Royal Ascot Kicks Off: Glamour and High Stakes

Royal Ascot, racing’s most glamorous event, begins its five-day meeting on Tuesday. The Berkshire track will welcome over 250,000 racegoers throughout the week with warm, dry weather anticipated. Notably, three top-level Group One races highlight the first day. For instance, French challengers Facteur Cheval and Big Rock will contend in the Queen Anne Stakes.

Additionally, Big Evs competes in the King Charles III Stakes. Moreover, the St James’s Palace Stakes features a rematch between the 2,000 Guineas top two, Notable Speech and Rosallion. Unbeaten Notable Speech, trained by Charlie Appleby for Godolphin, seeks a fifth career victory and is favored against Richard Hannon’s Rosallion, who subsequently won the Irish Guineas. Other contenders include Aidan O’Brien’s Henry Longfellow.

When is Royal Ascot?

Royal Ascot starts on Tuesday, 18 June, and ends on Saturday, 22 June. The event includes seven races each day, totaling 35 races with a total prize money of £10m. Racing begins at 14:30 BST daily, with the final race at 18:15.

How to Follow Royal Ascot

BBC Radio 5 Live will provide updates. Additionally, BBC Radio Berkshire will host a dedicated program each day with live commentaries from 14:00 to 17:00 BST, extending to 18:30 on Saturday.

Ascot Weather and Conditions

Sunny spells and light winds are expected, with temperatures around 22C. The going on Tuesday is described as good to firm after 5mm of watering to maintain the ground conditions.

Tuesday’s Schedule

• 14:30 – Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) – one mile
• 15:05 – Coventry Stakes (Group 2) – six furlongs
• 15:45 – King Charles III Stakes (Group 1) – five furlongs
• 16:25 – St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1) – one mile
• 17:05 – Ascot Stakes (Class 2 handicap) – two miles, four furlongs
• 17:40 – Wolferton Stakes (Listed) – one mile, two furlongs
• 18:15 – Copper Horse Stakes (Class 2 handicap) – one mile, six furlongs

Other Big-Race Highlights

On Wednesday, Auguste Rodin, last season’s English and Irish Derby winner for O’Brien, is favored for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes. Inspiral has rerouted here from the Queen Anne Stakes. Moving on to Thursday, the Gold Cup serves as the main event on Ladies’ Day, with O’Brien’s 2022 winner Kyprios aiming to regain the title.

The race will conclude about half an hour before England’s Euro 2024 match against Denmark, which big screens at the course will show. As for Friday, it features two Group One races: the Commonwealth Cup with top sprinter Elite Status and the Coronation Stakes with fillies like Opera Singer and 1,000 Guineas winner Elmalka.

Finally, on Saturday, Kinross attempts to win the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes for trainer Ralph Beckett. The Wokingham Stakes handicap race will present another challenging race for punters.

Will There Be a Royal Winner?

It remains unknown if King Charles III and Queen Camilla will attend. Last year, Desert Hero gave the King his first Royal Ascot win in the King George V Stakes and is entered for the Hardwicke Stakes on Saturday. Jockey Frankie Dettori will attend the meeting, promoting a restaurant hospitality venture, but he will not ride. This absence gives Ryan Moore, O’Brien’s stable jockey, a chance to surpass Dettori’s record of 81 victories at the meeting.

Additionally, James Doyle, the first rider for Wathnan Racing, anticipates a big week. Wathnan, owned by Sheikh Tamim, the emir of Qatar, acquired Haatem, Shartash, and Space Legend before Ascot. Last year, Wathnan achieved success with Gold Cup winner Courage Mon Ami and Queen’s Vase victor Gregory.