Royal Ascot Day 5 Tips

First run in 1919, this Listed contest is the final race of the meeting for two-year-olds and at seven furlongs is the longest of the week for that age group. It is open only to horses whose sire or dam won over a distance in excess of nine and a half furlongs. Since 1996, nine of the 27 winners had market leadership, with a further 13 in the top four in the betting.

First run in 1879, this Group 2 race over 1m4f is for four-year-olds and upwards and often provides a showcase for horses who were in the Derby picture the previous year. The market has been a good guide recently, with 13 of the last 17 winners coming from the first three in the betting. Six of the seven successful favourites in that period were trained by Stoute or O’Brien.

Inaugurated in 1868 and long known as the Cork and Orrery Stakes, this has held Group 1 status since 2002 when it was renamed first to celebrate the golden jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. This is the big 6f sprint of the week for older horses (open only to four-year-olds and upwards since the advent of the Commonwealth Cup for three-year-olds). Since the race was upgraded to Group 1 nine of the 21 winners were priced in double figures, with only five successful favourites.

Dating back to 1919, this Group 3 race for Three-year-olds over seven furlongs is a battleground between Classic pretenders dropping back from a mile and sprinters trying to stretch out their stamina. Noble Truth last year became the fifth successful favourite in the past decade (two other winners were in the top three in the betting).

Dating back to 1813, this is the last heritage handicap of the week and one of the big handicap sprints of the Flat season, with up to 30 runners charging down the straight in a hotly contested 6f race. Even though only two favourites have won since 2005, nine of the 17 winners since then were in the first four in the market.

This 1m2f handicap for Three-year-olds rated 0-105 was introduced as part of the expanded programme in 2020 and has been won by 20-1 shot Highland Chief for Paul and Oliver Cole, the Andrew Balding-trained Foxes Tales at 13-2 and last year’s 5-2 favourite Missed The Cut for George Boughey.

This is the longest race of the week at nearly two and three-quarter miles–indeed, the longest run under Flat racing rules – and one of the best loved. With such an emphasis on stamina and with fewer out-and-out stayers in Flat yards nowadays, this race has become quite a battleground between the Flat trainers and the top jumps yards. Twelve of the last 15 winners came from the first four in the market.