Leading trainer and jockey at Royal Ascot: who goes to the meeting in form?

After two years of absent or limited crowds due to the pandemic, thousands of racegoers will descend on Berkshire for Royal Ascot to watch the best horses, trainers and jockeys in the world battle it out over five days and 35 races.

Last year saw Oisin Murphy claim leading jockey honours and John and Thady Gosden pip Andrew Balding to the trainer's crown, but who is in the frame this year?

Royal Ascot leading trainer

Aidan O'Brien

Odds: 11-8

O'Brien has trained 76 Royal Ascot winners and been crowned leading trainer at the meeting ten times, most recently in 2019.

O'Brien has been struggling for winners in the run-up to the royal meeting, with only two from his last 22 runners before racing on Sunday. However, one of those was Tuesday in the Oaks.

Aidan O'Brien: has been Royal Ascot's leading trainer a remarkable ten timesCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

His strength may lie in the juvenile division, with the impressive Marble Hill Stakes winner Blackbeard, unbeaten in three starts, going for the Coventry Stakes and the speedy The Antarctic looking a solid option for either the Windsor Castle or Norfolk Stakes.

Key runners: Blackbeard (Coventry), Mother Earth (Duke of Cambridge), Cleveland (Copper Horse Stakes/Gold Cup), The Antarctic (Windsor Castle/Norfolk Stakes), Little Big Bear (Windsor Castle/Norfolk Stakes), Kyprios (Gold Cup)

Charlie Appleby

Odds: 7-4

His two winners at the royal meeting last year – Kemari (Queen's Vase) and Creative Force (Jersey Stakes) – helped Godolphin to land the owners' title.

Appleby has already claimed three Classics this season and has had a good June with six winners – and six seconds – from 24 runners and will hope 2,000 Guineas winner Coroebus can oblige in the St James's Palace Stakes on Tuesday.

Key runners: Coroebus (St James's Palace), Hafit (Queen's Vase), Nahanni (Queen's Vase), Secret State (King George V), Life Of Dreams (Ribblesdale), Creative Force (Platinum Jubilee)

John and Thady Gosden

Odds: 9-2

Father and son were the first training partnership to take leading trainers' honours at Royal Ascot last year, sending out four winners. John Gosden also won the award in 2020 with six winners.

They have been in tremendous form since the start of June, sending out 13 winners from 30 runners, and will have the privilege of attempting to deliver a Platinum Jubilee winner for the Queen when Reach For The Moon goes for the Hampton Court Stakes on Thursday.

Stradivarius: bids for a fourth Ascot Gold Cup on ThursdayCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

That could be a vital day for the Gosdens, with Stradivarius attempting to emulate Yeats in winning a fourth Gold Cup and unlucky Oaks runner-up Emily Upjohn potentially bidding to make amends in the Ribblesdale Stakes.

Key runners: Lord North (Prince of Wales's), Emily Upjohn (Ribblesdale Stakes), Stradivarius (Gold Cup), Reach For The Moon (Hampton Court Stakes), Inspiral (Coronation Stakes)

Others to watch out for

William Haggas has been having a fantastic season and with the likes of superstar miler Baaeed (Queen Anne) and My Prospero (St James's Palace) among his contingent, chances are it will continue.

Sir Michael Stoute has remained in stellar form since landing the Derby and with Bay Bridge (Prince of Wales's) he has another strong Group 1 contender. Andrew Balding's string isn't in the same kind of form as when matching the Gosdens for number of winners at last year's meeting, but he is not one to rule out.

Top Royal Ascot trainer

Paddy Power: 11-8 Aidan O’Brien, 7-4 Charlie Appleby, 9-2 John & Thady Gosden, 7 William Haggas, 10 Andrew Balding, 16 Charlie & Mark Johnston, Sir Michael Stoute, 20 Roger Varian, 50 Karl Burke, Willie Mullins, 66 Wesley Ward

Royal Ascot leading jockey

Ryan Moore

Odds: 11-10

One of the best jockeys for years has been no stranger to success at Royal Ascot, having won the leading jockey title eight times.

Moore also set a post-war record of nine winners for a single Royal Ascot meeting in 2015 and will not only have the benefit of Aidan O'Brien's string but will also ride for 2022 Derby-winning trainer Sir Michael Stoute. Moore will hope to improve on this month's tally as he heads to Ascot with only three winners to his name in June.

Key rides: Twilight Calls (King's Stand), Blackbeard (Coventry), Bring On The Night (Ascot Stakes), Regal Reality (Wolferton Stakes), Bay Bridge (Prince of Wales's), The Antarctic (Windsor Castle/Norfolk), Kyprios (Gold Cup)

William Buick

Odds: 3-1

He is hot favourite to land the 2022 jockeys' championship but has never been leading rider at Royal Ascot, though that's not to say he hasn't had plenty of winners.

William Buick: his best Ascot chance could come on Coroebus in the St James's Palace StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

There is probably no other jockey who heads to Royal Ascot in the sort of form Buick is in, with 13 winners from 50 rides since June 1, and he has plenty of live chances for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin, plus others.

Key rides: Noble Style (Coventry), Coroebus (St James's Palace), Ahorsewithnoname (Ascot Stakes), Saffron Beach (Duke of Cambridge), Life Of Dreams (Ribblesdale)

Frankie Dettori

Odds: 7-2

Dettori is a familiar face in the winner's enclosure at Royal Ascot with more than 70 victories, and of course it's the track where he rode his famous 'magnificent seven' in 1996.

In that same year he rode Phantom Gold to land the Ribblesdale Stakes for the Queen and he will have the chance to add to her Platinum Jubilee celebrations when he rides Reach For The Moon for the Gosdens.

Dettori hasn't ridden much this month but has had four winners from 11 rides and Ascot is a track he rides better than most.

Key rides: Lord North (Prince of Wales's), Emily Upjohn (Ribblesdale Stakes), Stradivarius (Gold Cup), Reach For The Moon (Hampton Court Stakes), Inspiral (Coronation Stakes)

Others to watch out for

Jim Crowley rides what many consider to be the banker of the week in Baaeed (Queen Anne), and given he has the pick of Shadwell-owned runners it is easy to see him with other good chances through the week.

Tom Marquand has had a fantastic start to the season and will look to continue the strong partnership with William Haggas. My Prospero (St James's Palace), Sea Silk Road (Ribblesdale) and Lysander (King Edward VII) are among many rides that could put him on the board. His wife Hollie Doyle's biggest chance of Group 1 glory is Trueshan (Gold Cup).

Top Royal Ascot jockey

Paddy Power: 11-10 Ryan Moore, 3 William Buick, 7-2 Frankie Dettori, 10 Jim Crowley, 12 Tom Marquand, 16 Hollie Doyle, James Doyle, Rossa Ryan, 25 Andrea Atzeni, 33 Adam Kirby, Jamie Spencer, 50 Silvestre de Sousa, Daniel Tudhope

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Read more on Royal Ascot:

'He makes vast appeal at 10-1' - why this horse can win at Royal Ascot 2022

Four Royal Ascot outsiders, including one who will relish a 'ruthless gallop'

Royal Ascot accas: the Tuesday treble that has bookmakers braced

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