Royal Ascot is Europe's premier Flat racing meeting, five days, 35 races, eight Group 1 contests, and £10.65 million in prize money on the line at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire from Tuesday 16 to Saturday 20 June 2026.
This is the meeting that defines the middle of the Flat season. Every major training yard in Europe, Godolphin, Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle, the Gosden stable, William Haggas, targets Royal Ascot months in advance. The form lines established here shape the rest of the summer, from the July Cup to Glorious Goodwood and beyond.
This guide breaks down every Group 1 race, the key contenders based on the latest ante-post form, and how to approach betting across the five days.
Bet on Royal Ascot 2026 at Duelbits Racing.
All information correct at time of writing and subject to change as declarations are confirmed.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Dates | Tuesday 16 - Saturday 20 June 2026 |
| Venue | Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire |
| Days | 5 |
| Total Races | 35 (7 per day) |
| Group 1 Races | 8 |
| Total Prize Money | £10.65 million |
| Gates Open | 10:30am daily |
| Royal Procession | 2:00pm daily |
| First Race | 14:30 BST daily |
| TV Coverage | ITV Racing (free-to-air) and Sky Sports Racing |
Day one opens with the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes, Royal Ascot's curtain-raiser, three Group 1 races on the opening card, more than any other day of the week.
Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1, 1m) - 14:30
The straight-mile feature for older horses. Some outstanding horses have landed the Queen Anne Stakes in recent years, none more so than the legendary Frankel, winner of the 2012 renewal by 11 lengths.
The favourite: Notable Speech (Godolphin) is the current leading fancy. The former Guineas winner landed the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in May by two lengths, form that puts him at the head of the market heading into Ascot.
The tip: Notable Speech is a former Classic winner with the recent Lockinge form to back up the price. At a meeting where Godolphin's depth is consistently strong, their flagship miler heading the market in the opening Group 1 sets the tone for the week.
Coventry Stakes (Group 2, 6f, 2YO) - 15:05
Some of the best two-year-olds seen to date will fight out the Coventry Stakes, traditionally the first major two-year-old form line of the season and a race that regularly produces future Group 1 winners over further.
King Charles III Stakes (Group 1, 5f) - 15:40
Formerly the King's Stand Stakes, this is one of the fastest sprint races in the world, a pure 5-furlong dash that attracts the best speed horses from Europe, Australia, and beyond.
St James's Palace Stakes (Group 1, 1m, 3YO) - 16:20
The middle-distance Classic generation clash. Three-year-old colts who ran in the 2000 Guineas and Irish 2000 Guineas typically headline this field. Watch for Godolphin's Distant Storm, lined up for the Irish 2000 Guineas before a potential St James's Palace or Eclipse route.
The headline race of Wednesday is the £1 million Prince of Wales's Stakes, one of the joint-most valuable races of the week.
Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2, 5f, 2YO fillies) - 14:30
The fastest two-year-old fillies seen to date clash in this 5-furlong dash, a key trial for the Coventry/Albany generation of juvenile sprinters.
Queen's Vase (Group 2, 1m6f, 3YO) - 15:05
The staying division's first Classic-generation test of the week, a regular precursor for Gold Cup and St Leger type form lines in subsequent seasons.
Prince of Wales's Stakes (Group 1, 1m2f) - 16:20
The feature race of day two and one of the two £1 million races of the week. Open to horses aged four and over, this is consistently one of the strongest middle-distance Group 1s in the European calendar, a true measure of the best horses in training over a mile and a quarter.
Royal Hunt Cup (Heritage Handicap, 1m) - 17:30
One of the highlights of the week and widely considered one of the toughest handicaps to predict across the entire Flat season. A likely full field of around 30 runners charges down the straight mile, a genuine each-way goldmine for bettors willing to dig into the form of horses drawn 20+.
The tip: With fields this size, each-way coverage matters more than picking a single standout. Look for course-and-distance form specialists drawn favourably for the prevailing ground.
Thursday is traditionally known as Ladies' Day, but because it features the Ascot Gold Cup at 16:20, it's also well known as Gold Cup Day, the highlight of the staying division's entire season.
Norfolk Stakes (Group 2, 5f, 2YO) - 14:30
A pure speed test for the season's fastest two-year-olds, often a precursor to the King Charles III and Diamond Jubilee sprint divisions in years to come.
Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2, 1m3f, 3YO fillies) - 15:05
The staying fillies' middle-distance Group 2, frequently a stepping stone towards the Park Hill Stakes and St Leger for fillies in the autumn.
🏆 Ascot Gold Cup (Group 1, 2m4f) - 16:20
The marquee event of the entire week. Run over 2 miles 4 furlongs, the Gold Cup asks a very different question to the speed events earlier in the meeting: who can settle, conserve energy, and still finish with purpose when everyone else is starting to feel the burn? It has been on the calendar since 1807.
In 2025, Godolphin's Trawlerman turned the Gold Cup into a procession with an impressive seven-length triumph. Ridden by William Buick and trained by John and Thady Gosden, Trawlerman dominated the race from the front and never looked in danger.
The 2026 contenders:
Historical context: Six favourites have won the Gold Cup in the last decade, including one joint-favourite. Winners of the Sagaro Stakes have a strong recent record in this race.
The tip: Trawlerman defending the Gold Cup off the back of a seven-length demolition job is the obvious starting point, a dominant front-running performance like that, with the same training and riding team returning, is exactly the profile that tends to repeat at this level. Illinois as the runner-up looms as the most obvious danger, with Scandinavia offering each-way interest given his St Leger and Goodwood Cup form over similarly demanding trips.
Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3, 1m1f) - 17:35
A solid Group 3 supporting feature for middle-distance horses building towards the summer's bigger handicaps and Group races.
Britannia Stakes (Heritage Handicap, 1m) - 17:00
Another huge-field handicap in the Royal Hunt Cup mould, three-year-olds only, and another race where each-way coverage across the field is the standard professional approach.
The feature contest on day four is the Group 1 Coronation Stakes for three-year-old fillies over eight furlongs on the round course. Friday features two Group 1 races, the Commonwealth Cup and the Coronation Stakes.
Albany Stakes (Listed, 6f, 2YO fillies) - 14:30
The juvenile fillies' sprint feature, a regular pathway towards the Cheveley Park Stakes later in the season.
Commonwealth Cup (Group 1, 6f, 3YO) - 15:05
Restricted to three-year-old sprinters and often produces winners who go on to long careers at the top level. This is the pure speed Group 1 of the week, three-year-olds only, over six furlongs.
2026 market notes: The market for this race features two international raiders from Australia and Japan currently dominating ante-post betting. Venetian Sun, a course-and-distance scorer who impressed at Haydock, has been highlighted as a contender across both the Commonwealth Cup and other sprint engagements. So Regal, a daughter of Kingman who showed promise at York, is a lively outsider in this field.
Duke of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap, 1m4f) - 15:40
A substantial middle-distance handicap, another opportunity for each-way value in a typically large and competitive field.
Coronation Stakes (Group 1, 1m, 3YO fillies) - 16:20
The marquee fillies' race of the week. It often features runners that previously contested fillies' Classics over a mile in the 1000 Guineas, the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches or the Irish 1,000 Guineas.
2026 market notes: Precise is the current ante-post favourite after taking the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh. True Love (Aidan O'Brien / Wayne Lordan), the 1000 Guineas winner, is also being targeted at this race after an Irish 1000 Guineas prep run.
Historical note: Cheveley Park Stud has won the Coronation Stakes four times, making it a race they consistently target from a breeding perspective. In 2025, Cercene sprang a 33-1 surprise under Gary Carroll for trainer Joseph Murphy, a reminder that this Group 1 regularly produces market upsets.
The tip: With two Guineas winners (Precise and True Love) potentially clashing, this looks the strongest renewal of the Coronation in years. Each-way coverage on both, with Comanche Brave, a clear and decisive winner of the Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh, as an interesting outsider angle given his recent course form.
King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2, 1m4f, 3YO) - 17:35
Known informally as the "Ascot Derby", a major staging post for middle-distance three-year-olds. Minnie Hauk (Aidan O'Brien) is among those likely to feature after Chester prep form.
Saturday closes the meeting with the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes and the Wokingham Stakes, one of the most popular betting races of the entire week.
Norfolk Stakes (Group 2, 5f, 2YO) - 14:30
The juvenile sprint division gets its second Group 2 test of the week, Charles Darwin has been mentioned among the contenders to watch in this division.
Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2, 1m4f) - 15:05
A strong supporting Group 2 for older middle-distance horses, often featuring Gold Cup also-rans dropping back in distance, or Eclipse Stakes types in the build-up to summer.
Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (Group 1, 6f) - 15:40
The crowning Group 1 of the week, renamed in honour of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. A genuinely top-class six-furlong sprint that regularly attracts the best speed horses in Europe at the peak of their form.
Jersey Stakes (Group 3, 7f, 3YO) - 16:20
A useful supporting feature for three-year-olds stepping up in distance from the Guineas trip.
Wokingham Stakes (Heritage Handicap, 6f) - 17:00
One of the most popular betting races of the entire week. A huge-field sprint handicap that closes out Royal Ascot, chaotic, competitive, and a genuine end-of-week spectacle for punters.
Queen Alexandra Stakes (2m5½f) - 17:35
The longest race on the British Flat racing calendar closes out the meeting, a unique test of stamina for genuine long-distance specialists.
The Royal Hunt Cup, Britannia Stakes, Wokingham Stakes, and Duke of Edinburgh Stakes are all massive-field handicaps where picking a single winner is genuinely difficult. Each-way coverage across multiple fancied runners, focusing on those drawn favourably for the prevailing ground, is the professional approach to these races.
Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle, Godolphin, and the Gosden stable consistently dominate the Group 1 picture at Royal Ascot. Godolphin's depth was tested in 2025 with 4 winners, and the 2026 team looks at least as strong. When these stables run multiple entries in a single Group 1, the market often underrates the second or third string.
Ryan Moore retains the senior Coolmore book and will likely ride 25+ of the meeting's runners across the five days. Frankie Dettori remains the all-time leading Royal Ascot jockey with 81 wins, though now riding less frequently, any Dettori booking at Ascot still carries significant market weight.
Ascot's ground can shift dramatically across a single week in mid-June, from quick ground early in the week to softer conditions if rain arrives. Always check the latest going report before placing bets, particularly in the Gold Cup and other longer-distance races where stamina-on-the-day becomes decisive.
Six favourites have won the Gold Cup in the last decade, a strong base rate for backing the market leader in this race specifically, unlike many of the more chaotic handicaps earlier in the week.
| Day | Date | Group 1 Race | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | 16 June | Queen Anne Stakes | 14:30 |
| Tuesday | 16 June | King Charles III Stakes | 15:40 |
| Tuesday | 16 June | St James's Palace Stakes | 16:20 |
| Wednesday | 17 June | Prince of Wales's Stakes | 16:20 |
| Thursday | 18 June | Ascot Gold Cup | 16:20 |
| Friday | 19 June | Commonwealth Cup | 15:05 |
| Friday | 19 June | Coronation Stakes | 16:20 |
| Saturday | 20 June | Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes | 15:40 |
| Race | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Queen Anne Stakes | Notable Speech | Former Classic winner, recent Lockinge G1 form, Godolphin's flagship miler |
| Ascot Gold Cup | Trawlerman (defending champion) | Won by 7 lengths in 2025, same training/riding team returns |
| Ascot Gold Cup (each-way) | Illinois | Runner-up in 2025, Ormonde winner, the obvious danger to Trawlerman |
| Coronation Stakes | Precise / True Love (both each-way) | Two Guineas winners potentially clashing, strongest renewal in years |
| Royal Hunt Cup | Each-way coverage | One of the toughest handicaps of the season, spread your stake |
| Commonwealth Cup | Venetian Sun (each-way) | Course-and-distance proven, impressive recent form at Haydock |
When is Royal Ascot 2026? Tuesday 16 - Saturday 20 June 2026 at Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire. First race each day at 14:30 BST, Royal Procession at 2pm.
What are the eight Group 1 races? Queen Anne Stakes, King Charles III Stakes, St James's Palace Stakes (all Tuesday); Prince of Wales's Stakes (Wednesday); Ascot Gold Cup (Thursday); Commonwealth Cup, Coronation Stakes (both Friday); Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (Saturday).
Who is favourite for the Queen Anne Stakes 2026? Notable Speech (Godolphin), off the back of a Lockinge Stakes win at Newbury by two lengths.
When is the Ascot Gold Cup and who are the contenders? Thursday 18 June, 16:20 BST, 2m4f. Defending champion Trawlerman returns against Illinois, Scandinavia, and Sweet William.
What is the total prize money? £10.65 million across the five days, up from £10.05m in 2025. The Prince of Wales's Stakes and QEII Jubilee Stakes are the richest at £1m each.
Who is the leading Royal Ascot jockey? Frankie Dettori with 81 career wins, ahead of Ryan Moore (66) and William Buick.
How can I watch Royal Ascot 2026? All 35 races live on ITV Racing (free-to-air) and Sky Sports Racing.
What's the toughest race to call? The Royal Hunt Cup (Wednesday), a near-30-runner handicap widely considered one of the toughest of the Flat season.
