BET ROYAL ASCOT
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WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE BETTING ROYAL ASCOT
What: Royal Ascot Meet
When: June 16 - 20, 2026
Where: Ascot Racecourse, Ascot, England
How do I bet Royal Ascot?
You can bet it on NYRA Bets! Look for UK-Ascot or Royal Ascot in Today's Racing menu on race days.
How do I watch Royal Ascot?
You can stream all the races live and watch replays on NYRA Bets.
DAILY FEATURE RACE ANALYSIS
Come back each day this week for Matthew DeSantis' updated analysis of the feature race at Royal Ascot.
Wednesday: Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1)
Thursday: Gold Cup (G1)
Friday: Commonwealth Cup (G1)
Saturday: Hardwicke Stakes (G2)
Hardwicke Stakes (G2): 1 ½ miles (turf) for 4+
Race: #2
Post Time: 10:05 AM ET
Picks: 11-10-1-6
Analysis
The final day of the Royal Ascot meet is sure to bring out the fireworks with a quartet of group stage races, with my favorite being the Hardwicke (G2). #11 Kalpana (2-1) has been a fan favorite since she won the British Champions Fillies & Mares (G1) over the course at Ascot as a three-year-old in 2024. Since then, she has knocked heads against some of the top males in the world, finishing second to Calandagan in last year’s thriller in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1). After a disappointing seventh over soft ground in Longchamp at the Arc (G1) last year, she bounced back to defend her British Champion Fillies & Mares (G1) crown over the familiar ground at Ascot. Trainer Andrew Balding gave her some time off in the winter, and she came back to beat the boys in her first race of 2026 in the Aston Park (G3) while earning a cracking 123 TimeFormUS rating, which was the second-best of her career. The fact that she now has a win against older males going the 1 ½ distance is a massive positive, and she should be in even sharper form on Saturday as she is second back from her winter break. It’s a competitive field, so you do not want to take too short a price, but she is proven over this course and knocked heads with the best in the world to prove she is a worthy favorite.
If you’re looking for prices, there are several to consider this year, with #10 West Wind Blows (15-1) being my personal favorite. The seven-year-old son of Teofilo, for trainers Simon & Ed Crisford, might not always be the winning type, but is about as reliable as they come, with 18 finishes in the top 3 in his 22 career starts. He was a neck short of Kalapana last time out, but the race to really hang your hat on was his effort three back when he was within a length of Calandagan and was well ahead of fellow Saturday entrant Giavellotto. He has never won at this distance in nine tries, and his last victory came on the synthetic, so I can understand some hesitancy using him as an upset win contender, but in those nine career starts at 1 ½ miles, he has finished second six times. He is the sort of horse you lean on in exactas and omni wagers, as he always puts in a strong effort and will do so at an honest price.
A runner who I consider an outside win contender is #1 Amiloc (10-1) for trainer Ralph Beckett, who came over to North America last year and finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1). The son of Postponed needs to improve on his TimeFormUS ratings, but his form is hard to knock as he dominated his own crop as a juvenile and three-year-old, racking up five straight wins to start his career. He won the King Edward VII (G2) at Royal Ascot last year, going this distance before stepping up to face older competition. I thought he ran a solid second in the Irish St. Leger (G1) behind Al Riffa before coming over to North America for the Breeders’ Cup. The Crisford’s gave the horse six months off before he returned in the Yorkshire Cup (G2), where he ran a disappointing sixth, but that was going 1 ¾ miles, which might be a route of ground he does not prefer. Cutting him back to a better distance and spotting him in this race is a vote of confidence for a horse who is typically at odds of 2/1 or less when racing overseas. Now you’re getting 10/1 on a horse second back from the layoff who has success over this course and excels at this distance. Sign me up.
Finally, I want to highlight #6 Jan Brueghel (5-1) for the incomparable trainer-jockey duo of Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore. O’Brien achieved a monumental milestone this week when he won his 100th race as a trainer at Royal Ascot, which feels like a feat that will never be beaten. On Saturday, he sends out his son of Galileo, who is coming off a distant runner-up finish in the Coronation Cup (G1) to Bay City Roller last time out. While he didn’t quite measure up to some of this group last year when he was fourth behind Kalapana and others in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (G1), he is 2-4 winning at the 1 ½ mile distance and took the Ormonde (G3) to start his 2026 campaign before losing at Epsom. At his best, which was seen in last year’s Coronation Cup (G1), he is good enough to beat this group with a career-best 126 TimeFormUS Rating. He is a two-time Group 1 winner, so he has the class, and are you really going to bet against O’Brien and Moore to close out Royal Ascot? I’m not.
ROYAL ASCOT BETTING TIPS
NYRA Bets handicapper Matthew DeSantis is here to help you learn the basics of Royal Ascot, dive into Royal Ascot handicapping angles, and discuss some of the favorites you want to single or play against throughout the week.
Royal Ascot Handicapping and Trends
There are two basic types of races during Royal Ascot—straights and bends. All sprints (and mile) races are done in a straight line, which is quite a departure for North American horses, who are accustomed to doing one turn where they can often catch a breather. The tactics of running a straight race is something European jockeys have mastered in terms of when to make their move, but often North American jockeys will struggle to find their footing on when to use their horses. Longer races do not feature oval turns like in North America, as they go around gentle bends, which makes saving ground less crucial.
However, there are still trends that have emerged in recent years in both of those races. In 2024, 22-24 horses (92%) that finished in the exacta drew post 10 or higher. While a jockey might be able to guide their horse over from one side to the other, they tend to stick to their lanes.
We find that inside posts perform better the longer they last, both in straight races and around bends. One-mile straight races feature the highest percentage of inside-to-middle post position winners last year, and then races two miles or longer also feature the most inside post winners. Therefore, it is critical to pay attention to post draw, particularly in sprint races where the middle-to-outpost post bias has been prevalent in the last several years.
Post vs. Saddlecloth Numbers
There is never-ending confusion among North American racing fans about why horses racing internationally break from post positions that differ from the numbers on their saddlecloths. Alas, the rest of the world must deal with us measuring things in feet, yards, and miles, so I guess we must deal with this. In any event, saddlecloth numbers are determined by alphabetical order, and then post positions are drawn separately. Therefore, be aware that when you see the saddlecloth number of a horse parading around the paddock before the race, that does not necessarily correspond with their post position.
History of Royal Ascot
Royal Ascot is one of the most highly-regarded horse racing meets in the world, held annually in mid-June at the historic Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire, England. The event dates back to 1711 and is famous for its royal patronage, fashion, and, of course, world-class racing.
While the event primarily features British-trained horses and jockeys, American horses and trainers have enjoyed success at Royal Ascot over the years. One of the most memorable moments came in 2016 when American trainer Wesley Ward won two races, including the prestigious Diamond Jubilee Stakes, with his star sprinter, Lady Aurelia. Other notable American victories at Royal Ascot include Tepin's win in the Queen Anne Stakes in 2016 and California Chrome's second-place finish in the Prince of Wales's Stakes in 2015.
NYRA Bets customers can wager on every race at Royal Ascot, making it easy to get in on the action from across the pond. When it comes to betting on Royal Ascot, it's important to do your research and consider factors like form, pedigree, and track conditions. Royal Ascot tips from expert handicappers can also help you make informed wagers and maximize your chances of success.
If you're wondering when Royal Ascot is, mark your calendar for June 16 - 20, 2026, when the event returns with five days of thrilling racing. And if you're ready to bet on Royal Ascot, be sure to sign up for NYRA Bets to access all the action and excitement from the comfort of your own home.
