The five-day Royal Ascot meet begins Tuesday, June 18, at gorgeous Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire, England.
The royal meeting will bring many of the top horses in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and a handful from the US, together for 35 races with a total of £10,050,000 (about $12.75 million US) in prize money up for grabs.
The five days are filled with fashion, celebrity watching, and an historic brand of pomp and circumstance tied into the British monarchy (Ascot Racecourse was founded by Queen Anne in 1711).
The meet runs from Tuesday, June 18 through Saturday, June 22. Seven races are carded each day. al time).
Eight of the 35 races at Royal Ascot are Group 1 stakes (the highest worldwide rating). Three of those Group 1 races are held on opening day, June 18: the Queen Anne Stakes for horses 4 years old and older; the King Charles III Stakes for horses 3 years old and older; and the St. James’ Palace Stakes for 3-year-old colts.
On Wednesday, June 19, horses 4 years old and older will contest the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, and on Thursday, June 20, horses 4 years old and older will square off in a true test of stamina in the Gold Cup at 2 ½ miles.
Two more Group 1 stakes are set for Friday, June 21: the Commonwealth Cup for 3-year-old colts and fillies and the Coronation Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
Finally, on Saturday, June 22, horses 4 years old and older will race in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. The King Charles III Stakes on Tuesday is a five-furlong sprint, and the Jubilee on closing day is held at six furlongs – and it’s not unheard of for horses to appear in both of them during the same week.
The SportsMax channel will be carrying the Royal Ascot programme, starting at 7:30 am on each of the five days.
