinion (2013), Arab Spring (2014), Baghdad (2019), Okita Soushi (2023)
Most successful owner (since 1977)
2 wins
Robert Sangster – Sikorsky (1984), Clanrallier (1985)
Khalid Abdullah – Source Of Light (1993), Notable Guest (2005)
*run at York
DUKE OF EDINBURGH HANDICAP WINNERS
Background
THE SANDRINGHAM HANDICAP
The Sandringham Handicap was first staged at Royal Ascot in 2002 when the meeting was expanded to five days. Before that, it was known as the Fern Hill Stakes and formed part of the traditional Heath Day card on the Saturday after the four-day Royal Meeting.
The race, for three-year-old fillies over the straight mile, had Listed status until 2017. It is now a handicap for three-year-old fillies rated 0-105.
Notable winners include
Red Evie (2006) - captured the Matron Stakes in 2006 before repelling Ramonti in a thrilling finish to the following season’s Lockinge Stakes; dam of champion racemare Found.
Timepiece (2010) - went on to win the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket in 2011.
Persuasive (2016) - finished her career in 2017 with G1 success at Ascot in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Sponsored by QIPCO).
Con Te Partiro (2017) - successful on three continents; started her career in North America and went on to establish herself as a top mare in Australia with two G1 wins.
Overseas-trained winners
Ireland (3): Beautyandthebeast (2005), Duntle (2012), Create Belief (2021) USA (1): Con Te Partiro (2017)
Betting
Longest-priced winner: Thanks Be (2019) and Onassis (2020), both 33/1
Shortest-priced winner: Persuasive 11/4 (2016)
Market leaders: 8 favourites or joint favourites have been successful in the 23 runnings
Most successful trainer
2 wins
John Dunlop – Tashawak (2002), Festivale (2008)
Michael Bell – Red Evie (2006), Moneycantbuymelove (2009)
Richard Hannon – Osaila (2015), Heredia (2022)
Charlie Fellowes – Thanks Be (2019), Onassis (2020)
John Gosden – Persuasive (2016), *Coppice (2023)
*as part of a training partnership
Most successful jockey
4 wins
Frankie Dettori – Hold To Ransom (2003), Osaila (2015), Persuasive (2016), Coppice (2023)
Jamie Spencer – Red Evie (2006), Moneycantbuymelove (2009), Con Te Partiro (2017), Agrotera (2018)
Most successful owner
2 wins: Hamdan Al Maktoum – Tashawak (2002), Muteela (2014)
at York
SANDRINGHAM HANDICAP WINNERS
Background
THE KING EDWARD VII STAKES
Formerly known by the name, and still colloquially referred to as the Ascot Derby, the King Edward VII Stakes was inaugurated in 1834 and regularly featured horses of both sexes who had competed in the middle-distance Classics.
First run as the King Edward VII Stakes in 1926 and now restricted to three-year-old colts and geldings, the G2 contest still attracts horses that have competed in the Derby and takes place over a mile and a half.
Notable winners include
Supreme Court (1951), Ile De Borbon (1978) and Nathaniel (2011) – all progressed to win the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in the same season.
Shareef Dancer (1983) – won the Irish Derby next time out; dam sire of Dubai Millennium.
Light Cavalry (1980) and Mutafaweq (1999) – both won the final British Classic, the St Leger, at Doncaster in September.
Japan (2019) – after a close third in the Derby, proved arguably the best middle-distance colt of his generation with G1 victories in the Grand Prix de Paris and Juddmonte International.
King Of Steel (2023) – Derby runner-up who returned to Ascot to win the QIPCO Champion Stakes.
Overseas-trained winners (since 1977)
Ireland (3): Five Dynasties (2004), Japan (2019), Changingoftheguard (2022) France (1): Calandagan (2024)
Betting (since 1977)
Longest-priced winner: Amfortas 66/1 (1996)
Shortest-priced winner: Cacoethes 8/13 (1989)
Market leaders: 19 favourites or joint favourites have been successful in the 48 runnings
Most successful trainer (since 1977)
8 wins
Sir Henry Cecil – Light Cavalry (1980), Lanfranco (1985), Bonhomie (1986), Private Tender (1990), Royal Anthem (1998), Subtle Power (2000), Father Time (2009), Thomas Chippendale (2012)
Most successful jockey (since 1977)
4 wins*
Pat Eddery – Classic Example (1977), Love The Groom (1987), Cacoethes (1989), Kingfisher Mill (1997)
William Buick – Nathaniel (2011), Eagle Top (2014), Permian (2017), Old Persian (2018)
*Eddery also won on English Prince (1974)
Most successful owner (since 1977)
5 wins
Sheikh Mohammed – Head For Heights (1984), Bonhomie (1986), Foyer (1994), Plea Bargain (2005), Boscobel (2007)
KING EDWARD VII STAKES WINNERS
THE PALACE OF HOLYROODHOUSE HANDICAP
Background
Inaugaurated as part of Royal Ascot’s enhanced order of running in 2020, this five-furlong handicap for three-year-olds (0-105) is named after the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the Monarchy in Scotland.
Notable winners include Art Power (2020) – multiple Group-race winner in Ireland and gained first G1 success at Ascot in the 2023 QIPCO British Champions Sprint.
Background
THE CHESHAM STAKES
First run in 1919, the Chesham Stakes takes its name from the third Baron Chesham, who was the last Master of the Buckhounds at Ascot (1900-1901) – the role was replaced by His or Her Majesty’s Representative at Ascot on King Edward VII’s accession to the throne.
The Chesham Stakes took over from the first leg of the Triennial Stakes, a five-furlong two-year-old contest. The middle leg of the Triennial Stakes, a seven-furlong contest for three-year-olds, became the Jersey Stakes, while the final leg, for four-yearolds over two miles, became the Churchill Stakes.
Extended to its current distance of seven furlongs in 1996 after being run at five furlongs and then six furlongs, the Chesham Stakes is restricted to two-year-olds whose dam or sire won over a distance in excess of nine and a half furlongs (or 1900m).
Notable winners include
Abernant (1948) – champion juvenile of 1948 with victories in the Champagne Stakes and Middle Park Stakes to add to his Royal Ascot success; beaten a short-head in the following year’s 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket before establishing himself as a brilliant sprinter.
Major Portion (1957) – went on to capture the Middle Park Stakes before returning to Ascot to win the St James’s Palace Stakes in 1958; also successful in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and Sussex Stakes.
Be My Chief (1989) – unbeaten in six starts as a two-year-old, including the Vintage Stakes, Solario Stakes and Futurity Trophy.
Churchill (2016) – crowned Europe’s champion juvenile of 2016 following impressive displays in the Futurity Stakes, National Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes; victorious in the English and Irish 2,000 Guineas the following spring.
Pinatubo (2019) – ended his unbeaten two-year-old season with an official rating of 128, the highest awarded to a juvenile since Celtic Swing in 1994; the pick of his six victories came in the National Stakes, when he powered to a nine-length success.
Overseas-trained winners (since 1977)
Ireland (9) – Sookera (1977), Bach (1999), Maybe (2011), Churchill (2016), September (2017), Battleground (2020), Point Lonsdale (2021), Snellen (2023), Bedtime Story (2024)
France (1) – Suits You (2015)
Betting (since 1977)
Longest-priced winner: Jacamar 50/1 (1988)
Shortest-priced winner: Main Reef 8/15 (1978)
Market leaders: 21 favourites or joint favourites have been successful in the 48 runnings
Most successful trainer (since 1977)
7 wins
Aidan O’Brien – Bach (1999), Maybe (2011), Churchill (2016), September (2017), Battleground (2020), Point Lonsdale (2021), Bedtime Story (2024)
Most successful jockey (since 1977)
6 wins
Ryan Moore – Maybe (2011), Churchill (2016), September (2017), Battleground (2020), Point Lonsdale (2021), Bedtime Story (2024)
Most successful owner (since 1977)
7 wins
Coolmore partnerships – Bach (1999), Maybe (2011), Churchill (2016), September (2017), Battleground (2020), Point Lonsdale (2021), Bedtime Story (2024)
CHESHAM STAKES WINNERS
Background
THE JERSEY STAKES
Named after the 4th Earl of Jersey, the Jersey Stakes was established in 1919 and replaced the second leg of the Triennial Stakes, a three-year cycle of races which was discontinued after the First World War. The 4th Earl of Jersey was Master of the Buckhounds in 1782 and 1783.
Notable winners include Indian Ridge (1988) – returned to Ascot in 1989 to win the five-furlong King Charles III Stakes; successful stallion and broodmare sire.
Zilzal (1989) – awarded the highest Timeform rating (137) of the year, ahead of Nashwan and Old Vic, following dominant displays in Goodwood’s Sussex Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes back at Ascot.
Diktat (1998) – proved himself a top-class sprinter in 1999 with G1 victories in the Prix Maurice de Gheest and Haydock Sprint Cup; sire of 2011 European champion sprinter Dream Ahead.
Mozart (2001) – dropped back in trip to win the six-furlong July Cup at Newmarket and five-furlong Nunthorpe Stakes at York.
Ribchester (2016) – progressed to win the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville later that year as well as the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury and Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2017.
Overseas-trained winners (since 1977)
Ireland (5): Mozart (2001), Ishvana (2012), Gale Force Ten (2013), Mustajeeb (2014), Age Of Kings (2023) France (1): Le Brivido (2017)
Betting (since 1977)
Longest-priced winner: Lucayan Prince 50/1 (1996)
Shortest-priced winner: Zilzal 10/11 (1989)
Market leaders: 13 favourites or joint favourites have been successful in the 48 runnings.
Most successful trainer (since 1977)
6 wins
Sir Michael Stoute – Etienne Gerard (1977), Hard Fought (1980), Zilzal (1989), Among Men (1997), Jeremy (2006), Expert Eye (2018)
Most successful jockey (since 1977)
3 wins
Steve Cauthen – Merlins Charm (1982), Midyan (1987), Stain Flower (1991) Richard Hughes – Sergeyev (1995), Lucayan Prince (1996), Strong Suit (2011) Mick Kinane – Among Men (1997), Mozart (2001), Jeremy (2006)
Most successful owner (since 1977)
4 wins
Godolphin – Kheleyf (2004), Ribchester (2016), Creative Force (2021), Noble Truth (2022) Hamdan Al Maktoum – Aqlaam (2008), Ouqba (2009), Mustajeeb (2014), Molatham (2020) Coolmore partnerships – Among Men (1997), Mozart (2001), Gale Force Ten (2013), Age Of Kings (2023)
JERSEY STAKES WINNERS
Background
THE HARDWICKE STAKES
First run in 1879 and named after the fifth Earl of Hardwicke, Master of the Buckhounds between 1874 and 1879. Initially run as a weight-for-age conditions race open to three-year-olds, the 12-furlong contest is now for four-year-olds and upwards.
Early winners of the Hardwicke Stakes include Tristan, the only three-time victor (1882-1884) who also captured the July Cup, the Coronation Cup twice and the Gold Cup in an outstanding career, and the brilliant Triple Crown winner Ormonde (1886 & 1887).
The race conditions were enhanced in 2012, with no penalties for G1 or G2 winners, along with a significant injection of prize money.
Notable winners include
Aureole (1954) – one of Queen Elizabeth II's best horses; second in the 1953 Derby and followed up success in the Hardwicke with victory in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, becoming the first horse to complete that big-race double; went on to become champion sire in Britain.
Rheingold (1973) – also runner-up in the previous year’s Derby and subsequently defeated the mighty Allez France in the 1973 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Stanerra (1983) – top-class mare who became the first horse since Shaddock in 1896 to win both the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes and the Hardwicke Stakes at the same Royal Ascot, breaking the track record in the latter race; captured the Japan Cup later that year.
Harbinger (2010) – the most recent of five horses to follow up victory in the Hardwicke Stakes by taking the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, joining Aureole (1954), Aggressor (1960), Park Top (1969) and Doyen (2004); won the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes by a record 11 lengths, a performance judged to be the best in the world that year by the World Thoroughbred Rankings.
Overseas-trained winners (since 1977)
Ireland (7) – Meneval (1977), Stanerra (1983), Oscar Schindler (1996), Macarthur (2008), Await The Dawn (2011), Idaho (2017), Broome (2022)
France (2) – Montcontour (1978), Scorpio (1980)
Oldest winners (since 1977)
The oldest winners have been six-year-olds Jupiter Island (1985), Posidonas (1998), Zindabab (2002), Bandari (2005), Maraahel (2007), Broome (2022), Pyledriver (2023).
Betting (since 1977)
Longest-priced winner: 50/1 Assatis (1990)
Shortest-priced winner: 4/11 Assatis (1989)
Market leaders: 15 favourites or joint favourites have been successful in the 48 runnings
Most successful trainer (since 1977)
11 wins
Sir Michael Stoute – Dihistan (1986), Rock Hopper (1991, 1992), Maraahel (2006, 2007), Harbinger (2010), Sea Moon (2012), Telescope (2014), Snow Sky (2015), Dartmouth (2016), Crystal Ocean (2018)
Most successful jockey (since 1977)
6 wins*
Pat Eddery – Orange Bay (1976), Dihistan (1986), Assatis (1989), Rock Hopper (1991, 1992), Posidonas (1998)
Ryan Moore – Harbinger (2010), Await The Dawn (2011), Sea Moon (2012), Telescope (2014), Crystal Ocean (2018), Broome (2022)
Coolmore partners – Macarthur (2008), Await The Dawn (2011), Idaho (2017), Broome (2022)
HARDWICKE STAKES WINNERS
THE QUEEN ELIZABETH II JUBILEE STAKES
Background
Royal Ascot’s most valuable sprint was renamed the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes in memory of Her Late Majesty. It was elevated to G1 status to celebrate her Golden Jubilee in 2002 and run as the Golden Jubilee Stakes from 2002-2011, the Diamond Jubilee Stakes from 2012-2021 and the Platinum Jubilee Stakes in 2022. Prior to 2002, the contest was known as the Cork & Orrery Stakes.
The inaugural running of this six-furlong contest took place in 1868. The race was named the Cork & Orrery Stakes after Lord Cork, a Master of the Buckhounds, from 1926 to 2001. It was restricted to four-year-olds and upwards with the first running of the Commonwealth Cup in 2015.
Notable winners include
Right Boy (1958 & 1959) – the last of this race’s six multiple winners, Right Boy also won the King Charles III Stakes in 1957; one of the leading post-War sprinters, he also gained two victories in both the July Cup and the Nunthorpe Stakes.
Danehill (1989) – top sprinter who also won the Haydock Sprint Cup in 1989 before going on to establish himself as one of the most influential stallions of modern times, becoming champion sire in both Europe and Australia.
Choisir (2002) – the first Australian-trained horse to triumph in Britain, annexing both the King Charles III Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes in the same year – the first horse to complete the Royal Ascot sprint double since Diadem in 1920.
Black Caviar (2012) – one of the best sprinters of all-time and unbeaten in 25 starts in a glittering career. The Australian-trained mare had already won 11 G1 races before lining up at Royal Ascot in 2012 and scored at odds of 1/6, despite jockey Luke Nolen almost snatching defeat from the jaws of victory by easing up near the line.
Blue Point (2019) – emulated Choisir by winning the King Charles III Stakes and Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes in the same week; also captured the King Charles III Stakes in 2018.
Overseas-trained winners (since 1946)
Ireland (18) – Solonaway (1949), Abadan (1950), Bun Penny (1961), Majority Blue (1965), Current Coin (1966), Welsh Saint (1970), King’s Country (1971), Saritamer (1974), Swingtime (1975), Sweet Mint (1978), Thatching (1979), Kearney (1980), Committed (1984), Big Shuffle (1987), College Chapel (1993), Starspangledbanner (2010), Slade Power (2014), Merchant Navy (2018)
Australia (2) – Choisir (2003), Black Caviar (2012)
Hong Kong (1) – Cape Of Good Hope (2005) USA (1) – Undrafted (2015)
Oldest winners (since 1946)
Khaadem was an eight-year-old when winning the race for a second time in 2024.
Betting (since 1946)
Longest-priced winner: 80/1 Khaadem (2023)
Shortest-priced winner: 1/6 Black Caviar (2012)
Market leaders: 26 favourites or joint favourites have been successful in the 78 runnings
Most successful trainer (since 1946)
5 wins: Vincent O’Brien – Welsh Saint (1970), Saritamer (1974), Swingtime (1975), Thatching (1979), College Chapel (1993)
Most successful jockey (since 1946)
9 wins: Lester Piggott – Right Boy (1958, 1959), Tin Whistle (1960), El Gallo (1963), Mountain Call (1968), Welsh Saint (1970), Saritamer (1974), Thatching (1979), College Chapel (1993)
Most successful owner (since 1946)
3 wins
Godolphin - So Factual (1995), Blue Point (2019), Naval Crown (2022)
QUEEN ELIZABETH II JUBILEE STAKES WINNERS
Background
THE WOKINGHAM HANDICAP
The inaugural Wokingham took place in 1813, making the race the oldest of the handicaps still run at Royal Ascot.
The famous sprint, which has been run over six furlongs since its inception, is named after the market town seven miles from the Royal course.
The attraction of a handicap as a betting medium was a prime reason for the Wokingham’s initial success.
Notable winners include
Fayr Jag (DH 2003) – dead-heated with Ratio before returning to Royal Ascot a year later to capture the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.
Iffraaj (2005) – readily won by two lengths in 2005, when the Royal Meeting was run at York due to the redevelopment of Ascot; subsequently won three G2 races and was beaten a head in the 2006 July Cup before establishing himself as a top stallion.
Laddies Poker Two (2010) – had been off the racecourse for 610 days before scoring emphatically for trainer Jeremy Noseda; the talented but fragile mare, who didn’t race following her Royal Ascot success, is the dam of the dual Guineas and 2017 Coronation Stakes winner Winter.
Rohaan (2021 & 2022) – one of only two horses alongside Selhurstpark Flyer in 1997 & 1998 to win multiple editions of the Wokingham in the post-war period.
Overseas-trained winners (since 1960)
Ireland (3) – Boone’s Cabin (1975), Time Machine (1985), Dandy Boy (2012) France (1) – Ratio (DH 2003)
Oldest winner (since 1960)
Eight-year-old Out Do, trained by David O’Meara, became the oldest winner in 2017
Betting (since 1960)
Longest-priced winner: 33/1 Red Rosen (1992), Emerging Market (1996), Dandy Boy (2012), Bacchus (2018)
Shortest-priced winner: 9/4 Iffraaj (2005)
Market leaders: 10 favourites or joint favourites have been successful in the 64 runnings
Most successful trainer (since 1960)
3 wins
Paul Cole – Calibina (1977), Queen’s Pride (1980), Bel Byou (1987)
Most successful jockey (since 1960)
3 wins
Willie Carson – Plummet (1973), Great Eastern (1981), Time Machine (1985)
Johnny Murtagh – Nice One Clare (2001), Laddies Poker Two (2010), Deacon Blues (2011)
Most successful owner (since 1960)
3 wins
Benny Schmidt-Bodner – Spaniard’s Mount (1967), Virginia Boy (1970), Whistling Fool (1971)
WOKINGHAM HANDICAP WINNERS
Background
THE GOLDEN GATES HANDICAP
A 10-furlong handicap for three-year-olds only, this race was introduced as part of Royal Ascot’s enhanced progamme in 2020. The Golden Gates are the ceremonial entrance point for the Royal Procession at the end of Ascot’s straight mile.
Notable winners include Highland Chief (2020) – graduated to G1 honours stateside in the 2022 Man o'War Stakes.
Burdett Road (2023) – runner-up in the 2025 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Background
THE QUEEN ALEXANDRA STAKES
Named after the consort of King Edward VII, the Queen Alexandra Stakes was first run in 1864 as the Alexandra Plate over three miles.
Now contested over nearly two and three quarter miles (2m 5f 143y), it is not only the longest race of the meeting, but also the longest contest run under Flat racing rules in Britain.
Notable winners include
Brown Jack (1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933 & 1934) – won the Champion Hurdle and Ascot Stakes in 1928, but is better known for his remarkable six consecutive victories in the Queen Alexandra Stakes; also successful in the Goodwood Cup, Doncaster Cup, Chester Cup and the Ebor. One of the most popular horses of the 20th century, he is commemorated at Ascot by the Brown Jack Handicap, a two-mile handicap run in July.
Sprowston Boy (1987) – Gay Kelleway made headlines when partnering Sprowston Boy to glory, becoming the first female jockey to succeed at Royal Ascot.
Simenon (2012) - talented dual-code performer who completed the Ascot Stakes/Queen Alexandra double; went down by a neck to Estimate in the 2013 Gold Cup.
Overseas-trained winners (since 1977)
Ireland (12) – Ore (1982), Erins Invader (1984), San Sebastian (1999), Honolulu (2008), Simenon (2012), Pique Sous (2014), Commissioned (2016), Pallasator (2018), Stratum (2021 & 2022), Dawn Rising (2023), Uxmal (2024)
Oldest winner (since 1977)
Caracciola (2009) – triumphed at the sprightly age of 12, having captured the Cesarewitch Handicap the previous year.
Ryan Moore – Bergo (2010), Simenon (2012), Pique Sous (2014), Stratum (2021), Dawn Rising (2023)
Most successful owner (since 1977)
4 wins
Lord Weinstock – Cuff Link (1994 & 1995), Cover Up (2002 & 2003)
QUEEN ALEXANDRA STAKES WINNERS
TRAINERS & OWNERS
WINNERS OF THE QIPCO ROYAL ASCOT TOP TRAINER AWARD
*Aidan O’Brien and the late Sir Henry Cecil hold the post-war record of seven for the number of Royal Ascot winners trained in a year. Cecil achieved the feat in 1987 when the Royal Meeting consisted of four days and 24 races, while O’Brien’s seven came in 2016 over five days and 30 races.
Among current trainers, Aidan O’Brien has topped the table on 12 occasions, with Sir Michael Stoute achieving six annual accolades, and Saeed bin Suroor four.
NB: In some years, the winner was decided on the number of placed horses.
TOP CURRENT TRAINERS AT THE ROYAL MEETING
RECENT LEADING TRAINER AWARD STANDINGS
ROYAL ASCOT LEADING OWNER AWARD
RECENT LEADING OWNER AWARD STANDINGS
WINNING RECORDS OF SELECTED TRAINERS AT ROYAL ASCOT
Marco Botti (2)
Paul Cole (22) (NB - 21 Royal Ascot wins for Paul Cole, 1 for Paul & Oliver Cole)
Martyn Meade (1)
Brian Meehan (9)
David Menuisier (1)
Morgan IRE (1)
Peter Moody AUS (1)
Moore (1)
Hughie Morrison (8)
Danny Morton AUS (1)
William Muir & Chris Grassick (3) (NB - 2 Royal Ascot wins for William Muir, 1 for William Muir & Chris Grassick)
Mullins IRE (10)
07/19/06
08/17/06
08/21/06
08/21/06
10/18/06 Queen’s Vase MIKHAIL GLINKA
10/19/06
Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes STARSPANGLEDBANNER
Tabor, Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier 7/2F
Johnny Murtagh Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith 2/1F
Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor, Fitri Hay 11/8F 11/18/06
12/20/06 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes SO YOU THINK
O’Brien Smith, Magnier, Tabor, Dato Tan, Tunku Yahaya 4/5F
13/18/06 Queen Anne Stakes DECLARATION OF WAR Joseph O’Brien Sue Magnier, M Tabor, D Smith
13/18/06
13/19/06
13/21/06
20/16/06
20/18/06
20/19/06
21/16/06
21/19/06
22/15/06
22/16/06
Magnier, Tabor, Smith, Westerberg 13/8F
22/17/06 Albany Stakes MEDITATE Ryan Moore M Tabor, D Smith, S Magnier & Westerberg 5/2
22/17/06 King Edward VII Stakes CHANGINGOFTHEGUARD Ryan Moore Westerberg, Sue Magnier, M Tabor, D Smith 11/10F
22/18/06
23/20/06 Coventry Stakes RIVER TIBER
23/20/06
23/22/06
23/24/06 Jersey Stakes AGE OF KINGS
24/19/06 Queen's Vase ILLINOIS
24/19/06 Prince Of Wales's Stakes
AUGUSTE RODIN
24/20/06 Ribblesdale Stakes PORT FAIRY
24/20/06
24/21/06 Albany Stakes
24/22/06 Chesham Stakes
Donnacha O'Brien IRE (2)
23/23/06 Albany Stakes
24/21/06 Coronation Stakes
FAIRY GODMOTHER
BEDTIME STORY
PORTA FORTUNA
PORTA FORTUNA
Matsushima, Sue Magnier, M Tabor, D Smith 6/1
Ryan Moore Sue Magnier/M Tabor/D Smith/Westerberg 13/2
Wayne Lordan Westerberg, Magnier, Tabor, Smith, Brant 22/1
Ryan Moore Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor 7/4F
Ryan Moore M Tabor, D Smith, S Magnier & Westerberg 13/8F
Ryan Moore M Tabor, D Smith, S Magnier & Westerberg 12/1
Ryan Moore Moyglare, Magnier, Tabor, Smith, Westerberg 11/10F
Ryan Moore Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier 15/8F
Ryan Moore Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor 11/8F
Frankie Dettori Weston/Fowler/Medallion Racing/Reeves Racing 5/1
Tom Marquand
7/2
Joseph O'Brien IRE (4)
Jean-Claude Rouget
Danny Shum HK (1)
David Simcock (2)
Suzy Smith (1)
Saeed bin Suroor (39)
Roger Varian (13)
Wesley Ward USA (12)
JOCKEYS
WINNERS OF THE LEADING JOCKEY AWARD
*Ryan Moore set a new post-war record of nine winners for a single Royal Ascot Meeting in 2015. The previous best total of eight since 1945 was achieved by Lester Piggott in 1965 and 1975 and Pat Eddery in 1989 when Royal Ascot took place over four rather than the current five days (since 2002). The best ever score by a jockey at Royal Ascot is 12, set by Fred Archer in 1878.
Four female riders have enjoyed success at Royal Ascot, the first being Gay Kelleway on Sprowston Boy in the 1987 Queen Alexandra Stakes. Hayley Turner, Hollie Doyle and Laura Pearson have ridden winners in recent years (see records below).
Joanna Morgan became the first female jockey to ride at Royal Ascot in the 1978 Queen’s Vase on Gallowshill Boy, who finished ninth.
TOP CURRENT JOCKEYS AT THE ROYAL MEETING
RECENT LEADING JOCKEY AWARD STANDINGS
WINNING RECORDS OF SELECTED JOCKEYS AT ROYAL ASCOT
JOCKEY (NO. OF WINS)
Ahmed Ajtebi (1) 08/20/06
David Allan (1)
Steven Arnold (1) 09/16/06
Andrea Atzeni (8)
18/21/06
Barzalona (1)
Gregory Benoist (2)
Pierre-Charles Boudot (2)
Hollie Doyle (6)
Egan (4)
Jason
(2)
Chris
Fergal Lynch (1)
Tom Marquand (7)
James McDonald (4) 18/20/06
Declan McDonogh (1)
18/21/06
18/23/06
18/23/06
19/18/06
Ribblesdale Stakes MAGIC WAND
Hardwicke Stakes CRYSTAL OCEAN
Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes MERCHANT NAVY
Coventry Stakes ARIZONA
19/18/06 St James’s Palace Stakes CIRCUS MAXIMUS
19/19/06
19/21/06
19/21/06
20/16/06
Windsor Castle Stakes SOUTHERN HILLS
King Edward VII Stakes JAPAN
Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap BAGHDAD
Aidan O’Brien IRE M Tabor, D Smith,Sue Magnier & Marcus Jooste 10/3
Sir Michael Stoute Sir Evelyn de Rothschild 4/7F
Aidan O’Brien IRE Merchant Navy Synd/Smith/Magnier/Tabor 4/1
Aidan O’Brien IRE Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith 15/8F
Aidan O’Brien IRE Flaxman Stables, Sue Magnier, M Tabor & D Smith 10/1
Aidan O’Brien IRE Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith 7/1
Aidan O’Brien IRE Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor 6/4F
Mark Johnston Mohammed bin Hamad Khalifa Al Attiya 7/2F
Queen Anne Stakes CIRCUS MAXIMUS Aidan O’Brien IRE Flaxman Stables, Sue Magnier, M Tabor & D Smith 4/1F
20/17/06 Hampton Court Stakes RUSSIAN EMPEROR
20/18/06
20/19/06
Chesham Stakes BATTLEGROUND
Aidan O’Brien IRE Laurie Macri/Sue Magnier et al 10/3
Aidan O’Brien IRE Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier 11/4F
Magnier 11/10F
21/19/06 Chesham Stakes POINT LONSDALE Aidan O’Brien IRE M Tabor, D Smith, S Magnier & Westerberg 10/11F
21/19/06 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes DREAM OF DREAMS
22/18/06 Hardwicke Stakes BROOME
Aidan O'Brien IRE Westerberg, Sue Magnier, M Tabor, D Smith 11/10F
Aidan O'Brien IRE M Matsushima, Sue Magnier, M Tabor, D Smith 6/1
22/18/06 Wokingham Handicap ROHAAN David Evans Chris Kiely Racing Ltd & J Tomkins 18/1
