Royal Ascot is the jewel in the Flat-racing crown of Britain, the premier stage for the best horses to compete for sport's most prestigious prizes amid unmatched pageantry and atmosphere.
(Article originally published 20.05.2022)
For one week in June, Ascot Racecourse in the Berkshire countryside is the central attraction on the British sporting landscape.
From the arrival of the Royal Procession as the clock strikes two each day, through an array of top-class races on the track, this is a sporting institution intrinsically linked to British summertime.
When is Royal Ascot?
Royal Ascot takes place across five days in mid-June each year, beginning on a Tuesday afternoon and running through until the Saturday. In 2022, Royal Ascot takes place from 14th-18th June.
Where is Royal Ascot?
The meeting takes place at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire, the venue host to more than one third of Britain's Group 1 races annually and known to attract more than half a million racegoers per year.
Where can I watch Royal Ascot?
Fans in Britain can watch the meeting on both ITV Racing and Sky Sports racing across all five days, while you can also catch it on our Sports Live Streaming platform.
What are the key races at Royal Ascot?
On Tuesday the feature is the King's Stand Stakes, a five-furlong Group 1 sprint for horses aged three and older and one of the oldest races run at Royal Ascot. Wednesday's main dish is the Prince Of Wales's Stakes, a middle distance contest for four-year-olds and upwards.
Thursday brings with it the centrepiece of the meeting, the Ascot Gold Cup itself, the most prestigious race at Royal Ascot and a contest dating back to 1807.
On Friday, the Coronation Stakes is front and centre, a Group 1 mile contest for fillies, while Saturday's feature is another Group 1 sprint, the Platinum Jubilee Stakes - this time over six furlongs.
History of Royal Ascot?
The Royal Ascot meeting dates back to 1807, when the Gold Cup was first held, and the very threads of thoroughbred racing in Britain are intertwined with the great sporting action that takes place on this turf in June.
The Gold Cup itself has been won an incredible 11 times by the great Lester Piggott as rider from 1957-1982, while trainer Aidan O'Brien's tally of seven wins is also a benchmark.
Four of those wins were achieved by Yeats (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009) - a record - and this year Stradivarius is 9/2 to equal that tally, having failed in his first go at a fourth win last June as Mark Johnston's Subjectivist stole the crown away.
All of the major Group 1 races at Ascot are laced with stories of greatness. Modern day great Frankel was twice a winner at this meeting, taking the St James's Palace Stakes in 2011 and the Queen Anne Stakes a year later.
Royal Ascot Day One
There are three Group 1 races on the opening day of the meeting and, this year, unbeaten star Baaeed is 4/11 to take the curtain-raising Queen Anne Stakes.
| Race Time | Race | Age | Prize Fund | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14:30 | Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) | 4YO | £600,000 | 1m |
| 15:05 | Coventry Stakes (Group 2) | 2YO | £150,000 | 6f |
| 15:40 | King's Stand Stakes (Group 1) | 3YO | £500,000 | 5f |
| 16:20 | St James's Palace Stakes (Group 1) | 3YO colts | £500,000 | 1m |
| 17:00 | Ascot Stakes (Handicap) | 4YO+ | £100,000 | 2m2f |
| 17:35 | Wolferton Stakes (Listed) | 4YO+ | £110,000 | 1m1f |
| 18:10 | Copper Horse Stakes (Handicap) | 4YO+ | £100,000 | 1m6f |
Royal Ascot Day Two
The Prince Of Wales's Stakes is the Group 1 attraction on day two of the meeting, with Aidan O'Brien and Sir Michal Stoute responsible for four of the last five winners, as the likes of Highland Reel, Crystal Ocean and Love have all scored.
| Race Time | Race | Age | Prize Fund | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14:30 | Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2) | 2YO Fillies | £115,000 | 5f |
| 15:05 | The Queen's Vase (Group 2) | 3YO | £262,000 | 1m6f |
| 15:40 | Prince Of Wales's Stakes (Group 1) | 4YO+ | £1,000,000 | 1m2f |
| 16:20 | Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2) | 4YO+ Fillies and Mares | £175,000 | 1m |
| 17:00 | Royal Hunt Cup (Heritage Handicap) | 3YO+ | £175,000 | 1m |
| 17:35 | Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed) | 2YO | £100,000 | 5f |
| 18:10 | Kensington Palace Stakes | 4YO+ | £100,000 | 1m6f |
Royal Ascot Day Three
Day three brings the main event itself, the Ascot Gold Cup, a thorough examination of stamina over two-and-a-half-miles, won by the great and the good down the years.
Stradivarius will attempt to regain his crown this year and win a record-equalling fourth Gold Cup for John Gosden and Frankie Dettori.
| Race Time | Race | Age | Prize Fund | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14:30 | Norfolk Stakes (Group 2) | 2YO | £110,000 | 5f |
| 15:05 | King George V Stakes (Handicap) | 3YO | £100,000 | 1m4f |
| 15:40 | Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2) | 3YO Fillies | £200,000 | 1m4f |
| 16:20 | Ascot Gold Cup | 4YO+ | £500,000 | 2m4f |
| 17:00 | Britannia Stakes (Heritage Handicap) | 3YO Colts and geldings | £120,000 | 1m |
| 17:35 | Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3) | 3YO | £100,000 | 1m2f |
| 18:10 | Buckingham Palace Stakes (Handicap) | 3YO+ | £100,000 | 7f |
Royal Ascot Day Four
Friday at Royal Ascot features a brace of Group 1 races, the Commonwealth Cup preceding the headline-stealing Coronation Stakes for the Classic-generation fillies.
| Race Time | Race | Age | Prize Fund | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14:30 | Albany Stakes (Group 3) | 2YO Fillies | £100,000 | 6f |
| 15:05 | Commonwealth Cup (Group 1) | 3YO | £500,000 | 6f |
| 15:40 | Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap) | 3YO+ | £100,000 | 1m4f |
| 16:20 | Coronation Stakes (Group 1) | 3YO Fillies | £500,000 | 1m |
| 17:00 | Sandringham Stakes (Handicap) | 3YO Fillies | £100,000 | 1m |
| 17:35 | King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2) | 3YO Colts and geldings | £225,000 | 1m4f |
| 18:10 | Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes (Handicap) | 3YO | £100,000 | 5f |
Royal Ascot Day Five
Into the weekend for the final day of the meeting and the Platinum Jubilee Stakes takes centre stage as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrates another landmark at a racecourse where she has enjoyed many great days.
| Race Time | Race | Age | Prize Fund | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14:30 | The Chesham Stakes (Listed) | 2YO | £100,000 | 7f |
| 15:05 | The Jersey Stakes (Group 3) | 3YO | £110,000 | 7f |
| 15:40 | Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2) | 4YO+ | £225,000 | 1m4f |
| 16:20 | Platinum Jubilee Stakes (Group 1) | 4YO+ | £1,000,000 | 6f |
| 17:00 | Wokingham Stakes (Heritage Handicap) | 3YO+ | £175,000 | 6f |
| 17:35 | Golden Gate Stakes (Handicap) | 3YO | £100,000 | 1m2f |
| 18:10 | Queen Alexandra Stakes (Conditions Race) | 4YO+ | £100,000 | 2m6f |
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