Marcus Richards
Royal Ascot is one of the highlights of the British sporting calendar during summer. The meeting attracts just over 250,000 spectators to the racecourse over five days, with millions also tuning in across the world.
Here is a look at everything you need to know about this year’s meeting.
Eight Group One Races
Group One races are the highest grade in the sport, and there are set to be eight at Royal Ascot in 2024, including the Ascot Gold Cup, the highlight of the week. Irish horse Kyprios is the 13/8 favorite in the racing odds to win the day three feature this year.
The horse race results show the horses who landed the headlines at the meeting in 2023. Some of these stars are set to return to defend their crowns in their respective division. One of those is Inspiral, who prevailed in the opening race of the week last year in the Queen Anne Stakes. The five-year-old mare will be bidding to become the first repeat winner of that 1m contest since 1907.
There are expected to be several international runners making the trip across to Royal Ascot this season. Arguably the biggest name is the Australian mare Chain Of Lightning. She has an entry in both the King Charles III Stakes and Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.
Leading Trainers
Hall of Fame trainer Aidan O’Brien became the most successful Royal Ascot trainer in history in 2023 when Paddington won the Group One St James’s Palace Stakes. He overtook British trainer Sit Michael Stoute in the all-time standings.
City Of Troy. Brilliant in the Dewhurst Stakes 🚀
🏇 Three runs
🥇 Three wins
🏆 G1 Native Trail Dewhurst Stakes
🏆 G2 Superlative Stakes
😍 What a prospect@Ballydoyle | @NewmarketRace pic.twitter.com/wo7HJP2EjH— Racing TV (@RacingTV) October 14, 2023
Leading Jockeys
It’s FRANKIE DETTORI in the Gold Cup! 🏆
Courage Mon Ami and Dettori win the Gold Cup for the Gosden team at @Ascot after a titanic tussle with Coltrane up the straight! #RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/jJ20RC21cU— Sky Sports Racing (@SkySportsRacing) June 22, 2023
Unfortunately, Frankie Dettori is not expected to be riding at Royal Ascot in 2024. The charismatic jockey rode for the last time at the meeting in 2023 when Courage Mon Ami won the Ascot Gold Cup for the Italian.
Ryan Moore was the leading jockey at Royal Ascot in 2023 with six winners. With 79 triumphs at the meeting, the former Champion Jockey is closing in on a century of winners, a milestone that has only been achieved by Lester Piggott.
Royal Precession Still Expected
King Charles III has yet to reveal if he will be attending Royal Ascot this year, however, regardless of that decision, there will still be a royal precession before the start of racing each day.
The King was fortunate to have a winner at the meeting in 2023 as an owner. His horse, Desert Hero, won the King George V Stakes. He is likely to have several runners carrying his silks in 2024.
Enjoy all the action from this year’s Royal Ascot Meeting, which is scheduled to take place between 18-22 June.
