The Royal Ascot favourites will be the horses the UK bookmakers will fear with punters betting on these Ascot runners the most. Since 2018, Royal Ascot favourites have also won at a strike-rate of 28%, so what are the big market leader horses to look out for in 2023?
Best Horse Racing Offers for Royal Ascot
When Is Royal Ascot 2023?
You can see the full 2023 Royal Ascot race times and schedule for the five days here.
📅Time/Date: Tues 20th June to Sat 24th June 2023 (1st race 2:30pm, last race 6:10pm)
🏇Racecourse: Royal Ascot, Berkshire
📺 TV: ITV/ Sky Sports Racing
🎲 Ascot Gold Cup Odds: Coltrane 3/1 | Eldar Eldarov 7/2 | Emily Dickinson 7/1
Royal Ascot Favourites on Day One: Tuesday 20th June 2023
Queen Anne Stakes: MODERN GAMES @ 7/4
The Queen Anne this year looks a bit of a two-horse battle if the betting is to be believed – with last year’s Coronation Stakes winner Inspiral also short in the betting. However, at this stage it’s Modern Games topping the market (just) as Godolphin’s globetrotter is set to make his Royal Ascot debut. This Dubawi 4 year-old heads here after an impressive win in the Group One Lockinge Stakes at Newbury (watch below), while the Queen Anne is a race the ‘boys in blue’ have won 8 times and could very well be win number 9 come around 2:35 on Tuesday 20th June.
Coventry Stakes: ASADNA @ 11/4
This George Boughey 2 year-old colt could not have been more impressive when winning on debut at Ripon by 12 lengths (watch below) and since then has propped up the betting for the Coventry Stakes on the opening day. Of course, it’s hard to know what he beat that day and this is a big step up in grade, but it was hard to not be taken by the way he won and the up- and-coming Boughey camp were on the Royal Ascot scoresheet last season.
King’s Stand Stakes: HIGHFIELD PRINCESS @ 11/4
This John Quinn-trained sprinting mare is as consistent as they come in this sphere, and she’ll be a popular pick to go close in the big day one sprint. Highfield Princess was last seen running Azure Blue to 1/2 a length in the G2 Duke Of Clipper Stakes last month and with that coming off 193-days away from the track will be spot-on for this now. She’s versatile in terms of trip – winning over 5f and 7f and has tasted the Royal Meeting in the past when winning the 2021 Buckingham Palace Stakes.
St James’s Palace Stakes: CHALDEAN @ 2/1
Chaldean provided Frankie Dettori memorable 2000 Guineas win at Newmarket last month (watch below) and this Andrew Balding runner will be all the rage to give the popular Italian rider another big day in the sun. This Frankel colt has won 5 of his 7 career starts now and with that last win being his first try over a mile there could be more to come from this two-time Group One winner. He’ll also be taking on the Irish 2000 Guineas winner Paddington, so we’ll know who’s the ‘King of the Guineas’ after this year’s St James’s Palace Stakes.
Ascot Stakes: BRING ON THE NIGHT @ 9/4
This 6 year-old has not been seen on the track since running an excellent 3/4 of a length second in this race 12 months ago – beaten by one of the Ascot Gold Cup favourites Coltrane and also gave that horse 5lbs (watch below). The form of that effort has been given a shot in the arm many times since with the winner now a leading ‘cup horse’ and rated 19lbs higher. Despite the absence from the course, trainer Willie Mullins loves readying one for the big day off a break and if Bring On The Night runs to the same level as last year will be a massive player here. The yard are eye-up their fifth win in this day one Royal Ascot marathon event, which is run over 2m4f.
Copper Horse Stakes: VAUBAN @ 2/1
National Hunt racing lovers will see a well-known face here as the Mullins Champion Hurdle 4th and the 2022 Triumph Hurdle winner, Vauban is entered in the 1m6f Copper Horse Stakes. Owned by the Ricci team, this 5 year-old was last seen running his stablemate State Man to 3 lengths in the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle (watch below) but is back on the flat here. He’s raced just 4 times on the level but has won 50% of those contests – they all came pre-Mullins, when trained in France. Vauban looks a class act and in this handicap could be ‘thrown-in’ off a flat rating of just 101!
Royal Ascot Favourites on Day Two: Wednesday 21st June 2023
Duke Of Cambridge Stakes: JUMBLY @ 5/2
This Gleneagles filly was switched from the Roger Charlton yard to Joseph O’Brien in Ireland over the winter and returned to the track last month with a fair second in the Lawades Stud Stakes at the Curragh (watch below). Jumbly is a past winner at Ascot (not Royal) when winning at the Berkshire track last July in the Group Three Valiant Stakes and should be spot-on for this with that last run coming off 309-days away.
Prince Of Wales’s Stakes: LUXEMBOURG @ 2/1
Luxembourg was last in action the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the end of May at the Curragh (watch below) and don’t forget this Aidan O’Brien runner also finished third in the 2000 Guineas last season. It’s a prize O’Brien has also won four times in the past, with his most recent being Love in 2021.
He’ll face a big challenge from the 2021 Epsom Derby winner Adayar, who is also vying for the favourites berth in the POW.
Royal Ascot Favourites on Day Three: Thursday 22nd June 2023
Norfolk Stakes: ELITE STATUS @ 6/4
This Karl Burke-trained juvenile went to the top of the Norfolk Stakes betting market after two easy wins at Doncaster on debut and more recently in the Listed National Stakes (watch below) at Sandown. He’s won both his races by a total of 8 lengths (3 and 5) and even though he could face the speedy-looking Wesley Ward-trained American Rascal, it’s difficult to crab what Elite Status has done to date and is sure to have many backers on Gold Cup and Ladies Day.
Ribblesdale Stakes: AL ASIFAH @ 4/5
A late supplement for this race and the bookmakers are taking no chances – making this Gosden runner odds-on for this day three Group Two contest. She’s a filly that has caught the eye on many – winning both starts well at Haydock and last time when taking a Listed race at Goodwood by an easy 6 1/2 lengths (watch below). Al Asifah is a Frankel filly too, so have some top-class breeding in her locker and despite this being a step up in class again the fact connections have stumped out to get her in this race is a clear sign she’s fit well and more than up to the rise in class.
Ascot Gold Cup: COLTRANE @ 3/1
This year’s Ascot Gold Cup looks a tight affair and come post time on Thursday 22nd June we could have another favourite. However, regardless, the Andrew Balding runner Coltrane is still sure to be a big fancy with many punters after winning the Ascot Stakes over this trip last season and his overall course form is very solid – 1-2-1. He returned in early May to win the Sagaro Stakes easily (watch below) and a repeat of that could see this 6 year-old give his trainer his first success in this big Ascot showcase race.
Royal Ascot Favourites on Day Four: Friday 23rd June 2023
Commonwealth Cup: Little Big Bear @ 15/8
Only 8 previous renewals of the Commonwealth Cup. Trainer Aidan O’Brien has one win on the board after his Caravaggio won in 2017 and the Ascot bookmakers suggest he’s got another big opportunity of adding another success with Little Big Bear, who took the Windsor Castle Stakes at this meeting last year.
This 3 year-old colt didn’t stay the mile trip in the 2000 Guineas earlier this season, but the drop back in trip (6f) was the answer to him getting back to winning ways last time. He landed the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock by just over a length (watch below) and if repeating that level again here – despite upped to a Group One – looks the one to side with again.
Coronation Stakes: Tahiyra @ 10/11
For many, this Aga Khan horse will be their main Royal Ascot banker over the 5 day meeting and could also even go off as the shortest-priced horse at the fixture. She was a very close second in the English 1000 Guineas at the start of last month and improved that run up by taking the Irish 1000 Guineas last time out (watch below). Tahiyra has just four career runs too so will have more in the locker – and, on form this season, it’s no surprise to see her as one of the big 2023 Royal Ascot favourites.
Her trainer Dermot Weld will be hoping for only his second win in this fillies Group One, with his last success coming back in 1978.
King Edward VII Stakes: King Of Steel @ 6/4
King Of Steel ran a cracker a in the 2023 Epsom Derby – going down by just 1/2 a length and almost pulling off the 66/1 upset (watch below). Therefore, with that run there for all to see, this Roger Varian horse will be all the rage to go one better in the King Edward VII Stakes. which is often referred to as the ‘Ascot Derby’.
With only three career runs there should be more left to come and if running off out in front again may prove hard to reel in against slightly weaker rivals. Last year’s Epsom Derby 5th, Changingoftheguard, also won this race.
Royal Ascot Favourites on Day Five: Saturday 24th June 2023
QEII Jubilee Stakes: ARTORIUS
Aussie raider Artorius came from the clouds to run a close third in this race last year (watch below) and with a bit more luck in-running is another Royal Ascot favourite punters could latch onto. He’s still only 4 years-old so is also another year older and wiser and landed his Group One in his homeland when taking the Canterbury Stakes at Randwick in March.
Hardwicke Stakes: Hukum @ 2/1
High-class middle distance horse from the Owen Burrows stable that won the Coronation Cup at Epsom in 2022 and returned this season to win the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown – beating the 2022 Derby winner Desert Crown in the process (watch below). We can expect Hukum to be one of the top-rated in the line-up if running here in the Hardwicke, plus was third in this race in 2021 and is a proven Royal Ascot winner after taking the King George V Stakes in 2020.
Queen Alexandra Stakes: Stratum @ SP
Stratum requires no introduction at Royal Ascot these days, having won this race for the last two years (watch his 2022 win below). There are rumours of Frankie Dettori getting the ride too, in what would be the Italian’s final Royal Ascot mount. He’ll have no better chance of going out on a high and ‘hitting the back of the net’ on a horse that is also owned Brighton FC chairman Tony Bloom.
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