The first of five days of Royal Ascot beings on Tuesday afternoon, withy TV coverage on Virgin Media, Sky Sports Racing and ITV.
A total of £2,765,000 is available over six races on the opening day.
Day One Races, History and Statistics
2.30pm The Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) 4+ £800,000 Straight mile
The Queen Anne Stakes, a race founded in 1840 in honour of the British Monarch who first established racing at Ascot in 1711. The race usually attracts Europe’s top older milers and achieved the highest three-year average rating of any Group 2 race in Britain from 1999 to 2002. This saw the race elevated to Group 1 status as of 2003, is a Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ contest for the Breeders’ Cup Mile, and among its notable previous winners are Cape Cross (1999), Goldikova (2010), Frankel (2012), Tepin (2016) and Baaeed (2022).
Irish-trained horses have been successful seven times in the race: Southbourne (1952), Upadee (1954), Imperial March (1975), Ad Valorem (2006), Haradasun (2008), Declaration Of War (2013), and Circus Maximus (2020).
Your Going Report a day out from #RoyalAscot ☀️ pic.twitter.com/ktaaFlkIhO
— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 15, 2026
3.05pm The Coventry Stakes (Group 2) 2 £200,000 Six furlongs
The six-furlong Coventry Stakes is the early season highlight for two-year-olds. First run in 1890, it regained Group 2 status in 2004, having been a Grade 3 since 1984. It is the first Group race for two-year-olds in Britain each year. Notable past winners include The Tetrarch (1913), Mill Reef (1970), Chief Singer (1983), and Canford Cliffs (2009).
The winner of the race has been trained in Ireland on 14 occasions: Solinus (1977), Verglas (1996), Harbour Master (1997), Fasliyev (1999), Landseer (2001), Statue of Liberty (2002), Henrythenavigator (2007), Power (2011), Dawn Approach (2012), War Command (2013), Caravaggio (2016), Arizona (2019), River Tiber (2023), and Gstaad (2025).
Aidan O’Brien has 11 wins in the race, Ryan Moore five, while Coolmore partnerships have taken 11 wins since 1977.
3.40pm The King Charles III Stakes (Group 1) 3+ £700,000 Five furlongs
This race, originally called the Royal Stand Plate, became known by its present name in 2023. It is a Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ contest, offering a place in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Dayjur (1990), Choisir (2003) and Blue Point (2019) are notable former winners.
Ireland has been successful eight times since 1946, with Sound Track (1950), Cassarate (1952), Abergwaun (1973), Godswalk (1977), Solinus (1978), Bluebird (1987), Sole Power (2013 & 2014).
We’re all set for a blockbuster clash in the St James’s Palace Stakes 😍
Watch it live on Sky Sports Racing at 4.20pm tomorrow.
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 15, 2026
4.20pm The St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1) 3 colts £700,000 Round (old) mile
First run in 1834, a host of Epsom Derby winners have gone on to win the St James’s Palace Stakes, notably British Triple Crown winners Ormonde (1886), Rock Sand (1903) and Bahram (1935). Nowadays, the St James’s Palace Stakes usually features colts that won or were placed in the Irish, English, or French 2,000 Guineas, with the race having Group 1 status since 1988.
Some of the notable past winners of the contest are Brigadier Gerard (1971) and Frankel (2011).
There have been 17 Irish-trained winners since 1946: Chevastrid (1957), Thatch (1972), Jaazeiro (1978), Dara Monarch (1982), Brief Truce (1992), Giant’s Causeway (2000), Black Minnaloushe (2001), Rock Of Gibraltar (2002), Azamour (2004), Excellent Art (2007), Henrythenavigator (2008), Mastercraftsman (2009), Dawn Approach (2013), Gleneagles (2015), Circus Maximus (2019), Poetic Flare (2021), and Paddington (2023).
Aidan O’Brien is the most successful modern day trainer with 9 wins, while former Ballydoyle rider, Mick Kinane, has six successes to his name. Coolmore partnership colours have been carried to victory nine times: Giant’s Causeway (2000), Black Minnaloushe (2001), Rock of Gibraltar (2002), Excellent Art (2007), Henrythenavigator (2008), Mastercraftsman (2009), Gleneagles (2015), Circus Maximus (2019), and Paddington (2023).
Bow Echo 🆚 Gstaad
Which side are you on in the St James Palace Stakes? 🏆 pic.twitter.com/WOgHsgRqPP
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 14, 2026
5.00pm The Ascot Stakes (Handicap) 4+ £120,000 Two miles, four furlongs
Founded in 1839, the two-and-a-half-mile handicap is one of only four races at Royal Ascot in which the field passes the winning post twice. Trainers whose main emphasis is jump racing have enjoyed great success in the race, particularly Martin Pipe (5 wins) and Willie Mullins (4 wins).
Junior (2010), Simenon (2012) – the last horse to complete the Ascot Stakes/Queen Alexandra Stakes double, and Coltrane (2022) are some of the more famous former winners of the race, which Ireland has won 10 times since 1977, with San Sebastian (1998), Barba Papa (2000), Leg Spinner (2005), Simenon (2012), Domination (2014), Clondaw Warrior (2015), Jennies Jewel (2016), Thomas Hobson (2017), Lagostovegas (2018), and Ascending (2025).
5.35pm The Wolferton Stakes (Listed) 4+ £125,000 One mile, two furlongs
The race became a listed contest rather than a listed handicap in 2018. The mile-and-a-quarter contest for older horses has been won by the likes of Contributer (2014), Addeybb (2019), and Royal Champion (2023). There have only been two Irish-conditioned winners of the race In Time’s Eye (2003) and Sir Isaac Newton (2016).
6.10pm The Copper Horse Stakes (Handicap) 4+ £120,000 One mile, six furlongs
Run over a mile and three-quarters, this handicap for four-year-olds and upwards was introduced as part of the enhanced order of running for Royal Ascot in 2020. Notable winners include subsequent Ebor winner Fujaira Prince (2020) and Vauban (2023), now racing in Australia.
