The Ascot Gold Cup is a Group 1 contest run over 2m4f. It takes place at 16:25 on Thursday 20th June, which is the third day of Royal Ascot 2024. View the runners here, and also make sure to check out the odds and tips on offer for this race.

NO.DRAW
FORM

HORSE

ODDS

JOCKEY& TRAINER

AGE

WGT

RPR

NR⁽⁴⁾

114-43

Trueshan

T: Alan King

9-4

114

127

Still tricky to settle; added to his haul of big-race wins with a 2m2f Doncaster Cup and 2m4f Prix du Cadran (made all) last September; disappointing next time, followed by wind surgery, which seemed to turn him round after second outing last term but he was not at the top of his game on either start this season; usually kept to ground softer than good and he missed this race in 2021, 2022 and 2023 when the ground was good to firm.

2⁽¹⁾

-21275

Enemy

J: Richard Kingscote

T: Ian Williams

9-4

110

124

Has a good record at this track, latest visit when close third in Group 3 (2m, good to firm) in April 2022; has gone through peaks and troughs since, with a sustained creditable spell this winter before tailing off at Chester (1m5f) last month; unraced beyond 2m and still seeks first Group-race win.

4⁽⁶⁾

1-5211

Prydwen

J: Callum Shepherd

T: George Scott

9-4

108

123

Not proven on worse than good to soft; surged to new heights over 2m on Polytrack/Tapeta on last three outings, winning the Marathon on AW Championships day at Newcastle on second occasion and following up in clearcut style in a quite valuable handicap at Southwell; moves back to turf, looking well worth a first crack at Group-race honours but he needs further improvement and this is the premier prize in the division.

1⁽¹⁰⁾

155-01

Coltrane

J: Oisin Murphy

T: Andrew Balding

9-4

117

129

Stalwart of the staying scene whose good record at Ascot (sole blemish last October) includes a second in this race last year; easily best of last four starts came when cheekpieces were enlisted here on latest outing, holding on by a head from Caius Chorister; the headgear is retained and he's on the premises if the ground is no worse than good to soft.

3⁽⁸⁾

/22-11

Kyprios

J: Ryan Moore

T: A P O'Brien

9-4

117

130

The outstanding stayer of 2022 when unbeaten in six starts, including this race (good to firm) and most notably when he took the Prix du Cadran (very soft) by an incredible 20l despite some errant behaviour late on; missed most of 2023 but ran Trawlerman to a neck over 1m7f here in October and won twice at lower levels over 1m6f this spring without needing to be near his best; the proven class act but he's by no means clear of the pack on 2023 or 2024 evidence.

6⁽³⁾

0111-3

Trawlerman

J: William Buick

T: John & Thady Gosden

9-4

118

130

Can make the running; unraced beyond 2m but the way he rallied for a narrow win here (1m7f, good to soft) last October gives plenty of hope regarding the distance and his victim that day was Kyprios; that followed two runaway odds-on wins at much lower levels on good to firm; made a satisfactory reappearance when third in the Dubai Gold Cup in March; firmly in the mix.

8⁽⁵⁾

/110-2

Vauban

J: Colin Keane

T: W P Mullins

9-4

114

129

Very smart 2m hurdler who was back to the Flat with a bang last summer, hacking up from the front in a 1m6f handicap at Royal Ascot (good) and tidy winner of a 1m4f Group 3 at Naas (soft); favourite for the Melbourne Cup in November but faded into mid-division; his second in the Yorkshire Cup on return was also some way below his best form but he could have come on since that run; stamina to prove but last year's win here needs a deal of respect.

10⁽⁷⁾

231-22

Caius Chorister

J: Benoit De La Sayette

T: David Menuisier

9-1

109

127

Probably acts on any going; ended last term with a 1m6f Group 3 win from the front at Saint-Cloud and showed better form again when upped to 2m and beaten a head this season in Group 3s at Ascot and Sandown; there's been little between her, Coltrane and Sweet William at level weights this term but she now receives 3lb; has stuck to her guns well over 2m and now steps up in trip again.

5⁽⁹⁾

223-31

Sweet William

J: Robert Havlin

T: John & Thady Gosden

9-4

109

124

Probably acts on any going; sported headgear from the outset (also ridden by Rab Havlin all starts); gave Trueshan plenty to think about in the Doncaster Cup (2m2f, soft) last term in his first Group race; finished on the heels of Coltrane and Caius Chorister here on reappearance and narrowly turned the tables on the latter rival when produced late with the first-time visor at Sandown in another Group 3 four weeks ago; has a solid record but needs to find a bit extra.

9⁽²⁾

1135-3

Gregory

J: James Doyle

T: John & Thady Gosden

9-3

111

124

Took the 1m6f Queen's Vase from the front at this meeting for his third win last year; put in his place in the Great Voltigeur on good to firm at York, the St Leger at Doncaster and the Yorkshire Cup at York, but ran creditably in them all and the latter was a promising return to action seeing as it now looks as if he will be extremely well suited by longer trips; this is a much longer one but it's not hard to think that this lightly raced 4yo may be about to come into his own.

RACING POST TIP

Trawlerman

Kyprios could start odds-on but the form which would justify that position comes from 2022 and the best of it was on soft ground at Longchamp, not from his half-length win in this race, exceedingly game though it was. The less demanding company this season has not given him the opportunity for a big rating but he ran here on Champions Day last October and was beaten by TRAWLERMAN. The margin was only a neck, after Kyprios looked set for a clearcut win, but Trawlerman's rally offers the possibility of better still over this longer distance and his previous four turf wins in 2022 and 2023 were all on good to firm, including an Ebor. While Kyprios has to be second on the list, last year's runner-up Coltrane should again figure in the heat of the battle and Gregory is the one who could be open to major improvement. The 2023 Royal Ascot handicap winner Vauban is also highly respected and a few of the others are not far behind the principals on ratings.

Verdict

Past 10 Winners

Year	Horse [Draw]	Age	Weight	SP	Trainer	Jockey
2023	Courage Mon Ami	4	9-3	15/2	John & Thady Gosden	Frankie Dettori
2022	Kyprios [5]	5	9-1	13/8	Aidan O’Brien	Ryan Moore
2021	Subjectivist [4]	4	9-1	13/2	Mark Johnston	Joe Fanning
2020	Stradivarius [2]	6	9-2	4/5F	John Gosden	Frankie Dettori
2019	Stradivarius [2]	5	9-2	EvensF	John Gosden	Frankie Dettori
2018	Stradivarius [6]	4	9-1	7/4J	John Gosden	Frankie Dettori
2017	Big Orange [7]	6	9-2	5/1	Michael Bell	James Doyle
2016	Order Of St George [10]	4	9-0	10/11F	A P O’Brien	Ryan Moore
2015	Trip To Paris [13]	4	9-0	12/1	Ed Dunlop	Graham Lee
2014	Leading Light [14]	4	9-0	10/11F	A P O’Brien	Joseph O’Brien

Key race stats 2024

Key trends

Sire stamina index in excess of 9.5f, 10/10
Won within last two starts, 9/10
Adjusted RPR of at least 127, 8/10
Group-race winner, 8/10 (six had won a Group 1)
Won over at least 2m, 7/10
Rated within 8lb of RPR top-rated, 8/10 (four were top-rated)

Other factors

Eight winners were competing in the race for the first time (Stradavarius in 2019 and 2020 accounts for both exceptions).

Winners of the Sagaro Stakes finished 727322462 – the last to succeed was Estimate in 2013.

Six favourites have won in the last decade (including one joint-favourite) but Stradivarius was the only one to have previously scored over the trip.

What happened in the Ascot Gold Cup last year?

COURAGE MON AMI, unbeaten in three starts coming into the race, and reappearing with a 1m6f handicap win from a mark of 98 at Goodwood, travelled kindly under a confident ride and always looked set to master the runner-up once switched to that one’s outer. Nicely on top at the line.Coltrane loves it here, and this was another new pb from the 6yo, moving to the front readily enough only for the winner to soon latch on to his tail. He tried all the way to the line but just met a superior rival. Subjectivist finished an honourable third, building on his efforts abroad from earlier in the year despite doing plenty in front. Emily Dickinson bounced back from a disappointing effort at the Curragh to finish fourth.

Ascot Gold Cup

16:25 Royal Ascot

RACING POST TIP

Verdict

Past 10 Winners

Key race stats 2024

What happened in the Ascot Gold Cup last year?

All Races