Royal Ascot Begins Today

The glitz and glamour of British racing's most famous meeting returns today as thousands descend on Berkshire for Royal Ascot.

The meeting brings together a selection of the world's best flat horses for five days of racing action.

The late Queen was a renowned racing fan, with Royal Ascot being her favourite meeting. This year the Platinum Jubilee Stakes will be renamed the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in her honour, while King Charles is expected to appear as part of the royal procession.

When is it?

Royal Ascot begins on Tuesday, June 20 and will run through to Saturday, June 24.

Where is it?

The meeting is held at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire.

Your day-by-day guide to Royal Ascot

Tuesday June 20

Race to watch: The King's Stand Stakes. On what should be the fifth day of the first Ashes Test it looks to be between Highfield Princess, the experienced Yorkshire homebred who has got faster with age, and Coolangatta, the crack Australian filly.

Tip of the day: Zoulu Chief in the Coventry Stakes (3.05pm). A 150-1 winner of his last start, the result has been dismissed all round. Never came out of his comfort zone winning by five lengths that day and sure to start a big price again.

Full race schedule for Tuesday

• Queen Anne Stakes - 2:30pm (BST)


• Coventry Stakes - 3:05pm


• King's Stand Stakes - 3:40pm


• St James's Palace Stakes - 4:20pm - Read Marcus Armytage's horse-by-horse guide to the race


• Ascot Stakes - 5pm


• Wolferton Stakes - 5:35pm


• Copper Horse Stakes - 6:10pm

Marlborough racing tips

2.30 Modern Games
3.05 Zoulu Chief
3.45 Coolangatta
4.20 Chaldean
5.00 Zinc White
5.35 Francesco Clemente

Wednesday June 21

Race to watch: The big race is the Prince of Wales's Stakes in which 2021 Derby winner, Adayar, tries to bag a first Group One over a mile and a quarter and set himself up as a stallion. He will meet top-class opponents in Luxembourg and Bay Bridge, who beat him in the Champion Stakes, albeit on more testing ground.

Tip of the day: Intellogent in the Royal Hunt Cup (5pm). A 12-1 shot, he likes fast ground and Ascot. He was runner-up in this race 12 months ago only beaten half a length. This year he is1lb lower at the weights - which should give him half a length to spare!

Full race schedule for Wednesday

• Queen Mary Stakes - 2:30pm


• Kensington Palace Stakes - 3:05pm


• Duke Of Cambridge Stakes - 3:40pm


• Prince Of Wales's Stakes - 4:20pm


• Royal Hunt Cup - 5pm


• Queen's Vase Stakes - 5:35pm


• Windsor Castle Stakes - 6:10pm

Thursday June 22

Race to watch: Blink and you'll miss the Norfolk Stakes. We have seen these US speedball two-year-olds before and it is a while since one has won but Wesley Ward's American Rascal looks the business. He won over four and a half furlongs at Keeneland on his only start by 10 and half lengths. He's out of Lady Aurelia, who won a Queen Mary and King's Stand for Ward. He'll need to go a bit to turn away our own speed merchant, Elite Status.

Tip of the day: Two years ago Subjectivist was as good a Gold Cup winner as there had been for a long time. An injury looked like putting paid to his career but he's been brought back. He's been a bit rusty but two runs should have put him right and in an open Gold Cup (4.20pm) he looks a steal at 8-1.

Full race schedule for Thursday

• Norfolk Stakes - 2:30pm


• King George V Stakes - 3:05pm


• Ribblesdale Stakes - 3:40pm


• Gold Cup - 4:20pm


• Britannia Stakes - 5pm


• Hampton Court Stakes - 5:35pm


• Buckingham Palace Stakes - 6:10pm

Friday June 23

Race to watch: The King Edward VII Stakes, the Derby consolation. It probably offers the King and Queen their best chance of getting off the mark at the Royal meeting this week in Circle of Fire. He wasn't suited by the all-weather last time and should be better back on turf.

Tip of the day: Shaquille in the Commonwealth Cup (4.20). Little Big Bear will be a short priced favourite but he came up the golden highway when impressive at Haydock and it might be worth opposing such a shortie.

Full race schedule for Friday

• Albany Stakes - 2:30pm


• Commonwealth Cup - 3:05pm


• Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes - 3:40pm


• Coronation Stakes - 4:20pm


• Sandringham Stakes - 5pm


• King Edward VII Stakes - 5:35pm


• Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes - 6:10pm

Saturday June 24

Race to watch: Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. From a training perspective Northumberland-born Richard Gibson has been one of our greatest exports; in France and then Hong Kong. This is his last season in the far east and it will be interesting to see if Wellington, one of the mainstays of sprinting in Hong Kong, can sign him out with a Royal Ascot winner.

Tip of the day: Chipstead in the Wokingham Handicap. An improving sprinter whose brother, Oxted, who the July Cup and King's Stand Stakes. He was an impressive winner at York last time.

Full race schedule for Saturday

• Chesham Stakes - 2:30pm


• Jersey Stakes - 3:05pm


• Hardwicke Stakes - 3:40pm


• Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes - 4:20pm


• Wokingham Stakes - 5pm


• Golden Gates Stakes - 5:35pm


• Queen Alexandra Stakes - 6:10pm

Runners and riders for Tuesday's big race

By Marcus Armytage

St James's Palace Stakes

1m (7f213y), Rnd, Group 1, British Champions Series, Class 1, 3yo

1743-0 Age of Kings (Aidan O'Brien) The only runner not to have a three figure rating. Well beaten by Paddington on his reappearance in Irish Guineas. Should come on for that but even by trainer's standards, this would come under miracle working. 100-1

211- Al Rifa (Joseph O'Brien) Useful two-year-old winning National Stakes on last start. Unraced this season and has buckets of stamina in pedigree so this might be quite a tall order first up. But he was ante-post favourite for Irish Guineas until meeting a little set-back so he could represent a value each-way shot here. 20-1

111-U1 Chaldean (Andrew Balding) The 2,000 Guineas winner. Looked a class act there and sets the standard here along and if Charyn is a good guide he has a bit in hand over Paddington and Isaac Shelby. Keeps winning and looks a very uncomplicated horse. He bids to start Frankie Dettori's last Royal meeting with a bang. 2-1

1231- 284 Charyn (Roger Varian) Group Two winning two-year-old who has danced all the dances for three-year-old milers this season. Finished closest in Ireland but has a bit to find with the main players. 40-1

1-11 Cicero's Gift (Charlie Hills) The only unbeaten runner in the field. Dotted up in conditions race at Goodwood last start when he still looked like he was learning but not much has come out of it since. Nevertheless you can only beat what's put in front of you. Unbeaten means we don't know yet how good he might be but looks a bit skinny in the market to me. 7-2

41-345 Galeron (Charlie Hills) Five lengths behind Chaldean, three and a half behind Paddington - he has a bit to find with the big shots but has been more than paying his way with £575,000 in the bank already. Unlikely to win it but could be an each-way shot. 25-1

122-10 Indestructible (Karl Burke) Won the Craven Stakes first up this season but pulled hard at the back in the Guineas and never advanced from there. Might have been a bit back to drawing board after that. Will need to put that behind him and put best foot forward here. 40-1

117-12 Isaac Shelby (Brian Meehan) Won the Greenham and then ran a cracker in the French 2,000 Guineas nailed late on by a 25-1 shot. That was probably the weakest of three Guineas and might have been his best shot at Group One glory. Named after the first governor of Kentucky, on ratings he looks set for fourth or fifth. 15-2

1-51 Mostabshir (John Gosden) Looked promising on only start at two, found the Craven a bit too much too soon and trainer's horses were out of sorts then but resumed steep progression at York beating a subsequent winner by five lengths. Probably longer on promise than actual form but could well be in the mix.  13-2

51-111 Paddington (Aidan O'Brien) Irish Guineas winner beating Cairo two lengths. Did not look like he had an electric turn of foot that day but got there eventually and won going away suggesting a mile and a quarter might be his optimum trip one day. Will probably be ridden handily with a view to getting first run. 2-1

152-39 Royal Scotsman (Paul Cole) Not a whole lot between him and Chaldean on their Newmarket form at two and three, it is just that you could put your granny on Chaldean while Royal Scotsman seems to be his own worst enemy. Pulled hard early in the Guineas, had sore feet after The Curragh. Back to form at home. One day it will all fall into place for this talented colt but it will need to. 12-1