Ascot Racecourse
Britain’s most prestigious flat racecourse and host of Royal Ascot — the five-day June meeting that is on a par with the Cheltenham Festival for international standing. Ascot stages eight Group 1 races annually, more than any other British venue, and operates dual-purpose fixtures across the year.
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About Ascot Racecourse
Britain’s most prestigious flat racecourse and host of Royal Ascot — the five-day June meeting that is on a par with the Cheltenham Festival for international standing. Ascot stages eight Group 1 races annually, more than any other British venue, and operates dual-purpose fixtures across the year. Ascot Racecourse is a dual-purpose racecourse hosting both flat and National Hunt fixtures, located at High Street, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7JX.
Royal Ascot, mid-June
Five days of championship flat racing in the company of the Royal Family. Eight Group 1 races on the card — the Queen Anne Stakes, St James’s Palace, Prince of Wales’s, Gold Cup, Coronation Stakes, Diamond Jubilee and others — with international entries from across Europe, Australia and the United States.
Meetings & feature races
Ascot Racecourse stages more Group 1 racing than any other venue in Britain. The flagship is the five-day Royal Ascot meeting in June — on a par with the Cheltenham Festival in terms of prestige and the most important flat meeting of the British season. The track also hosts QIPCO British Champions Day in October, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in July, and major jumps fixtures including the Clarence House Chase, the Ascot Chase and the December Meeting.
Royal Ascot (mid-June)
The classics apart, Royal Ascot is the big flat festival of the year in the UK, on a par in terms of prestige with the Cheltenham Festival. Some of the biggest names in racing target the five-day extravaganza, with entrants from across the globe looking to make their mark. There are eight Group 1 races with the Gold Cup seen as the premier event, although the richest race on the card is the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.
Gold Cup Key Trends
Eight of the last nine winners of the Gold Cup have been either favourite or second favourite, with nine of the last 12 winning their previous race before the two-mile-four-furlong marathon. Previous Group 1 winners account for seven of the last 12 winners, with ten winners having at least one success over two miles or further.
QIPCO British Champions Day (mid-October)
The richest day in British flat racing, staging five Group 1 races including the Champion Stakes, the QEII, the Long Distance Cup, the Sprint Stakes and the Fillies & Mares Stakes. Total prize money exceeds £4 million. Champions Day closes the British flat season and crowns the winners of the seasonal Champions Series.
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (late July)
The signature mid-summer Group 1 over 1m 4f, traditionally seen as the championship contest between the leading three-year-olds and their elders. The roll of honour includes some of the greatest horses in racing history: Mill Reef, Brigadier Gerard, Dahlia, Generous, Galileo, Sea The Stars and Enable.
Clarence House Chase (January)
One of the season’s premier two-mile chases, the Clarence House is the key Cheltenham Champion Chase pointer of January. The Grade 1 was historically held at Cheltenham itself before being switched to Ascot in 2007.
Ascot Chase Raceday (February)
The headline jumps meeting between Christmas and the Cheltenham Festival. The Grade 1 Ascot Chase over 2m 5f is a key prep race for the Ryanair Chase at the Festival and routinely attracts the leading 2m-3m chasers.
December Meeting
The two-day pre-Christmas jumps fixture featuring the Long Walk Hurdle (Grade 1, 3m) and a strong supporting card of handicaps. The Long Walk is the year’s definitive long-distance hurdle and a key pointer to the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Festival.
Live races at Ascot
Upcoming races at Ascot
Live racecards from Ascot — pulled from our racing data feed, refreshed throughout the day.
Royal Ascot Gold Cup — key trends
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Course statistics & betting angles
Royal Ascot’s round mile favours low-to-middle draws in big fields. In the straight-course sprints, the stands’ side has held an edge in recent years.
Royal Ascot routinely attracts the strongest international fields of any British meeting. American horses target the Diamond Jubilee Stakes; Australian sprinters travel for the King Charles III Stakes.
Aidan O’Brien, Charlie Appleby, John & Thady Gosden and William Haggas dominate Royal Ascot Group races. In jumps fixtures, Nicky Henderson is the trainer of choice.
Royal Ascot ground is typically good to firm in June. Champions Day in October frequently produces soft conditions and rewards horses with proven autumn form.
How to watch racing at Ascot
ITV and Sky Sports have comprehensive coverage of all five days of Royal Ascot, with both providing up to the minute news from the track. Champions Day is shown live on ITV. Racing TV covers every race at every Ascot fixture across the year. For race-by-race tips and value picks, the horse.bet UK Racing Predictor publishes daily picks for every Ascot card.
Visiting Ascot
Ascot Racecourse sits in the village of Ascot in Berkshire, around 25 miles west of central London. Ascot railway station is a 7-minute walk from the course with direct services from London Waterloo (50 minutes). The M3 (Junction 3) and M4 (Junction 6) are both within 15 minutes. Royal Ascot operates strict dress codes — full morning dress required in the Royal Enclosure; smart attire in the Queen Anne Enclosure.
Official Ascot Racecourse website →
Frequently asked questions
When is Royal Ascot?
Royal Ascot is held over five days in mid-June each year, running from Tuesday to Saturday. The dates are fixed around the third week of June.
What is the biggest race at Royal Ascot?
The Gold Cup, a Group 1 over 2 miles 4 furlongs run on the Thursday (Ladies Day), is the most prestigious. The Prince of Wales’s Stakes is the most valuable race in prize-money terms.
What is the dress code at Royal Ascot?
The Royal Enclosure requires full morning dress for men (tailcoat, waistcoat, top hat) and formal day dresses with hats for women. The Queen Anne Enclosure has a smart code; the Village Enclosure is more relaxed.
Does Ascot stage jump racing?
Yes. Ascot operates a dual-purpose calendar with major jumps fixtures including the Clarence House Chase in January, the Ascot Chase in February and the December Meeting featuring the Long Walk Hurdle.
Where can I find Royal Ascot tips?
The horse.bet UK Racing Predictor publishes Royal Ascot picks the morning of racing each day, with full-field probability ratings and value plays.
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