Let’s look at the upcoming Willie Mullins Royal Ascot runners 2023 as the popular Irish trainer looks to add to his 8 successes at the biggest flat meeting of them all, plus we highlight the key Royal Ascot races that Mullins loves to target each season.
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Willie Mullins Has Trained 8 Royal Ascot Winners Since 2012
Willie Mullins is more famed for having winners at the Cheltenham Festival and over the jumps in general – however, since 2012 the County Carlow handler has also loved to have the odd Royal Ascot runner.
These raids on the biggest flat meeting of the year have also proved fruitful, with 8 wins over the years and it’s no shocker that he likes to target the longer-distance races with wins in the Ascot Stakes (2m4f) and Queen Alexandra Stakes (2m6f) over the years.
Ryan Moore Had Ridden 6 Royal Ascot Winners For Willie Mullins
Over the years, the Mullins camp have also managed to secure one of the best riders in the business in Ryan Moore when having a Royal Ascot runner. Moore has ridden 6 of the 8 Mullins winners to date and if available he’s sure to be used again by Mullins in 2023.
However, there are also rumours that Frankie Dettori might be on the radar to ride for Mullins at this year’s Royal Ascot as the 52 year-old rider, who has 77 winners at this meeting and will retire at the end of the year, will be looking to go out on a high on what will be his final season riding.
Could Dettori ride Stratum for Mullins in the final 2023 Royal Ascot race this year – The Queen Alexandra Stakes and go out with a bang (more on this below)?
The Ascot Stakes and Queen Alexandra Stakes Are The Mullins Races To Look Out For
With ALL 8 of the Willie Mullins Royal Ascot winners coming in just TWO RACES, then these two contests are the ones to have in your sights again in 2023.
The Ascot Stakes (Handicap), which will be run on Tuesday 20th June, is a prize Mullins has mopped up four times over the years (see below), with three of those successes having Ryan Moore in the saddle.
Mullins has also won the Queen Alexandra Stakes (Sat, 24th June) four times – again with Moore in the plate for three of those. The QA Stakes is the final race of the meeting and will also be run over one of the longest trips for a flat race (2m6f). Mullins has also won the last two runnings with Stratum, who is back for more as he tries for a famous three-timer.
Willie Mullins Royal Ascot Runners 2023: Main Chances For Top Irish Trainer
See below the possible Willie Mullins Royal Ascot runners for 2023 as the champion Irish trainer, once again, looks to target the two races that have brought him the most success – the Ascot Handicap Stakes (Tues, 20th June) and the Queen Alexandra Stakes (Sat, 24th June).
BRING ON THE NIGHT (Tues, Ascot Stakes)
This 6 year-old has not been out since running a cracking 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 that day (watch below). The form of that run has been boosted many times since with the winner now a leading ‘cup horse’ and rated 19lbs higher. Despite the long time away from the track, Mullins is a master and readying one for the big day off a break and if Bring On The Night runs to the same level as 12 months ago will be a huge player here as the yard eye-up their fifth win in this day one Royal Ascot marathon race.
SCARAMANGA (Tues, Ascot Stakes)
Mullins could also have a useful back-up performer in Tuesday’s Ascot Stakes with Scaramanga. This 8 year-old was last in action in the US, when winning the Iroquois Hurdle and before that was 4th in the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival. He’s got just the 1 win on the flat (turf) from 14 runs but has six ‘top three’ finishes to his name. Does, however need a fair few to come out of the race to even get in. Regardless, does look the Mullins second pick with Bring On The Night proven in this event.
VAUBAN (Tues, Copper Horse Stakes)
National Hunt fans will see a well-known name here as the Mullins Champion Hurdle 4th and last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner, Vauban could be in action in the 1m6f Copper Horse Stakes on day one. Owned by the Ricci clan, this 5 year-old was last in action running his stablemate State Man to 3 lengths in the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle (watch below) but could be back on the level here. He’s run just 4 times on the flat but has won 50% of those outings – they all came pre-Mullins, when trained in France. Looks a class act and in this handicap could be ‘more-than’ thrown in with a flat rating of just 101! Will be hard to beat.
ABSURDE (Tues, Copper Horse Stakes)
Winner on the flat in France (Listed level) and has only had the one run for Mullins, which was a winning one over hurdles at Killarney last month at big odds-on. Hard to assess his form to this, but Absurde looks another useful French recruit to the Mullins camp and if running here and Vauban has an ‘off-day’ could easily pick up the pieces.
ECHOES IN RAIN (Thurs, Copper Horse Stakes)
Mullins has won most of the long-distance races at Royal Ascot, but the ‘big one’ that’s eluded him to date is, of course, the Gold Cup. Run over 2m4f, Mullins has the right staying horses in his yard, but just hasn’t found one with the class to get the job done as yet – however, you feel it won’t be long with his Burning Victory 4th last year. She heads here having won 2 of her last 3 over hurdles and will love conditions. The further ‘good news’ for Mullins is this year’s renewal looks a very open affair and that will mean his Echoes In Rain will head into the race with a squeak and it’s worth pointing out she’s rated a 10lbs higher hurdler than the Mullins 4th in the Gold Cup 12 months ago.
STRATUM (Sat, Queen Alexandra Stakes)
Stratum needs little introduction at this fixture these days, having won this race for the last two years (watch his 2022 win below). There is talk 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 winner and hitting the back of the net on a horse that is also owned Brighton FC chairman Tony Bloom.
Willie Mullins Royal Ascot Winners
See below the eight Willie Mullins Royal Ascot winners over the years (from 83 entries), with his two-time Queen Alexandra Stakes winner Stratum his most recent in 2022, while it was the Ryan Moore-ridden Simenon in 2012 that grabbed Mullins his first Royal Ascot win when taking the Ascot Stakes.
- 2012 – Ascot Handicap SIMENON Ryan Moore 8/1
- 2012 – Queen Alexandra Stakes SIMENON Ryan Moore 11/4F
- 2014 – Queen Alexandra Stakes PIQUE SOUS Ryan Moore 11/4
- 2015 – Ascot Handicap CLONDAW WARRIOR Ryan Moore 5/1F
- 2017 – Ascot Handicap THOMAS HOBSON Ryan Moore 4/1F
- 2018 – Ascot Handicap LAGOSTOVEGAS Andrea Atzeni 10/1
- 2020 – Queen Alexandra Stakes STRATUM Ryan Moore 4/1
- 2022 – Queen Alexandra Stakes STRATUM William Buick 10/1
RELATED: Aidan O’Brien Royal Ascot Runners: Who To Look Out For From The Ballymore Stud
When Is Royal Ascot 2023?
You can see the full 2023 Royal Ascot race times and schedule for the five days here.
đź“…Time/Date: Tues 20th June to Sat 24th June 2023 (1st race 2:30pm, last race 6:10pm)
🏇Racecourse: Royal Ascot, Berkshire
đź“ş TV: ITV/ Sky Sports Racing
🎲 Ascot Gold Cup Odds: Coltrane 3/1 | Eldar Eldarov 7/2 | Emily Dickinson 7/1
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