It is time to bring out your finery, grab the top hat and tails or your most glamorous dress and fascinator as Royal Ascot gets underway today. It heralds the start of arguably the most important and certainly the most prestigious meeting of the Flat Season in the UK, with a total of eight Group 1 races across the five days of action.
Viewed by many as the Flat Racing equivalent of the Cheltenham Festival, Royal Ascot always enjoys royal patronage, and it is partly this which makes the whole meeting so special for so many fans.
In this article, we are going to take a look at some of the highlight races across the five days of
action, together with some of the runners and riders that are set to make a name for themselves at the meeting, including the legendary Stradivarius who will be attempting to win a record-equalling fourth Gold Cup on Thursday.
To enjoy a wide range of bets on the meeting, then check out the latest odds for Royal Ascot as well as all the up to date information regarding Ante-Post betting, declarations for the races and much more with bet365 Sport. The site offers extensive horse racing betting across all the meetings in the UK and Ireland and the rest of the world throughout the year.
The action comes thick and fast and gets underway at 2.30pm today with the hugely competitive Queen Anne Stakes, which will feature some of the best milers in the world competing. Let’s now take a look across each of the five days and highlight some of the key races, runners and riders that are set to make a name for themselves this year.
Royal Ascot – Tuesday 15th June
- Queen Anne Stakes – 2.30pm
This should be a fantastic race and a spectacular start to the meeting with John Gosden’s Palace Pier rated as a very strong prospect to land the win. The 4-year-old is rated one of the best milers in the world and should be a real contender here.
- Coventry Stakes – 3.05pm
The second race of the day is much more an even contest with a field stacked with talent. Expect the likes of Kaufymaker, Secret Strength, Caturra, The Acropolis, Berkshire Shadow, Dhabab, Gisburn and Masseto to be in the running too.
- King’s Stand Stakes – 3.40pm
Having won his last three races last season, seven-year-old Battaash will start this race as a favourite for the win. The likes of Liberty Beach, Oxted, Maven and the improving King’s Lynn could all make this a very competitive race and ensure the favourite doesn’t have things all their own way.
- St James’s Palace Stakes – 4.20pm
Another hugely competitive race with any of a number of options likely to start the race as favourite. Poetic Flare may just have the edge in the betting here, but the likes of Mostahdaf, Lucky Vega, Highland Avenue, Chindit, Battleground and Thunder Moon will all be well-backed.
Royal Ascot – Wednesday 16th June
- Queen Mary Stakes – 2.30pm
A stacked field of 2-year-old talent should make this a very competitive Queen Mary Stakes.
Twighlight Gleaming seems to be the popular choice at the moment but don’t rule out Artos, Desert Dreamer, Get Ahead, Illustrating, Nymphadora, Orinoco River and Quick Suzy out of this one.
- Queen’s Vase – 3.05pm
Aiden O’Brien’s Wordsworth leads the entries in the Queen’s Vase ahead of the likes of Arturo Toscanini, Dancing King, Kemari, Ruling, Stowell and Taipan.
- Duke of Cambridge Stakes – 3.40pm
This could be the proverbial two-horse race if the bookmakers are proven right with the two outstanding entries seeming to be Queen Power, trained by Sir Michael Stoute and Lady Bowthorpe by William Jarvis. However, Double or Bubble is one to watch after winning its last three.
- Prince of Wales’s Stakes – 4.20pm
Aiden O’Brien’s Love will be attempting to win his fourth race in succession and will likely start the race as the fans favourite although Lord North looks like edging ahead in the betting. Armory also cannot be ruled out in what should be a thrilling race.
Royal Ascot – Thursday 17th June
- Hampton Court Stakes – 3.05pm
With entries not still confirmed for Thursday’s action onward, it is a little bit of guesswork involved in these races but Mohaafeth, unbeaten in three races this season, who will likely start as the favourite in this Group 1 mile race.
- Ribblesdale Stakes – 3.40pm
After being forced to miss the Oaks with a blood disorder just before the race, Sir Michael Stoute’s entry Noon Star could make amends here. Esaada though could be the horse to make this a real contest.
- Gold Cup – 4.15pm
Stradivarius will have the horse racing community on its side as its attempts a record equalling fourth Gold Cup win, joining Yeats who won from 2006 to 2009. Subjectivist and Nayef Road could be the main threat but the three-time winner should start a very strong favourite.
Royal Ascot – Friday 18th June
- Albany Stakes – 2.30pm
Two George Boughey runners, Cachet and Beautiful Sunshine should be amongst the favourites in
this 6-furlong race. This looks like being a very high-quality field of 2-year olds with the likes of Hello You, Flotus and Prettiest all looking like good options if they run. The same could be said for Kaufymaker, but this horse will likely run in the Coventry Stakes instead.
- King Edward VII Stakes – 3.05pm
With Bay Bridge absent, this race looks like it has opened up for a number of other contenders with the likes of Hear Up, Tasman Bay as well as a potential slew of entries from Aiden O’Brien which could include Baton Rouge, Hector De Maris, Kyprios, Matchless, Sir Lamorak and Wordsworth. Wkth four wins in a row though Mark Johnston’s Dancing King may start favourite.
- Commonwealth Cup – 3.40pm
A highly competitive sprint race over six furlongs, Campanelle, who won the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot last year, will head a very competitive field that also features the likes of A Case Of You, Dragon Symbol, Diligent Harry, Measure of Magic, Suesa and Mooniesta. William Buick is another to watch in what should be a cracking race for sprint lovers.
- Coronation Stakes – 4.14pm
The winner of the 1,000 Guineas, Mother Earth, will line up for the Coronation Stakes and she will likely be amongst the favourites for the race although she can expect a tough challenge from other fillies Primo Bacio, Pretty Gorgeous, Fev Rover, Alcohol Free and Snow Lantern.
Royal Ascot – Saturday 19th June
- Hardwicke Stakes – 3.40pm
While the final declarations for the Hardwicke Stakes are not yet in, the potential for a massive clash here is huge. We could see the likes of Pyledriver, Al Aasy, Ilaraab, Tiger Moth, Broome and Hukum all enter this race and if a good number or all of those runners do declare, then this could be the most exciting race of the meet.
- Diamond Jubilee Stakes – 4.20pm
This should be one of the more competitive races of the week, especially if the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner, Glass Slippers is declared for the race. Even so, with the likes of Nahaarr, Dream of Dreams, Starman and Art Power this should be a hugely competitive race with a number of potential winners.
Remember that there are more races each day than those just shown here, with seven races on each of the five days to enjoy. You can find the latest betting on all these races at bet365 Sport throughout the tournament.
Tags: bet365 Sport
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