Royal Ascot Day 3: Betfair's Ultimate Guide to Thursday at the Royal meeting

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Countdown to Royal Ascot Day 3

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Royal Ascot Weather (Real Time) - Three Day Forecast

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Royal Ascot Going Updates

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How can I watch Day 3 of Royal Ascot?

If you're not lucky enough to be at Royal Ascot in person then you can watch all seven of Thursday's races on free-to-air channels ITV, though the final two races of the day are likely to be moved from the main ITV1 channel to ITV2 or ITV3, or possibly the company's streaming channel, ITVX.

The first race of the afternoon is at 14:30, though with the Royal Procession starting at 14:00 it's likely that ITV will commence their coverage at around 13:30 on Thursday.

Alternatively, if you prefer a more racing-dedicated channel then you can watch all Thursday's action on Sky Sports Racing which comes free with a basic Sky TV subscription. Or if you're out and about, then you can watch any Royal Ascot race on your smart device via Betfair Live Video if you have a funded Betfair account.

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What are the races on Day 3 of Royal Ascot?

Day three of the Royal meeting is traditionally known as Ladies' Day, but because it features one of the highlights of the week, the Ascot Gold Cup at 16:20, it's also well known for being Gold Cup Day.

The Ascot Gold Cup is the only Group 1 race on the card but we do have some ultra-competitive handicaps as well as three other Group races, starting with the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at 14:30.

Thursday's race schedule:

TIME	RACE	COURSE	PRIZE MONEY
14:30	Norfolk Stakes (Grp 2) - 5f	Str	£150,000
15:05	King George V Stakes - 1m4f	Rnd	£110,000
15:40	Ribblesdale Stakes (Grp 2) - 1m4f	Rnd	£250,000
16:20	Ascot Gold Cup (Grp 1) - 2m4f	Rnd	£650,000
17:00	Britannia Stakes - 1m	Str	£120,000
17:35	Hampton Court Stakes (Grp 3) - 1m2f	Rnd	£150,000
18:10	Buckingham Palace Stakes - 7f	Str	£110,000

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What is the feature race on Day 3?

Race: Ascot Gold Cup
Time: 16:20
Type: Group 1
Course / Distance: Round Course / 2m4f
Age & Sex: 4yo+ open to both sexes
Pirze money: £650,000

One of the highlights of the week, the Ascot Gold Cup is one of the most prestigious staying races in the Flat racing calendar and brings together the best long-distances horses in the world. It's the first leg of Britain's staying 'Triple Crown' with long-distance races at Goodwood and Doncaster to come later in the season.

The Ascot Gold Cup is particularly liked among racing enthusiasts as it often features older horses, or horses who continue to race season after season as opposed to being retired to stud after a successful three or four-year-old campaign.

Because they are kept in racing, repeat winners of the Ascot Gold Cup are not uncommon with famous horses like Yeats (four), Stradivarious (three) and Kyprios (two) winning the race on multiple occasions in recent years.

Last year's winner Trawlerman will be back to defend his crown this year and bid to become another multiple winner of the Ascot Gold Cup, but he's not favourite to win, that honour goes to the Aiden O'Brien-trained four-year-old Scandinavia.

Royal Ascot 18th Jun (Royal Ascot Gold Cup)

Thursday 18 June, 4.12pm

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Are there any stats, trends, live betting for Day 3?

Yes, with every sporting event that takes place regularly, stats and trends from previous years will always emerge. This is particularly helpful in horse racing as previous renewals of races can be very informative in terms of pointing you in the right direction for a selection in an upcoming renewal.

For each of Thursday's seven races, below you can see:

1. Race time and name
2. The top five trends from the past 12 winners
3. The record of the favourites (past 12 years)
4. The 2025 winner (trainer/jockey) and starting price
5. Betfair Exchange live market if available

*Note: All Betfair Exchange live markets will be available five days before each race.

14:30 - Norfolk Stakes

• 11/12 had ran within the last 32 days
• 9/12 had at least placed on their previous outing
• 8/12 had won on their previous outing
• 7/12 had previously won at least once over 5f
• 6/12 were in the top three in the betting (one favourite)

Record of the Favourites:

One winner in last 12 renewals at odds of 8/131.61.

Last year's Winner:

Charles Darwin (Aidan O'Brien, Ryan Moore) at 8/131.61.

Royal Ascot 16th Jun (Queen Anne Stakes)

Tuesday 16 June, 2.24pm

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15:05 - King George V Stake

• 11/12 had ran within the last 45 days
• 10/12 had an Official Rating of 89 or higher
• 10/12 had previously won at least once over 1m2f or further
• 8/12 had previously won at least once that season
• 7/12 carried a weight of 9st 1lb or less

Record of the Favourites:

Three winners in last 12 renewals at odds of 3/14.00, 4/15.00 and 4/15.00.

Last year's Winner:

Merchant (William Haggas, Tom Marquand) at 3/14.00.

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15:40 - Ribblesdale Stakes

• 11/12 had an Official Rating of 94 or higher
• 11/12 had ran within the last 46 days
• 10/12 were trained by either John (and Thady) Gosden or Aidan O'Brien
• 8/12 had previously won at least once between 1m2f and 1m4f
• 7/12 were in the top three in the betting (two favourites)

Record of the Favourites:

Two winners in last 12 renewals at odds of 11/82.38 and 15/82.88.

Last year's Winner:

Garden Of Eden (Aidan O'Brien, Ryan Moore) at 7/18.00.

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16:20 - Ascot Gold Cup

• 11/12 were aged between 4yo and 6yo
• 10/12 had an Offical Rating of 117 or higher
• 10/12 had won on their previous start
• 10/12 were in the top three in the betting (eight favourites)
• 9/12 had previously won at least one Group race

Record of the Favourites:

Eight winners in last 12 renewals at odds of 4/51.80, 10/111.91, 10/111.91, 1/12.00, 11/102.11, 13/82.63, 7/42.75 and 85/403.10.

Last year's Winner:

Trawlerman (John & Thady Gosden, William Buick) at 85/403.10.

Royal Ascot 18th Jun (Royal Ascot Gold Cup)

Thursday 18 June, 4.12pm

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17:00 - Britannia Stakes

• 11/12 had previously had at least two runs that season
• 10/12 carried a weight of 9st 3lb or less
• 10/12 had an Official Rating of between 90 and 97
• 10/12 wre drawn in stall 11 or higher
• 9/12 had previously won at least once that season

Record of the Favourites:

One winners in last 12 renewals at odds of 6/17.00.

Last year's Winner:

Arabian Story (Saeed bin Suroor, Oisin Murphy) at 15/28.50.

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17:35 - Hampton Court Stakes

• 11/12 had an Official Rating of 103 or higher
• 10/12 had ran within the last 42 days
• 10/12 had previously ran at least once over 1m2f
• 9/12 had previously won at least once that season
• 9/12 were in the top three in the betting (four favourites)

Record of the Favourites:

Four winners in last 12 renewals at odds of 11/82.38, 7/42.75, 15/82.88 and 5/23.50.

Last year's Winner:

Trinity College (Aidan O'Brien, Ryan Moore) at 5/23.50.

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18:10 - Buckingham Palace Stakes

*Please Note: There have only been seven renewals of the Buckingham Palace Stakes in the last 12 years

• 7/7 were aged between 4yo or older
• 7/7 had previously won at least two times on the Flat
• 6/7 were drawn in stall 24 or higher
• 5/7 had an Official Rating of between 92 and 99
• 5/7 had a starting price of 12/113.00 or higher

Record of the Favourites:

Two winners in last seven renewals at odds of 10/34.33 and 4/15.00.

Last year's Winner:

Never So Brave (Andrew Balding, Oisin Murphy) at 4/15.00.

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How can I bet on Royal Ascot?

There are many ways you can bet on Royal Ascot 2026, either on the Betfair Exchange or on the Betfair Sportsbook, with the most popular and traditional way being to back on individual races via either win or each-way bets.

There are a number of races priced up now for ante-post purposes on the Betfair Sportsbook and Betfair Exchange, while all markets will be priced up at the five-day entry stage.

The 'day of the race' markets typically appear around 48 hours before racing should you want to wait until the final declarations (runners and riders) are known.

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Betfair Safer Gambling: A range of tools to help

Betfair is committed to safer gambling and here you can find out about the tools that help you set your budget, keep track of your spend, take a break when you need it, and more. Click here for full details.

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And you don't just have to back singles. You can include more than one selection in what is called a multiple.

A selection in two different races combined in a multiple is called a double, three races it's a treble, and four or more races is often referred to as an acca (accumulator).

Closer to the races Betfair will be enhancing odds on certain horses, enhancing the place terms for each-way betting on some races (6 places paid instead of 4 for example), and providing plenty of 'specials' which can include a boosted price for a jockey to ride 2+ winners, or a horse to win by over 5 lengths, among many other specials.

And keep an eye out for the daily Betfair Superboost, where the Betfair Sportsbook will select a strongly-fancied odds-on shot - whether it be a horse to win or a horse to finish in a certain number of places - and superboost the price to 1/12.00 or even bigger.

From the Horse Racing section on the Betfair Sportsbook, simply click on the Specials tab to see all the offers for that day, Betfair Exchange specials can be found here.

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Royal Ascot Top Jockeys

When placing a bet, for a lot of people the jockey booking is essential. Having a top class or big-day experienced jockey - especially riding at Royal Ascot - on your side could be the difference between a winning bet and a losing bet.

Ryan Moore is by some distance the most successful Royal Ascot jockey still riding with 92 wins during his career, while the likes of William Buick, Oisin Murphy and James Doyle all have 30+ Royal Ascot wins to their name.

You can check out the current form of some selected jockeys by clicking on their name below (which will update in real time), while below that are the last eight winners of the Royal Ascot Top Jockey award.

- Ryan Moore
- William Buick
- Oisin Murphy
- James Doyle
- Colin Keane
- Tom Marquand
- Billy Loughnane

Royal Ascot leading jockey and no. of wins in last eight years:

2025 - Ryan Moore (7)
2024 - Ryan Moore (6)
2023 - Ryan Moore (6)
2022 - Ryan Moore (7)
2021 - Oisin Murphy (5)
2020 - Frankie Dettori (6)
2019 - Frankie Dettori (7)
2018 - Ryan Moore (5)

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Royal Ascot Top Trainers

Similar to having a top class jockey riding your horse, it's also hugely beneficial to have a brilliant or in-form trainer handling your selection.

You can check out the current form of some selected jockeys by clicking on their name below (which will update in real time), while below that are the last eight winners of the Royal Ascot Top Jockey award.

- Aidan O'Brien
- William Haggass
- Charlie Appleby
- John & Thady Gosden
- Andrew Balding
- Charlie Johnston

Royal Ascot leading trainer and no. of wins in last eight years:

2025 - John & Thady Gosden (5*)
2024 - Aidan O'Brien (6)
2023 - Aidan O'Brien (7)
2022 - Aidan O'Brien (5)
2021 - Charlie Appleby (4)
2020 - John Gosden (6)
2019 - Aidan O'Brien (6)
2018 - Sir Michael Stoute (5)

*won on countback (most placed horses)

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Betfair Education - Betting Explained

We understand and appreciate that not everyone betting on this year's Royal Ascot will be familiar with how it all works, and that to some new customers it may appear a bit daunting at first.

With so much information already given in this guide you might just want to jump straight in and place some bets. If that's the case, then we have you covered.

Within our excellent Betting Explained section on betting.betfair.com you will find all the educational pieces that you will need to place a bet.

You might just want to know what the simplest types of bets are available to you, or how betting odds work, and even how to place a bet on either the Betfair Sportsbook or Betfair Exchange.

Click the links below for some popular Betting Explained articles for beginners.

- What are the simplest types of bet? Click here.

- How do odds work? Click here.

- How to place a bet on the Betfair Exchange. Click here.

- How to place a bet on the Betfair Sportsbook. Click here.

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Make use of Betfair Beacons

Betfair have made it easier for horse racing customers to keep track of price moves on the Betfair Exchange, meaning you'll instantly be able to see which horses are shortening in price, and which are drifting, on all 35 Royal Ascot races.

The Betfair Beacons are here to light up a more efficient era where price movement is visible immediately.

A flames Beacon will show for horses that are popular in the market and are shortening. Horses that are not popular in the market that are drifting will be marked by a snowflake (see image below).

Betfair Beacons will not provide any information that isn't already available, but they mean you will no longer need to click into runners and check price graphs to see which horses are being backed and which ones are drifting as that information is shown automatically via the fire and ice.

They will indicate which horses are attracting money in the market and which ones aren't, allowing you to make quicker and better betting choices during Royal Ascot 2026.

For more on Betfair Beacons, click here.

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Horse Racing Jargon Buster

When it comes to betting, no sport has its own jargon more than Horse Racing.

From an Acca to a Yankee (we can't think of a term that starts with Z), taking in a Jolly and a Steamer, racing is full of weird and wacky terminology that you'll hear and read on a daily basis.

But what does it all mean? Fear not, we have you covered with our in-depth jargon buster below.

Accumulator (Acca)

In simple terms an accumulator is a bet consisting of at least two selections (legs) where all parts of the bet must be successful to secure a payout, with the winnings from the first part of the acca rolling onto the next part and so on.

However, a bet containing just two selections is referred to as a double, while three selections is called a treble, so the term Accumulator or Acca usually refers to a bet that contains at least four selections.

Ante-post

A betting market that appears well in advance of a race's scheduled start time, often meaning you can get bigger odds about your selection.

Back

A 'back' bet on a horse means you're backing that horse to either win or place if it's an each-way bet.

Banker

A horse that is very likely to win, or a horse that is by far your strongest selection if backing more than one, is considered to be a banker.

Betting Exchange

A platform through which gamblers can bet directly against each other on a peer-to-peer betting network, rather than a bookmaker. Betting exchanges like the Betfair Exchange allow lay bets to be made, as well as win and place bets, meaning that gamblers can bet on hores to lose.

Bookmaker

A bookmaker is the organisation that provides odds on the outcome of horse races in order to accept bets based on predictions by customers.

Cash Out

The process of taking a payout offered by your bookmaker before the full completion of the bet.

Dead Heat

When two or more horses cross the winning line at exactly the same time a dead heat is declared the result, meaning both (or all) horses are deemed the winner.

Double

A bet that contains just two horses in two different races whereby both horses must win to guarantee a return.

Drifter

A horse that is regularly getting bigger in price (its odds are lengthening) is referred to as a drifter.

Each-Way

An each-way bet is available in horse races that feature a winner and a number of other horses finishing in a sequence of places.

The bet involves a single selection but is comprised of two bets: a 'win bet' and a 'place bet'. The same horse is thereby backed to win the event at set odds, and backed to finish within a range of places at different odds. The each-way bet will provide a payout if either part of the bet proves successful.

Favourite

The shortest priced horse in the race, the market leader.

Fell (F)

Signified by a letter F in a form line, fell means that a horse tripped up, or didn't clear an obstacle in jump racing.

Flip-flop

When a favourite in a race drifts in price and/or the second favourite shortens in price meaning they swap positions at the head of the market, the favourites are said to flip-flop.

Forecast

A bet consisting of two horses where both must finish first and second in the order that you predict to guarantee a return.

Gamble

A gamble is a term used for a horse that has been significantly backed, whether it be by just a small number of punters for large stakes, or by many punters for smaller stakes, resulting in the horse's odds shortening considerably.

Going

The term used to describe how soft or hard the ground is on turf racing. In the UK the going ranges from Heavy (very soft ground) to Firm (hard ground) though the latter is a going you will rarely get these days because of horse welfare and the ability for racecourses to add water to the ground to make it less firm.

In-Running (In-Play)

A form of betting that has become hugely popular through online betting sites, and involves placing a bet on a horse after the racet has started but before the race concluds, hence betting In-Running. It is also referred to as In-Play, especially in sporting events other than horse racing.

Jolly

Another term used for the favourite in a horse race.

Jumps

The code of racing whereby most races are contested on a racecourse that contains 'jumps' in the form of hurdles and fences. Officially it is called National Hunt racing, but jumps is a more commonly used term. The jumps season usually runs from mid autumn to late spring.

Lay

On a betting exchange a customer can play a lay bet, which effectively means that you're backing a horse NOT to win. Laying a horse to win a race for example means that you're betting that it doesn't win the race and therefore every other horse in the race is on your side.

Long-shot

A horse who appears to have a low chance of winning and therefore is priced at big odds, 33/134.00 for example.

Lucky 15

A popular form of bet consisting of four different horses in four different races, making up 15 bets (4 x singles, 6 x doubles, 4 x trebles and 1 x four-fold). Just one horse must win to guarantee a return.

Market Mover

A horse that significantly moves in price, either by shortening - 10/111.00 into 3/14.00 for example - or by lengthening in price - 2/13.00 out to 6/17.00. A horse that significantly shortens in price is called a postive market mover while a horse that significantly lengthens in price is classed a a negative market mover.

Nap

A 'Nap' is often used by tipsters and simply means what is, in their opinion, their strongest fancy if they have put up two or more selections.

Non-Runner

Non-Runner means that a horse that was originally due to take part in a race is no longer going to take part, hence being a non-runner.

Non-Runner Money-Back

Non-Runner Money-Back (NRMB), also known as Non-Runner No-Bet (NRNB), is a concession that bookmakers will offer on some ante-post markets and simply means that should you back a horse that doesn't take part in the race, then you will get your stake back.

Odds

Also referred to as the price. Odds are the returns a bookmaker offers for a horse to win.

Odds-against

A price where the odds are bigger than 1/12.00 (fractional) or 2.01/1 (decimal); 2/13.00 for example.

Odds-on

A price where the odds are less than 1/12.00 (fractional) or 2.01/1 (decimal); 1/21.50 for example.

On the nose

To back a horse to win only without any consideration to backing it each-way. The term is derived from the fact that to determine the winner of a horse race, the first body part of a horse used when crossing the winning line is the nose.

Outsider

A horse who is deemed to have the least chance of winning in a race and therefore has the biggest betting odds.

Photo Finish

When two or more horses cross the winning line in very close proximity and it's not obvious which one won, a photo finish is declared, meaning a photograph (or a digital image) is required to determine who crossed the line first.

Pillar to Post

A term used for a horse that leads all the way (from start to finish) and wins a race.

Place Bet

A place bet involves backing a selection to finish in a particular place, or within a range of places, in a horse race.

Price

Also referred to as the odds. Price is the returns a bookmaker offers for a horse to win.

Pulled-Up (P)

Signified by a letter P in a form line, pulled-up means a horse was prevented from finishing a race by its jockey. This usually occurs when a horses gets injured in a race or is so far behind in a race that for its welfare it is better to pull it up rather than continue to race.

Punter

The individual or customer who places a bet.

Return

The money to be returned to the customer if a bet is successful.

Rule 4

A rule that allows a bookmaker to deduct a percentage of a customer's winnings should a horse become a non-runner AFTER the customer has backed a horse at a certain price.

Single

The simplest of all bets and means to back just one selection, whether to win or each-way, in a particular horse race.

Starting Price or SP

The starting price is the odds for each hose at the time of a race commencing, and is used to determine the payout to a customer if they didn't take an earlier price.

Stake

The amount of money that you bet on a horse.

Steamer

Similar to a gamble, a steamer is a horse that is being backed regularly meaning a significant shortening in the price.

Tailed Off

The term used for a horse that is a huge distance behind the rest of the runners during a race, and therefore has very little or no chance of winning.

Tip

A selection that is put up or advertised by a respected tipster. A tip can also be valuable but not widely known information about a horse - an owner telling a friend that his horse has been training really well for example, and therefore has a good chance of winning a race.

Trainer

The official name given to a person who holds a license to train horses and is therefore responsible for planning and entering horses into races.

Treble

A bet that contains three horses in three different races whereby all horses must win to guarantee a return.

Tricast

A bet consisting of three horses where all must finish first, second and third in the order that you predict to guarantee a return.

Unseated Rider (UR)

Signified by a letter U in a form line, unseated rider means a jockey came out of the saddle and fell of the horses during a race. This usually happens when a horse makes a mistake at a hurdle or fence but doesn't actually fall itself, it just unbalances the jockey resulting in an un-seat.

Void bet

A bet which is declared invalid. The stake is returned to the customer without deduction.

Yankee

A popular form of bet consisting of four different horses in four different races, making up 11 bets (6 x doubles, 4 x trebles and 1 x four-fold). At least two horses must win to guarantee a return.

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Now read more Horse Racing tips and previews here.

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