What is Royal Ascot?
Royal Ascot is one of the leading Flat meetings in the UK which takes place annually in June. It is described as the royal meeting, as various members of the royal family, including the Queen, attend the racing, with each day beginning with a royal procession across the racecourse. This is a tradition which dates all the way back to King George IV in 1825.
The best horses from around the world travel to the five-day meeting, particularly for the Group One races. Winning a race at Royal Ascot can be the highlight of a horse, trainer, jockey and owner’s career.
The meeting arrives very early in the Flat season in the UK, so often hosts the first clashes of each respective division. Some horses even make their seasonal reappearance at the fixture.
Along with top-class racing, fashion is also an important part of Royal Ascot. Racegoers enjoy dressing up for the big occasion. It is one of the other factors which make this meeting so unique on the British calendar.
Where is Ascot Racecourse?
Ascot Racecourse is situated in the town of Ascot in Berkshire. It is just six miles south of Windsor and it falls under the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.
Many racegoers travel to Ascot from London, which is 25 miles away, but easily accessible by train from a number of the mainline stations in the capital.
How many races are there at Royal Ascot?
There are a total of 35 races across the week at Royal Ascot. Seven races take place on each of the five days and there is at least one Group One contest each afternoon.
The opening race of the meeting is the Queen Anne Stakes. The week concludes with the Queen Alexandra Stakes.
What is the big race at Royal Ascot?
The feature race of the week at Royal Ascot is the Ascot Gold Cup. This is the most prestigious stayers’ contest in Flat racing. It takes place over two miles and four furlongs, which makes stamina very important. Often National Hunt horses will also take part due to the distance involved.
The Group One race takes place on day three of the meeting, which tends to be Ladies’ Day. It is open to four-year-old horses and above.
Yeats holds the record for the most wins in the Ascot Gold Cup. The Irish-based horse, who was trained by Aidan O’Brien, was successful four times (2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009).
In 2022, Stradivarius is looking to match that record, as he was victorious in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Royal Ascot 2022 date & race times
With 35 races across the week, Royal Ascot is a bumper meeting. It all takes place from Tuesday 14th June to Saturday 18th June. Here is the schedule in full:
Tuesday 14 June
- 14:30: The Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1)
- 15:05: The Coventry Stakes (Group 2)
- 15:40: The King’s Stand Stakes (Group 1)
- 16:20: The St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1)
- 17:00: The Ascot Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) (0-100)
- 17:35: The Wolferton Stakes (Listed)
- 18:10: The Copper Horse Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) (0-105)
Wednesday 15 June
- 14:30: The Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2)
- 15:05: The Queen’s Vase (Group 2)
- 15:40: The Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1)
- 16:20: The Duke of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2)
- 17:00: The Royal Hunt Cup (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (Open)
- 17:35: The Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed)
- 18:10: The Kensington Palace Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) (0-105)
Thursday 16 June
- 14:30: The Norfolk Stakes (Group 2)
- 15:05: The King George V Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) (0-105)
- 15:40: The Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2)
- 16:15: The Gold Cup (Group 1)
- 17:00: The Britannia Stakes (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (0-105)
- 17:35: The Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3)
- 18:10: The Buckingham Palace Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) (0-105)
Friday 17 June
- 14:30: The Albany Stakes (Group 3)
- 15:05: The Commonwealth Cup (Group 1)
- 15:40: The Duke of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) (0-105)
- 16:20: The Coronation Stakes (Group 1)
- 17:00: The Sandringham Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) (0-105)
- 17:35: The King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2)
- 18:10: The Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) (0-105)
Saturday 18 June
- 14:30: The Chesham Stakes (Listed)
- 15:05: The Jersey Stakes (Group 3)
- 15:40: The Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2)
- 16:20: The Platinum Jubilee Stakes (Group 1)
- 17:00: The Wokingham Stakes (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (0-110)
- 17:35: The Golden Gates Stakes (Handicap) (Class 20 (0-105)
- 18:10: The Queen Alexandra Stakes (Conditions) (Class 2)
Top jockey at Ascot 2022
Ryan Moore will be one rider with a strong chance of being crowned the top jockey at Royal Ascot in 2022. The Ballydoyle retained rider will have the pick of the entries from Aidan O’Brien’s yard.
Moore is set to partner Kyprios in the Ascot Gold Cup, Blackbeard in the Norfolk Stakes, Alfred Munnings in the Chesham Stakes and Broome in the Hardwicke Stakes. Those horses all have an excellent chance in their respective races.
William Buick has made an excellent start to his bid to become Champion Jockey this season. The Godolphin number one has a strong book of rides, as he looks to end the week with the most winners.
Buick is expected to saddle up on 2,000 Guineas winner Coroebus in the St James’s Palace Stakes, last season’s Derby winner Adayar in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes and Hurricane Lane in the Hardwicke Stakes.
Jim Crowley, Tom Marquand, James Doyle and Hollie Doyle will also be in action at the royal meeting as they bid to win the top jockey trophy.
Ascot top runners and riders
With so much prize money and numerous Group One races scheduled across the week, Royal Ascot will see many of the top runners and riders from around the world appear at the Berkshire racecourse.
Baaeed will be the first to appear in the opening race of the week, the Queen Anne Stakes. Last season’s champion miler produced an impressive performance to win the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury earlier in the campaign. With regular rider Jim Crowley on board, he is a warm favourite to land another Group One contest over 1m.
British Classic winner Coroebus is set for his first appearance since winning the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket. He is odds-on to win the St James’s Palace Stakes on day one of the meeting and provide trainer Charlie Appleby a major success.
The King’s Stand Stakes has a real international feel to it this year. Golden Pal will travel across from the United States to represent trainer Wesley Ward. The American has an excellent record at Royal Ascot with his sprinters. His latest star is 15/8 favourite to beat Australian-based runner Nature Strip and a strong field for the Group One contest.
In the Ascot Gold Cup, Kyprios, Trueshan and Stradivarius are destined to meet for the first time. They are the three leading stayers in their division, and it should be a fascinating contest. Multiple Group One winner Trueshan heads the betting at 11-4 to come out on top under the hands of Hollie Doyle.
Homeless Songs head a strong field of fillies for the Coronation Stakes. She was successful in the Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh and will now take on Inspiral and 1,000 Guineas winner Cachet at Royal Ascot.
Home Affairs is part of the strong teams travelling across from Australia for the meeting. The three-year-old sprinter is set to appear on the final day in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes. Chris Waller’s colt won the Group One Black Caviar Lightning earlier this year. He tops the betting at 4/1 for the 6f race.
Buick is set to pair up with last season’s St Leger winner Hurricane Lane in the Hardwicke Stakes. They are favourites to prevail in the 1m4f contest on the Saturday. His latest appearance came in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe where he was third behind Torquator Tasso and Tarnawa respectively.
Royal Ascot 2022 Racecards
You can find the racecards for Royal Ascot 2022 by looking at the dedicated Betfair Racecards page . These will include all the runners across the five days of the meeting.
Everything you need to know about the horses, including their form, jockey and trainer will be displayed on the racecard.
The page will also provide you with the going for the day’s racing. This is crucial for certain runners across the week.
Royal Ascot results
All the results from Royal Ascot 2022 can be found on our Results page . They will appear on the page following each of the 35 races, along with the starting price and information regarding any non-runners.