The historic five-day meeting, which begins on Tuesday, is regarded by many as one of England’s last bastions of tradition. In the royal enclosure, men are still bound by a ludicrously antiquated dress code.
But while many use the event as a social occasion, the equine excellence on the track is the main focus for racing fans. Never mind the pomp and pageantry, the top hat and tails, the fashionistas and the fascinators, it’s the horses that matter most at Royal Ascot.
Thirty-five races, including eight Group Ones, spread across five days, with some of the best horses in the world competing for record prize money of £10 million. That adds up to the best week of racing on the planet.
The fields are peppered by international raiders from nations such as Ireland, France, Australia and the USA. Superb sprints, heritage handicaps, high-class two-year-old races and vintage staying contests add rich competition and variety.
It’s the first royal meeting since 1988 without its adopted king, talismanic jockey Frankie Dettori, who has retired from the UK saddle. But King Charles III and Queen Camilla, who is a racing aficionado, are expected to be there and have genuine chances of success with two challengers they own, Treasure (Thursday 3.45) and Desert Hero (Saturday 3.05).
Also there will be Aidan O’Brien, who has been the meeting’s top trainer no fewer than 12 times with a total of 85 winners, and Ryan Moore, who needs only three more triumphs to overtake Dettori in the meeting’s all-time winningmost jockey rankings and to sit second only to the legendary Lester Piggott.
The action will be savoured by about 265,000 racegoers on track and millions more on TV around the world. You can watch every race on ITV or ITV4, and also Sky Sports Racing. And to give you a taste of what’s to come, we’ve picked out 20 of the best fancied or highest rated horses to look out for. Not tips, but horses primed to steal the limelight as the week progresses.
Listed in alphabetical order, most of them are contesting the week’s Group races. In the handicaps or Listed contests, look out also for these progressive types – A Piece Of Heaven, Blue Storm, Botanical, Chicago Critic, Dark Trooper, English Oak, Involvement, Jubilee Walk, Key To Cotai, Never So Brave, Poniros, Qirat, Space Legend, Starlust, Sturlasson, Summer Of Love and Zanndabad.
And in the week’s two-year-old races, keep an eye on Andesite, Catalyse, Celtic Chieftain, Cowardofthecounty, Fairy Godmother, Make Haste, Maw Lam, Mountain Breeze, Perfect Part, Scorthy Champ, Whistlejacket, Xanthe and Yah Mo Be There.
Good luck!
17. Rosallion (Tuesday, 4.25)
Revenge is the title of the Royal Ascot mission for Richard Hannon's stable star after his defeat at the hands of Notable Speech in the Qipco 2000 Guineas. The pair meet again in the St James's Palace Stakes, with Hannon hopeful of turning the form around after his charge's victory in the Irish 2000 Guineas three weeks ago. An outstanding 2yo last term, when he won a Group One and the form of one of his wins, here at Ascot, worked out incredibly well, he's proved he is a class act. Photo: Warren Little/Getty Images
18. Vandeek (Friday, 3.05)
The flagbearer of the admirable training operation of father and son Simon and Ed Crisford, this powerful and pacy sprinter carried all before him last season when he was unbeaten in four outings, including two at the highest level. Friday's Commonwealth Cup has been his main target ever since and although he was disappointing in his seasonal pipe-opener at Haydock, he is expected to strip a lot fitter for that run and has reportedly been working very well on the Newmarket gallops. Photo: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images
19. Vauban (Thursday, 4.25)
We're well used to Irish genius Willie Mullins dominating the Cheltenham Festival and all the other big Jumps meetings. But his record on the Flat, and indeed at Royal Ascot, is none too shabby either and he has Gold Cup glory on his radar this week with this versatile 6yo, owned by Rich Ricci, who won the 2022 Triumph Hurdle at the Festival and was fourth in last year's Champion Hurdle before winning a handicap at the royal meeting with ridiculous ease. A tilt at the Melbourne Cup Down Under backfired, but he shaped well on his comeback at York last month. Photo: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images
20. White Birch (Wednesday, 4.25)
After finishing second in the Dante and third in the Derby, the 3yo season of this loveable grey, from the small Irish yard of John Joseph Murphy, did rather fizzle out. But he has returned better than ever this term, developing into a top-class colt, reeling off a hat-trick of successes and exacting revenge on his Epsom conqueror, Auguste Robin, for his first Group One prize. He meets that rival again in Wednesday's showpiece race, the Prince Of Wales's Stakes, and he should not be under-estimated. Photo: Getty Images