Royal Ascot, one of the UK’s premier horse racing events, returns next week with the five-day festival to take place between June 17-21.
Here is everything you need to know.
Jump to:
How to watch | Ladies’ Day
Gold Cup runners list | Gold Cup odds
Who are the Gold Cup favourites?
Which race has the most prize money?
Royal Ascot day-by-day race guide
Note: All times are British Summer Time (BST). All Group 1 races (the biggest at the event) in bold.
Tuesday, Day 1
2.30 p.m. — Queen Anne Stakes
3.05 p.m. — Coventry Stakes
3.40 p.m. — King Charles III Stakes
4.20 p.m. — St. James’s Palace Stakes
5.00 p.m. — Ascot Stakes (Handicap)
5.35 p.m. — Wolferton Stakes (Listed)
6.10 p.m. — Copper Horse Stakes (Handicap)
Wednesday, Day 2
2.30 p.m. — Queen Mary Stakes
3.05 p.m. — Queen’s Vase
3.40 p.m. — Duke of Cambridge Stakes
4.20 p.m. — Prince of Wales’s Stakes
5.00 p.m. — Royal Hunt Cup
5.35 p.m. — Kensington Palace Stakes
6.10 p.m. — Windsor Castle Stakes
Thursday, Day 3 (Ladies’ Day)
2.30 p.m. — Norfolk Stakes
3.05 p.m. — King George V Stakes
3.45 p.m. — Ribblesdale Stakes
4.20 p.m. — Gold Cup
5.00 p.m. — Britannia Stakes
5.35 p.m. — Hampton Court Stakes
6.10 p.m. — Buckingham Palace Stakes
Friday, Day 4
2.30 p.m. — Albany Stakes
3.05 p.m. — Commonwealth Cup
3.40 p.m. — Duke of Edinburgh Stakes
4.20 p.m. — Coronation Stakes
5.00 p.m. — Sandringham Stakes
5.35 p.m. — King Edward VII Stakes
6.10 p.m. — Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes
Saturday, Day 5
2.30 p.m. — Chesham Stakes
3.05 p.m. — Hardwicke Stakes
3.40 p.m. — Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes
4.20 p.m. — Jersey Stakes
5.00 p.m. — Wokingham Stakes
5.35 p.m. — Golden Gates Stakes
6.10 p.m. — Queen Alexandra Stakes
The entire five-day festival will be shown on ITVX, while the majority of action will be shown on ITV1.
What is Ascot known for? And what is ‘Ladies’ Day’?Ladies’ Day takes place on Thursday — the third day of the festival. Samir Hussein/WireImage
Formal attire is not a rarity in horse racing, although Royal Ascot may take the title for the event best-known for its fashion. Expect to see men in top hat and tails, and for women to be wearing large, bright hats and fascinators.
Most racecourses feature one “Ladies’ Day” on the calendar, and Ascot host its iconic version on Day 3 of the festival (Thursday). Spectators are urged to let fashion take centre stage for the day, with women encouraged to dress with even more glamour, colour and vibrancy.
Gold Cup full runners list (horse, trainer and jockey)
Illinois, R L Moore, A P O’Brien
Trawlerman, W Buick, J & T Gosden
Candelari, M Barzalona, F Graffard
Sweet William, R Havlin, J & T Gosden
Yashin, Callum Shepherd, M L W Bell
Wonder Legend, Daniel Muscutt, J Ferguson
Dubai Future, James McDonald, S bin Suroor
Coltrane, Oisin Murphy, A M Balding
Gold Cup oddsThe Gold Cup race will be run at 4.20 p.m. on Thursday. Tom Dulat/Getty Images for Ascot Racecourse
Note: Odds are courtesy of Bet365 and are correct as of Wednesday. They are subject to change.
Illinois, 13/8
Trawlerman, 11/4
Candelari, 10/3
Sweet William, 7/1
Yashin, 25/1
Wonder Legend, 28/1
Dubai Future, 33/1
Coltrane, 40/1
Who is the favourite for the Gold Cup?
Two-time champion Kyprios (2022 and 2024) retired last month after aggravating an old ringbone lesion, meaning the famous stayer will not compete at this year’s event.
In his place as favourites arrives another horse from Aidan O’Brien’s yard — four-year-old Illinois — who has five wins and four runners-up finishes in his 11 races.
Trawlerman, who finished second behind Kyprios last year, is also among the favourites, as is Francis Graffard’s Candelari, who has won four of his five career starts.
What is the prize money?The Gold Cup is one of the most prestigious races at the Royal Ascot festival. David Davies/PA Images via Getty Images
The total prize money for the five-day event is £10.05 million, equalling last year’s record.
The Prince of Wales’s Stakes and Queen Elizabeth II’s Stakes are the most financially rewarding races, each boasting £1m across all horses. All Group 1 races will be worth a minimum of £650,000, with all other races awarding at least £110,000 in total.