The glitz and glamour of British racing’s most famous meeting returns tomorrow as thousands descend on Berkshire for Royal Ascot.
The meeting brings together a selection of the world’s best flat horses for five days of racing action.
The late Queen was a renowned racing fan, with Royal Ascot being her favourite meeting. This year the Platinum Jubilee Stakes will be renamed the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in her honour, while King Charles is expected to appear as part of the royal procession.
When is it?
Royal Ascot begins on Tuesday, June 20 and will run through to Saturday, June 24.
Where is it?
The meeting is held at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire.
How do I watch it in the UK?
The meeting will be broadcast live on free-to-air television every day on ITV1. Sky Sports Racing will also provide coverage but for this you will need a Sky Sports subscription.
How do I watch in the US?
NBC traditionally provides coverage each day from Tuesday to Saturday, through its livestreaming service Peacock.
Your day-by-day guide to Royal Ascot
Tuesday June 20
Race to watch: The King’s Stand Stakes. On what should be the fifth day of the first Ashes Test it looks to be between Highfield Princess, the experienced Yorkshire homebred who has got faster with age, and Coolangatta, the crack Australian filly.
Tip of the day: Zoulu Chief in the Coventry Stakes (3.05pm). A 150-1 winner of his last start, the result has been dismissed all round. Never came out of his comfort zone winning by five lengths that day and sure to start a big price again.
Full race schedule for Tuesday
Marlborough racing tips
2.30 Modern Games
3.05 Zoulu Chief
3.40 Mitbaahy NAP
4.20 Chaldean
5.00 Zinc White
5.30 Francesco Clemente
6.10 Chillingham
Wednesday June 21
Race to watch: The big race is the Prince of Wales’s Stakes in which 2021 Derby winner, Adayar, tries to bag a first Group One over a mile and a quarter and set himself up as a stallion. He will meet top-class opponents in Luxembourg and Bay Bridge, who beat him in the Champion Stakes, albeit on more testing ground.
Tip of the day: Intellogent in the Royal Hunt Cup (5pm). A 12-1 shot, he likes fast ground and Ascot. He was runner-up in this race 12 months ago only beaten half a length. This year he is1lb lower at the weights – which should give him half a length to spare!
Full race schedule for Wednesday
- Queen Mary Stakes – 2:30pm
- Kensington Palace Stakes – 3:05pm
- Duke Of Cambridge Stakes – 3:40pm
- Prince Of Wales’s Stakes – 4:20pm
- Royal Hunt Cup – 5pm
- Queen’s Vase Stakes – 5:35pm
- Windsor Castle Stakes – 6:10pm
Thursday June 22
Race to watch: Blink and you’ll miss the Norfolk Stakes. We have seen these US speedball two-year-olds before and it is a while since one has won but Wesley Ward’s American Rascal looks the business. He won over four and a half furlongs at Keeneland on his only start by 10 and half lengths. He’s out of Lady Aurelia, who won a Queen Mary and King’s Stand for Ward. He’ll need to go a bit to turn away our own speed merchant, Elite Status.
Tip of the day: Two years ago Subjectivist was as good a Gold Cup winner as there had been for a long time. An injury looked like putting paid to his career but he’s been brought back. He’s been a bit rusty but two runs should have put him right and in an open Gold Cup (4.20pm) he looks a steal at 8-1.
Full race schedule for Thursday
- Norfolk Stakes – 2:30pm
- King George V Stakes – 3:05pm
- Ribblesdale Stakes – 3:40pm
- Gold Cup – 4:20pm
- Britannia Stakes – 5pm
- Hampton Court Stakes – 5:35pm
- Buckingham Palace Stakes – 6:10pm
Friday June 23
Race to watch: The King Edward VII Stakes, the Derby consolation. It probably offers the King and Queen their best chance of getting off the mark at the Royal meeting this week in Circle of Fire. He wasn’t suited by the all-weather last time and should be better back on turf.
Tip of the day: Shaquille in the Commonwealth Cup (4.20). Little Big Bear will be a short priced favourite but he came up the golden highway when impressive at Haydock and it might be worth opposing such a shortie.
Full race schedule for Friday
- Albany Stakes – 2:30pm
- Commonwealth Cup – 3:05pm
- Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes – 3:40pm
- Coronation Stakes – 4:20pm
- Sandringham Stakes – 5pm
- King Edward VII Stakes – 5:35pm
- Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes – 6:10pm
Saturday June 24
Race to watch: Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. From a training perspective Northumberland-born Richard Gibson has been one of our greatest exports; in France and then Hong Kong. This is his last season in the far east and it will be interesting to see if Wellington, one of the mainstays of sprinting in Hong Kong, can sign him out with a Royal Ascot winner.
Tip of the day: Chipstead in the Wokingham Handicap. An improving sprinter whose brother, Oxted, who the July Cup and King’s Stand Stakes. He was an impressive winner at York last time.
Full race schedule for Friday
- Chesham Stakes – 2:30pm
- Jersey Stakes – 3:05pm
- Hardwicke Stakes – 3:40pm
- Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes – 4:20pm
- Wokingham Stakes – 5pm
- Golden Gates Stakes – 5:35pm
- Queen Alexandra Stakes – 6:10pm
Fancy a bet on the racing? Find the best Royal Ascot betting offers and free bets to use on your selections.
Are there any protests planned?
Both the Grand National and the Derby have already been targeted by animal rights group ‘Animal Rising’ and there are suspicions Royal Ascot could be another meeting affected.
However, unlike the Derby, the racecourse will not be applying for a high court injunction to protect the track against the threat of disruption at this year’s royal meeting.
After consultations with Thames Valley Police, officials are confident that existing legislation is sufficient enough to respond to any incidents of disruption or disorder.
A statement from Ascot read: “Thames Valley Police have powers in place within the existing legislation which are sufficient to be able to respond to any incidents of disorder or disruption. Peaceful protest is welcome as it always has been and will be accommodated outside the racecourse.”
“As we do every year, we are working extremely closely with the Thames Valley Police and our own security providers to be as prepared as possible for any planned disruption during Royal Ascot. We will have additional security around the site as well as enhanced CCTV provision and there will be increased police presence throughout the week.”
The British Horse Race Authority have refused an offer from Animal Rising to call off any protests in return for a television debate.