For horse racing fans worldwide, the Royal Ascot meeting has always represented the most elite of racing seasons, with each day of the five-day race meeting every year steeped in history and filled with the best horses, trainers, and jockeys, not to mention fashion, traditions, and royal pageantry.
And as expected, King Charles III and Queen Camilla, along with many members of the British royal family, will attend the delight of horse racing fans and royal watchers alike.
Top-notch runners from around the globe will be on site to contest the 35 races worth £10.65 million (about $13.4 million U.S.), of which eight are Group 1. The meet runs Tuesday-Saturday (June 20).
NBC Sports, via its Peacock network, will offer full coverage of the Royal Ascot races. Because the races occur in the UK, live morning broadcasts begin early in the U.S. (8:30 a.m. ET), but check local listings or NBC Sports schedules for post times and daily programming lineups.
Also, four of the prestigious races at Royal Ascot are Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win & You’re In” events, meaning the winners will receive an automatic berth, all-expenses-paid journey to Keeneland for the Breeders’ Cup on Oct. 30-31.
Champion trainer Aidan O’Brien is the meet’s top active trainer, having saddled a total of 96 winners since he sent out his first one more than two decades ago. Top jockey Ryan Moore is the meet’s active leading rider with 92 winners overall.
The legendary Lester Piggott is the leading rider of all time at the Royal Ascot meeting, with a staggering 116 career victories.
The weather in Berkshire all week is expected to be beautiful, dry, and on the warm side, with highs hovering in the upper 70s and no rain until perhaps Saturday, providing what will likely be a firm course.
The £453,680 (about $600,000 U.S.) Queen Anne Stakes is a “Win & You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1).
Named in honor of the founder of Ascot Racecourse and for the meet’s inaugural running in 1840, the Queen Anne boasts an amazing list of winners over the history of the 1-mile event, including Ribchester, Declaration of War, Frankel, Goldikova, Cape Cross, Kalanisi, Intikhab, Barathea, and Warning.
American-based Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse sent champion and Breeders’ Cup heroine Tepin over to England in 2016 to take the victory. In 2020, Circus Maximus won the Queen Anne for his only win of the year, and 4 ½ months later, capped his career with a second-place finish in the BC Mile at Keeneland. The once-defeated Baaeed was successful in 2022, the Kevin Ryan-trained Triple Time was first across the finish in 2023, Roger Varian’s Charyn was the 2024 winner, and Docklands was victorious a year ago.
A field of nine is set for Tuesday’s race, with reigning BC Mile winner Notable Speech the 8-5 betting favorite. Despite all of his global success, he has yet to win over the Royal Ascot course in two earlier tries. William Buick will be back aboard for trainer Charlie Appleby.
The £700,000 (about $939,000 U.S.) St. James’s Palace Stakes is also on tap Tuesday. The event is named after St. James Palace, which used to serve as a royal residence during the Tudor period (1485-1603 in England and Wales) It was first contested in 1834 and was initially granted group status in 1971.
Previous winners include Kris, Marju, Kingmambo, Grand Lodge, Dr. Fong, Giant’s Causeway, Black Minnalouche, Shamardal, Henrythenavigator, Frankel, Gleneagles, Without Parole, Circus Maximus, Palace Pier, classic winner Paddington, Rosallion, and Field of Gold, a year ago.
The St. James’s Palace Stakes usually features horses who have previously run in the 2000 Guineas (G1), the French 2000 Guineas (G1), or the Irish 2000 Guineas (G1).
The 1-mile event is open to 3-year-old colts, and this year drew a compact, but talented field of six, including the undefeated 2000 Guineas (G1) winner Bow Echo and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) and Irish 2000 Guineas winner Gstaad.
The other Group 1 on opening day is the King’s Charles III Stakes, previously run as the King’s Stand Stakes and another of the British Champions Series, at 5 furlongs. Like all Royal Ascot stakes events, the King Charles III Stakes is deeply rooted in history and boasts a number of global champions since it was first run in 1860. Among them: two-time winner Sole Power; Scenic Blast; Takeover Target; Choisir; Pivotal; Sheik Albadou; Last Tycoon; and Irish Horse of the Year Sole Power. Cartier champion sprinter Battaash took home the victory in 2020, female jockey Hollie Doyle was aboard Bradsell for the win in 2023 and American Affair won a year ago.
American filly Lady Aurelia was victorious in 2017 for trainer Wesley Ward, who has had the most success of all foreign trainers at Royal Ascot, recently having saddled 12 winners since 2009. He will have seven runners in England this year after sitting out last year, his first non-runner year since 2012.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
