THE first two days of Royal Ascot have already delivered some stunning racing with Field of Gold’s emphatic victory in the St James’s Palace Stakes and Crimson Advocate’s last-to-first surge in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes being among the highlights so far.
The festival, which is closely associated with the Royal Family, is a five-day bonanza and one of the most prestigious sporting events around the world. We still have three days left to look forward to!
It’s one of the very few occasions where you need to be in top hat and tails to get into every enclosure, and the action on the track contains plenty of royalty, too, with no less than eight Group 1 races across the 35 contests.
Top jockeys Ryan Moore, Oisin Murphy and William Buick will be in action in today’s Gold Cup. Moore and Buick are the two favourites, riding Illinois and Trawlerman respectively.
With so much to digest, we’ve taken an in-depth look at all the remaining races to bring you our favourite Royal Ascot betting predictions, with full reasoning and the latest betting odds below.
Royal Ascot 2025 quick tips (updated on June 19)
Here are our top betting tips for the next couple of days at Royal Ascot, with full reasoning to follow below.
Trawlerman to win the Ascot Gold Cup – 2/1 with SBK Shadow Of Light to win the Commonwealth Cup – 7/4 with bet365Thursday 16:20 – Ascot Gold Cup
The feature race of the week and one that has changed quite considerably in complexion since the retirement of last year’s winner Kyprios a few weeks ago. Aidan O’Brien will be hoping that Illinois can prove to be the next in line to the throne after a fine reappearance win at Chester last month, though he feels short enough in the betting considering he’s arguably yet to produce a bona fide Group 1 performance on the figures.
French raider Canderali did just that when winning a top level affair at Longchamp last month and is respected for all that he might not appreciate quick ground, while Sweet William and Coltrane are highly respected regulars in this sphere. However, the way to go could be with last year’s runner-up, Trawlerman.
The seven-year-old is a veteran in this sphere and is proven at this track, seeing off Kyprios to win the Long Distance Cup on Champions Day back in 2023. Quicker ground isn’t a problem and it didn’t seem to be a lack of stamina that saw him just miss out in this 12 months ago, on his first try over the trip.
He attempted to make all in this 12 months ago and an ever so slightly more patient ride may see him to better effect here, in a race that’s lacking a standout contender on the figures. He looked in fine fettle when returning to winning ways at Sandown last month and looks worth backing at 2/1 with SBK to go one place better this time around.
Back Trawlerman to win the Ascot Gold Cup at 2/1 with SBK
Friday 16:20 – Commonwealth Cup
A fascinating renewal of the Commonwealth Cup, in which Shadow Of Light is a confident pick to collect a third career Group 1 success. The son of Lope De Vega proved to be an outstanding juvenile last term, winning both the Dewhurst and Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket in the autumn and there was plenty to like about his effort to finish third in last month’s 2000 Guineas, seemingly just running out of steam late on.
It’s interesting that Charlie Appleby has opted to drop his charge back to sprinting on the back of that, considering that he only ran out of steam in the dying strides, hinting that he could yet have more to offer at sprint trips as a three-year-old. He’s the standout performer on the figures and trading at 7/4 with bet365, he rates as a confident pick to perhaps surprisingly provide his trainer with his first winner in this race since its conception.
Back Shadow Of Light to win the Commonwealth Cup at 7/4 with bet365
A look at the Royal Ascot timetable for 2025
With 35 races taking place across the five days, there’s always an awful lot of racing to digest at Royal Ascot. We have taken a brief look at the action on each day and picked out some of the key races to note below, in the hope of helping you with your Royal Ascot predictions.
Royal Ascot Day 1 – Tuesday, June 17
The opening day started with a bang, with no less than three Group 1 contests. The feature race – the curtain-raising Queen Anne Stakes over a mile – sprung a surprise as Docklands was a 14/1 winner ahead of Rosallion.
The St James’s Palace Stakes went to form, with 8/11 favourite Field Of Gold streaking home ahead of Henri Matisse and Ruling Court. Aussie mare Asfoora was unable to defend her King Charles III Stakes crown – with American Affair coming through to take the victory.
Royal Ascot Day 2 – Wednesday, June 18
The second day of Royal Ascot was headlined by the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes over a mile and a quarter, which regularly proves to be a thriller. Ireland’s Ombudsman, jockeyed by William Buick, surged through traffic to win ahead of Anmaat and See The Fire.
Elsewhere there were victories for True Love and jockey Ryan Moore in the Queen Mary Stakes, and Oisin Murphy’s Miss Information in the Kensington Palace Stakes. Trainers John & Thady Gosden came out on top in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes again, this time with Crimson Advocate.
Royal Ascot Day 3 (Ladies Day) – Thursday, June 19
The third day of Royal Ascot centres around the Ascot Gold Cup, the centrepiece of the week. Run over two and a half miles, the race requires a combination of class and stamina and is wide open following the retirement of Kyprios. Fellow Aidan O’Brien in-mate Illinois will be hoping to pick up the crown, but each of Trawlerman, Sweet William and Coletrane are familiar faces with plenty of class, while French challenger Candelari adds spice.
The supporting card includes the Norfolk Stakes, a Group 2 sprint for the juveniles that was won by 150/1 shot Valiant Force in 2023 and yet another fiendish handicap puzzle in the form of the Britannia Stakes over a mile.
Royal Ascot Day 4 – Friday, June 20
The card for the fourth day is excellent, with two Group 1 races for the three-year-olds, the Coronation Stakes and the Commonwealth Cup. The latter has only been going since 2015 but has thrown up some top-class sprinters in that time. Last year’s Middle Park and Dewhurst hero Shadow Of Light is fascinating back at six furlongs after seemingly not staying the trip in the 2000 Guineas and looks the one to beat.
Last year’s Coronation Stakes winner Porta Fortuna went on to establish herself as the best filly of her generation on the back of winning this and in the absence of the English and the Irish 1000 Guineas winners, the French Guineas heroine Zarigana is a strong favourite – though there are several progressive types to note in opposition.
Royal Ascot Day 5 – Saturday, June 21
The fifth and final day of the Royal meeting is headlined by the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, which has had several titles over the years to reflect the historic reign of the late Queen. French challenger Lazzat heads the market at the time of writing, though there are several to consider in an international affair, including Inisherin for the UK, Storm Boy for Ireland and Satono Reve for Japan.
The Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes is regularly won by an upwardly mobile type in the middle distance division, being won by the likes of Crystal Ocean and Defoe in recent years. Meanwhile, the curtain is brought down by the Queen Alexandra Stakes over two miles and five and a half furlongs. This is an extreme stamina test for Flat runners and has been won by jumps yards in three of the last five years – including twice by Willie Mullins!
Horse play
Best horse racing betting sites in the UK (2025)
Royal meeting
Royal Ascot free bets: the best bookies’ offers ahead of five-day festival
A brief guide to common types of racing bets
One of the key reasons why horse racing betting is so popular is due to the different types of bets that you can place on your Royal Ascot betting tips. The list is vast, so we have provided some of the most popular Royal Ascot bet types for you below.
Singles, doubles, trebles
A single bet is the most simple wager that you can place on the racing, as you are betting on a horse to win a race. The same principle goes for doubles and trebles, except you are using two and three selections respectively and each horse must win for the bet to be a winner.
Each-way bets
An each-way bet is a hugely popular option for horse racing bettors. You are placing two bets in one on the same selection, with half of your stake going on the horse to win and half the stake going on a horse to place. If your horse wins the race, your full bet will settle as a winner, if the horse finishes in the places, you will usually get a quarter or a fifth of the odds depending on your betting site.
Forecasts
Forecast bets are one of the trickiest and most impressive feats in racing if you can full it off. A straight forecast involves picking the first and second horses in that exact order, with the rewards potentially being great. There is also a reverse forecast bet, where you are still picking the first and second horses, but they can finish in either order.
Accumulators
Accumulator bets are like doubles and trebles, except they involve four or more selections. They can be difficult to land, as each of your picks must win for the bet to return as a winner. There are also each-way accumulators, where every selection must place for the bet to land.
Lucky 15
This is a multiple bet which is hugely popular with horse racing punters, as you can potentially get a big return from a small outlay. It involves 15 different bets across four selections and all four horses must win for the bet to land completely.
The full bet consists of four singles, six doubles, four trebles, and one four-fold accumulator, meaning you need one winner to get some kind of return. An each way lucky 15 would therefore be 30 separate bets and you’d only need one horse to place to see some kind of return from your stake.
Yankee
A Yankee bet is similar to a Lucky 15 in that it involves four selections, though in this instance, it is across 11 bets. The full bet consists of six doubles, four trebles and one four-fold accumulator, so it is essentially a lucky 15 without the single bets, and you need two winners to see some kind of return from your stake.
How to follow the action
Racing fans have been spoiled this week, with all 35 Royal Ascot races being screened live on ITV Racing. The majority have been, and will be, on ITV1, though some of the supporting races are likely to be switched to sister channels.
Sky Sports Racing are also covering the action on satellite TV, while BBC Radio Five Live will be on hand if you’re driving. Punters who like to use betting apps can stream all of the action live there, though check with your provider before placing any bets. Meanwhile, you can also pop into your local betting shop and watch each and every race live there.
About the author
James Anderson
James Anderson is a Betting & Gaming Writer at The Sun. He is an expert in sports betting and online casinos, and joined the company in November 2020 to work closely with leading bookmakers and online gaming companies to curate content in all areas of sports betting. He previously worked as a Digital Sports Reporter and Head of Live Blogs/Events at the Daily Express and Daily Star, covering football, cricket, snooker, F1 and horse racing.
Find James on LinkedIn
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chase their losses Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – gamcare.org.uk GambleAware – GambleAware.orgRead our guide on responsible gambling practices.
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
Most read in Betting
CLUB WORLD CUP
Inter Miami vs Porto predictions, odds and betting tipsTop Deal
Monster Casino Royal Ascot offer: Bet £10 and get £30 with code ROYALyou bet
2025 FIFA Club World Cup free bets and offersROYAL
Bet £10 with BetVictor and Claim £30 in Free Bets for Royal Ascot!NEW ERA
2025 Club World Cup betting tips and predictions Who will lift the trophy?DEBUT BOOST
Trent and Jude 1+ shot on target in Real Madrid vs Al-Hilal tonight NOW 2/1 Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Royal Ascot betting predictions ahead of the festival’s final three days (Updated) )
Also on site :