This week is one of great celebration, pomp and pageantry in the world of horse 
racing as one of the premier meetings of the year, Royal Ascot, begins on Tuesday 19th June, running through until Saturday 23rd June.
Across the five days of action, there is almost as much focus on the fashions on show, particularly on Ladies Day on Thursday 21st June, where the focus is as much on the lady’s fashions on show as it is the action on the course.
Each day of the meeting features a number of top quality races and we have gone through the cards for each of the days to bring you a preview of the races each day, as well as the horses we think stand the best chance of landing you a winner in one or more of the races taking place that day.
With the weather forecast for decent weather for the entire meeting, it promises to be a rare gloriously sunny Royal Ascot this year and we’re hoping it will be even brighter by landing a few winners on each day. Let’s begin our preview of the five days of action by taking a look at the races being run on Tuesday.
Of course, you’ll need a quality bookmaker to enjoy the best of the betting and you can do that at bet365, who offer extensive betting markets, as well as plenty of great antepost betting.
For each day, I will give you a tip for the biggest race of the day (which usually takes place at 4.20pm) and one other race that day.
Royal Ascot – Tuesday 19th June
- 30 – Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1)
- 05 – Coventry Stakes (Group 2)
- 40 – Kings Stand Stakes (Group 1)
- 20 – St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1)
- 00 – Ascot Stakes (Handicap)
- 35 – Wolferton Stakes (Listed)
The highlight of the opening day of Royal Ascot is the St. James’s Palace Stakes which has seen the likes of Frankel, Dawn Approach, Henrythenavigator and Kingman win the race in recent years. Barney Roy was the winner back in 2017. For the 2018 race, it should be a four-horse race with Tip Two Wim, Romanised and US Navy Flag all in with a chance, though my tip here is the current favourite Without Parole who is currently a 9/4 shot with bet365.
For my second tip on the opening day I am going to back Benbatl in the 2.30 Queen Anne Stakes. The Saeed Bin Suroor trained horse has been well backed in the antepost betting markets coming in from 13/2 down to 5/1 with bet365 and the feeling is that improving conditions will suit the horse and make it a real challenger to favourite Rhododendron, as well as challengers Recoletos and Deauville.
Royal Ascot – Wednesday 20th June
- 30 – Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2)
- 05 – Queen’s Vase (Group 2)
- 40 – Duke of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2)
- 20 – Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1)
- 00 – Royal Hunt Cup (Handicap)
- 35 – Jersey Stakes (Group 3)
The Prince of Wales’s Stakes is the big race on Wednesday and for me there is just one name on every punters lips for this one. John Gosden’s Cracksman, ridden by Frankie Dettori, has won each of his last five races and in a relatively small field, he is by some considerable distance the class act of the field and it would take a huge effort from one of the other runners to deny him a victory. Cracksman is currently 8/15 with bet365 for the win and I think he may well be shorter than that come the start of the race.
My second tip of the day on Wednesday comes in the Queen’s Vase at 3.05pm, which should be a very competitive race with four horses in particular reckoned to be in with a great shout. Kew Gardens remains the favourite to win here, but Southern France will be a close contender, while you can’t rule out Nelson. However my tips is number 11 Stream of Stars, who is a 3/1 shot with bet365 and who could be a second big winner of the day for the Gosden-Dettori team.
Royal Ascot – Thursday 21st June – Ladies Day
- 30 – Norfolk Stakes (Group 2)
- 05 – The Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3)
- 40 – The Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2)
- 20 – Ascot Gold Cup (Group 1)
- 00 – The Britannia Stakes (Handicap)
- 30 – King George V Stakes (Handicap)
Ladies Day always signals on eof the most exciting races of the meeting with the Ascot Gold Cup starting at 4.20. Big Orange isn’t back to defend the title he won last year, which means that it looks like being a close run thing between Vazirabad, Stradivarius and last year’s runner up Order of St George. They are the trio of horses that will feature prominently in this race and while I can see the merits of the other two, I think this is the year Order of St George, currently 15/8 with bet365, finally gets his hand on the crown that slipped away last year.
My next tip is an each way tip on the first race of Ladies Day, the Norfolk Stakes, which should be a very competitive and open race. While Shang Shang Shang and Konchek may be amongst the market leaders here, I think this has the potential to be one of the upset races of the meeting and so I am backing the excellently named Rumble inthejungle to come through and claim a place at 10/1 with bet365.
Royal Ascot – Friday 22nd June
- 30 – Albany Stakes (Group 3)
- 05 – King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2)
- 40 – Commonwealth Cup (Group 1)
- 20 – Coronation Stakes (Group 1)
- 00 – Sandringham Stakes (Handicap)
- 30 – Duke of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap)
Friday’s big race is the Coronation Stakes, which will likely have a very strong field and which sees Clemmie as the current 7/2 favourite with Coral Sports. However, after looking at the potential runners, my personal pick here is Alpha Centauri, who is a 7/2 shot with bet365 and who I think will likely be shorter odds come race time on Friday.
The other big race on Friday is the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup, which features a slightly larger and more expansive field than the Coronation Stakes. This could well be a very open race and I think that there are a number of possibilities here. If not declared for a different race U S Navy Flag may be an option here, but my money would be on Sioux Nation, a 4/1 shot with bet365.
Royal Ascot – Saturday 23rd June
- 30 – Chesham Stakes (Listed)
- 05 – Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2)
- 40 – Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed)
- 20 – Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Group 1)
- 00 – Wokingham Stakes (Handicap)
- 30 – Queen Alexandra Stakes (Conditions)
The final day of racing sees the Diamond Jubilee Stakes and this open race should feature plenty of talented runners and my pick of the bunch is the Aidan O’Brien trained Merchant Navy, which will likely go off at around the 7/2 mark with bet365 on the day.
My final tip for Saturday and indeed for Royal Ascot comes in the 3.40 the Windsor Castle Stakes and in what promises to be a hugely competitive race I am going to back The Irish Rover, who is currently available at 8/1 with bet365.
