Royal Ascot has just been the absolute epitome of racing since it began. To get a Group One at home is great but to get one at Royal Ascot is just amazing.
HENRY DWYER, TRAINER, ASFOORA
Front Cover: Asfoora (Aus) winner of The King Charles III Stakes 2024 for Noor Elaine Farm (owner), Henry Dwyer (trainer), and Oisin Murphy (jockey).
Christophe Soumillon after victory in the 2024 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes on GOLIATH (France)
£17.75 MILLION PRIZE MONEY AT ASCOT IN 2025
PLUS, OVER £4 MILLION ON QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS DAY
£1.5 MILLION KING GEORGE VI & QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES
RUN FOR FREE
WELCOME
TO ROYAL ASCOT 2025
Every year it is a huge thrill to welcome connections of some of the best horses from around the world to the Royal Meeting.
In 2024 there was an international feel from start to finish as Asfoora flew the flag for Australia by winning the King Charles III Stakes before Calandagan was so impressive in the King Edward VII Stakes for France. We were thrilled to see Henry Dwyer’s ingenious campaigning of Asfoora pay off and it was great to see her go on to run with huge credit at Goodwood and York.
Calandagan meanwhile proved his class for Francis-Henri Graffard later in the season when finishing second in both the Juddmonte International and the QIPCO Champion Stakes.
We also saw Gabaldon finish second in the Windsor Castle Stakes for America having won the Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes, a qualifying race at Gulfstream run in conjunction with 1/ST Racing, a scheme that has proved a huge success in the short time it has been running.
Those qualifiers will once again take place this year along with an extended wild card scheme with Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby weekend. Seven races at Ascot are designated Breeders’ Cup Win & You’re In Challenge races and there are also bonuses in place for the Japan Cup across three Ascot races.
This year, Royal Ascot prize money will total just over £10 million once again with all Group 1 races run for a minimum of £650,000 and the Prince of Wales’s Stakes and Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes both worth £1 million.
We have removed the early closing entry requirements where they existed for four Group 2 races – the Hardwicke Stakes, Duke of Cambridge Stakes, Ribblesdale Stakes and King Edward VII Stakes, allowing connections more time to make running plans, especially with young, developing horses.
Outside of Royal Ascot, we are excited to have increased the prize fund for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes to £1.5 million, up 20%. The race will also be a ‘Run For Free’ contest with all entry fees refunded for horses that line up. It has been one of the leading contests in the Longines World’s Best Horse Race rankings in the last two seasons and we hope it will continue to be an attractive option for international runners.
The Ascot team, our colleagues at the International Racing Bureau and agents around the world are on hand to help you in any way we can and we look forward to welcoming you back to Ascot.
Nick Smith Director of Racing & Public Affairs
CRITICAL DATES & NOMINATION PROCEDURE
CRITICAL DATES
THE KING GEORGE VI & QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES (GROUP ONE)
29th April (28th April for USA and Canada)
PROCEDURE
10th June (9th June for USA and Canada)
All nominations (race entries) should be made through your local Jockey Club or Racing Authority with the exception of horses trained in the USA (see right). Once a horse is nominated there are three further confirmation stages, the dates for which are detailed on the race conditions pages of this brochure.
Once an initial entry is made, the International Racing Bureau, contracted by Ascot, will ensure that the rest of the process is managed smoothly. They, and Ascot’s other agents and international partners, are also available to assist in the initial nomination procedure, and all contact details can be found on page 32.
“We have come a long way from Ballarat, but it’s been an amazing experience from start to finish. We’ve been so well looked after and we’re so grateful for that.”
Henry Dwyer, Trainer of Asfoora (AUS), The King Charles III Stakes
5th August
PROCEDURE FOR HORSES TRAINED IN THE USA
American entries need to be made directly to Weatherbys by emailing racingops@weatherbys.co.uk, with nick.smith@ascot.com, USAnominateascot@gmail.com and adrian@irbracing.com copied in. The communication should include:
• Owner’s name, full address, phone number and email address
• Horse’s name, age, colour, sex and breeding
• Trainer’s name
• Description of the owner’s racing colours
• A past performance record
• The race for which it is being entered and the racecourse
ROYAL ASCOT GROUP ONES
QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS DAY GROUP ONES
INTERNATIONAL & DOMESTIC ALLIANCES
The winners from four designated races at the Kentucky Derby Meeting, Churchill Downs, on 3rd May 2025, will each earn an automatic wild card entry into five races at Royal Ascot in 2025. The winners of the Queen Anne Stakes and the Prince of Wales’s Stakes will receive an entry for the Arlington Million.
The Twin Spires Turf (Gr2) (5 1/2f) (turf)
The Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (G1) (1m1f)
American Turf (1m) (G1)
Edgewood Stakes (1m) (G2)
The King Charles III Stakes
The Queen Anne Stakes
The Prince of Wales’s Stakes
St James’s Palace Stakes
Coronation Stakes
Colonial Downs Arlington Million Stakes (Gr1) (1m2f) (Mid Aug)
GULFSTREAM PARK AUTOMATIC WILD CARDS
Winners of the Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes and Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies’ Stakes at Gulfstream Park (May 2025) will each earn an automatic wild card into any one of Royal Ascot’s six two-year-old races.
Travel allowances will be paid for the above initiatives.
Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes
Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies’ Stakes
The Queen Anne Stakes
The Prince of Wales’s Stakes
The Coventry Stakes (Gr2)
The Queen Mary Stakes (Gr2)
The Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed)
The Norfolk Stakes (Gr2)
The Albany Stakes (Gr3)
The Chesham Stakes (Listed)
Gabaldon finished second in the 2024 Windsor Castle Stakes having won The Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes. 2023 saw Crimson Advocate, winner of The Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies’ Stakes gain automatic entry to Royal Ascot and she went on to win The Queen Mary Stakes.
KENTUCKY DERBY MEETING
ROYAL ASCOT
ARLINGTON MILLION
ROYAL ASCOT
GULFSTREAM PARK RACES
ROYAL ASCOT TWO-YEAR OLD RACES
THE JAPAN CUP
The JRA offer a bonus to any horse successful in the three Ascot races outlined which goes on to win or be placed in the Japan Cup.
The JRA will provide transportation subsidies for invited horses and their stable staff, and business class flights for Owners, Trainers and Jockeys and respective partners.
THE WORLD POOL
Royal Ascot, King George Day and QIPCO British Champions Day are World Pool days, meaning that a strong global pool hosted by the Hong Kong Jockey Club operates.
Prince of Wales’s Stakes
King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes
QIPCO Champion Stakes
BREEDERS’ CUP
Seven races run at Ascot are designated Breeders’ Cup Win & You’re In Challenge races. This year’s Breeders’ Cup will take place on October 31st and November 1st 2025 at San Diego’s iconic Del Mar.
For further information please contact Josh Christian, whose contact details are on page 32.
breederscup.com/challenge-series/fullschedule
The Queen Anne Stakes (Royal Ascot) The Breeders’ Cup Mile
The King Charles III Stakes (Royal Ascot) The Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint
The Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Royal Ascot) The Breeders’ Cup Turf
The Norfolk Stakes (Royal Ascot) The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint
The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes The Breeders’ Cup Turf
QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes The Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf
The QIPCO Champion Stakes The Breeders’ Cup Turf
ASCOT
BREEDERS’ CUP
TRAVEL ALLOWANCES
We welcome enquiries concerning potential contributions towards the cost of transport.
• Ascot will contribute towards the cost of transport for 115+ rated horses travelling to the UK from outside Europe to compete specifically in Group One races at Ascot.
• Travel incentives will not apply for horses that have been trained outside Europe but are being transferred to be campaigned in Europe in the name of a European trainer.
Ascot offers connections of each travelling horse (subject to meeting the criteria above) an agreed “all in” travel allowance towards the cost of the venture. This sum will depend on the races being targeted, the horse’s rating and its profile. It is thereafter the responsibility of the horse’s connections to settle directly all charges incurred, including the horse shipping, personal flights, stabling, access to training facilities and general expenditure.
The International Racing Bureau will be available to assist with organising and booking all of the above, under their contract with Ascot. All contact details can be found on pages 32.
For more information regarding the Owners’ experience at Royal Ascot, please see page 12.
Note: The racecourse reserves the right to decide what does and what does not qualify as an international horse for the purposes of travel allowances.
The great BLACK CAVIAR ( left ) narrowly defeats French champion MOONLIGHT CLOUD in the 2012 Diamond Jubilee Stakes
SHIPPING & QUARANTINE
Trainers are free to choose their own shipping agencies and to decide on their own stabling arrangements but most visitors prefer to be based in Newmarket or Lambourn, which are both approximately two hours from London Heathrow Airport and Ascot Racecourse.
There is no post-arrival quarantine period for horses coming to race in Britain. There will be some pre-export quarantine for horses returning to Australia, Hong Kong and New Zealand, and your local shipping agencies /turf club can advise on this.
It is also important that your horse’s EI vaccinations correspond with any requirements by countries through which you are transiting and for your onward destination after your visit to the UK.
Connections are advised to check with their IRB representative on current travel restrictions for both visiting the UK and returning home.
“The experience leading up to and during Royal Ascot was exceptional. From the IRB looking after our every need whilst based in Newmarket, along with all the others that helped us and made us so welcome, to the fantastic hospitality received on course during Royal Ascot, it has been an incredible journey and an absolute honour to be involved in. I would recommend the Royal Ascot experience to anyone considering running their horse overseas.”
Yoshi Hashida, Assistant Trainer, Deirdre (Japan), 2019.
VAT (TAX/DUTY)
Colts and fillies imported into the UK have a VAT liability of 20% of their landed value (the value of the horse and cost of shipping). Geldings carry a further 10% Import Duty.
The VAT can be secured by a deposit or bank guarantee, which is refunded when the horse leaves the country. If the horse remains in the UK after the end of October, or is sold, the VAT will need to be paid outright by the connections.
STABLING & TRAINING FACILITIES
There are no training facilities available at Ascot Racecourse. Horses visiting from abroad must be trained away from the track.
ASCOT RACECOURSE GALLOP
International runners will be given an opportunity to undertake a racecourse gallop before Royal Ascot, at a mutually agreed time arranged between connections and Ascot Racecourse.
The International Racing Bureau (IRB) is available to give advice on stabling options and will assist you finding a temporary home for your horse, that best suits your needs.
They have facilitated stabling at many well-known yards including The National Stud, Roger Varian’s Carlburg Stables, Charlie Hills’ Faringdon Place and Charlie Fellowes’ Bedford House Stables.
NEWMARKET
The home of UK horse racing with equine facilities that are second to none worldwide, has been by far the most popular choice of temporary home for visiting trainers.
Access to the many and varied gallops in Newmarket is straightforward. The gallops cover an area of approximately 2,500 acres
(1,000ha) and provide 50 miles (80km) of turf gallops and canters as well as 15 artificial tracks totalling some 13 miles (21km). The gallops are owned by Jockey Club Estates, and managed by Nick Patton.
Overseas winners temporarily based in Newmarket have included Little Bridge (HK), Choisir, Takeover Target, Miss Andretti, Scenic Blast, Black Caviar, Asfoora (AUS), Lady Aurelia, Campanelle and Crimson Advocate (USA).
LAMBOURN
Set on the Berkshire Downs with its varied gradients and centuries old downland turf, Lambourn has become known as the ‘Valley of the Racehorse’.
Jockey Club Estates has owned and managed the Lambourn Training Grounds since 2006. First class facilities include 600 acres of maintained training grounds, 8 miles of turf gallops and 7 miles of artificial tracks.
Winners Nature Strip (AUS) and Tepin (USA) were stabled in Lambourn, at Faringdon Place and Kingsdown Stables, during their stay.
MEDICATION & DOPING CONTROL / VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) is the sport’s governing and regulatory body in Great Britain and encourages international participation in British Racing.
The BHA’s Rules of Racing (Rules) stipulate that international visiting horses compete on equal terms with each other and resident British horses; that is to say, they race free from the effects of Prohibited Substances, whether that be medication or other substances e.g. herbal products.
General information on the BHA’s equine antidoping and controlled medication rules can be found at:
Prohibited List Code of the BHA Rules of Racing: https://rules.britishhorseracing.com/#!/book/34/chapter/s3564prohibited-list-code
The BHA would advise trainers to familiarise themselves with the following sections of the new Rules, Codes 18-21, found at: http://rules.britishhorseracing.com/#!/book/34/contents
Overseas trainers are advised to familiarise themselves with Chapter K because it includes important information about Prohibited Substances, and the whereabouts requirements.
Information regarding substances that are prohibited at all times and those that are prohibited on raceday (i.e. must not be present in the horse’s system on raceday and must therefore be
withdrawn prior to racing) is detailed in the Rules. A list of published Detection Times for commonly used therapeutic veterinary treatments can be found here:
Please note that a Detection Time is not equivalent to a Withdrawal Time.
For further clarification, or any questions, please contact anti-doping@britishhorseracing.com
SPECIAL NOTICE TO US CONNECTIONS
The EU has amended the Import / Transit regulation with regards to the Eastern and Western Equine Encephalomyelitis clause. It now requires records of a Primary EEE / WEE course of two vaccinations and a booster plus the normal Flu vaccinations for transiting to the UK or racing here. Unless trainers / vets have records it might take up to two months to complete the primary course / booster for EEE / WEE.
Connections of Group One / Two horses are advised to undertake this process alongside or preferably before making nominations for Royal Ascot in mid-April. Connections of other potential runners, notably twoyear-olds, should follow this process at the same time although no early nominations are required.
Please contact your shipping agent as soon as Royal Ascot becomes a tenable option for full details of what vaccinations are required.
Wesley Ward runner with pony in the Pre-Parade Ring 2021
TESTING
As with horses resident in Britain, overseas horses may be subject to out-of-competition testing and raceday testing at any time. The BHA may also order its own testing of the horse before departure from the country of origin.
POST-ARRIVAL DRUG TESTING / WHEREABOUTS REQUIREMENTS
In order for the BHA to conduct post-arrival testing, horses shipping to race as temporary imports (from outside Britain, France, Germany, Ireland, Hong Kong, Sweden and Norway) must submit a Whereabouts Form a minimum of 14 business days before the first race in which the horse is entered or intended to be entered.
The information must remain up to date and accurate, or it might result in a filing failure or missed test. Where the horse is not going to be in Great Britain for a minimum of ten business days prior to arrival, the trainer should contact the BHA at least 30 days prior to the intended first race to discuss the possibility of pre-departure testing.
Note: a horse will not be permitted to race in Great Britain until the sample has been reported as negative.
ELECTIVE TESTING
Elective Testing may be requested prior to racing in Great Britain. It is undertaken at the trainer’s expense, and at the discretion of the BHA. Full details, including Terms and Conditions, can be found on the BHA website, or alternatively contact the Equine Health & Welfare team at anti-doping@ britishhorseracing.com
ANABOLIC STEROIDS (AND OTHER PROHIBITED AT ALL TIMES SUBSTANCES)
From 2015, a zero-tolerance policy towards the use of anabolic steroids and other prohibited at all times substances (such as growth hormone, EPO) applies. https://rules.britishhorseracing.com/#!/book/34/chapter/s3564prohibited-list-code
INTRA-ARTICULAR CORTICOSTEROIDS STAND-DOWN PERIOD
The BHA also draws trainers’ particular attention to Rules relating to the use of intra-articular corticosteroids close to raceday. From 2015 it is not permitted to use intra-articular corticosteroids for 14 clear days prior to raceday (see notice).
There is on-going work internationally regarding reports that altrenogest products (such as Regumate) contain trenbolone and/or trendione. Both of which as anabolic-androgenic steroids are prohibited at all times substances under the BHA Rules of Racing. The BHA has issued two notices regarding the current prohibition of the use of altrenogest-trainers are also advised to check for possible updates on the BHA website prior to racing in Great Britain.
The BHA would also like to reiterate that ranitidine (which may be called by its trade name Zantac), used to treat gastric ulcers in some countries, is not licensed for equine use in Great Britain. With no definitive withdrawal period, a minimum of 18 days clear of the medication before racing is advised and veterinary advice should be sought before use. Other anti-ulcer medications, including omeprazole, are prohibited on raceday and therefore are subject to withdrawal prior to racing.
BISPHOSPHONATES
There is a mandatory 30-day stand down period from racing following the administration of bisphosphonates, and they may not be administered to horses under the age of 4 years.
The BHA would not expect horses participating in these races to have been administered Levothyroxine, unless fulfilling the outlined criteria. https://www.britishhorseracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/ BHA-Notice-Use-of-Levothyroxine-Sodium.pdf
CLENBUTEROL
Changes regarding the use and implementation of the use of beta-2 agonist clenbuterol will be effective from 1 April 2025. Specific requirements will apply are outlined in the following https://media.britishhorseracing.com/bha/AntiDoping/Prohibited_ Substances/BHA_notice_Clenbuterol.pdf
MEDICATION DECLARATION / RECORDS
The BHA requires all trainers of runners from non-exempt countries to sign a medication declaration prior to the horse being eligible to run in Great Britain (Schedule (B) 3). In addition it is a requirement of the Rules that trainers maintain a record of medicines administered to horses whilst in Great Britain.
Schedule (B)3 – Requirements for horses to run, state that a horse must not have received any substance on the day of racing, other than normal feed and water. This Rule incorporates all supplements (including herbal supplements) or veterinary medicines administered by intravenous injection, oral syringe or directly into feed, or administered by any other method. Two notices are available on the BHA’s website with additional information to assist trainers: https://www.britishhorseracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/ Racecourse-Stable-Restrictions-English.pdf
DECLARATION OF WIND OPS
The BHA draws trainers attention to a new rule Chapter D Paragraph 30, effective 19 January 2018, which requires trainers to notify the Racing Calendar Office on each occasion a horse has had Wind Surgery, prior to it being declared to run (excepting where the horse has not raced previously). Trainers should refer to the Rules website for full details. https://rules.britishhorseracing.com/#!/book/34/chapter/ s3142-horse-welfare-and-management/content?section=s3162information-about-wind-surgery
EQUINE INFLUENZA
Trainers are reminded of the requirement for Equine Influenza vaccination. The Rules can be found on the BHA’s Rules website – Vaccinations Code: https://rules.britishhorseracing.com/#!/book/34/chapter/s3534vaccinations-code/content
A copy of the passport, or vaccination record, for all International Runners must be emailed to equine@britishhorseracing.com
Please note that the Vaccination Code was updated as of 01 January 2022, including a requirement for six-monthly booster vaccinations. For any questions regarding vaccinations, please contact equine@britishhorseracing.com
All details are correct at the time of going to print, for full details check the general information on the BHA’s equine anti-doping and controlled medication rules
All equipment must be named at the time of declaration to run. Permissible equipment:
HOOD means a garment similar to blinkers, incorporating ear covers but without eye cowls.
BLINKERS means a garment fitted over a horse’s head with holes for the eyes and ears, one or both eyeholes being fitted with cowls cutting out all vision to the rear but permitting full forward vision.
VISOR means a garment similar to blinkers in which one or both cowls have holes cut in them permitting limited side or rear vision.
EYESHIELD means a garment similar to blinkers except that in place of the eye cowls, both eyes are covered with a mesh or other transparent material.
EYECOVER means a garment similar to blinkers except that in place of the eye cowls, one eye only is completely covered by an opaque cover.
CHEEK PIECES means two strips of sheepskin or any other similar material or device which is attached to the cheek pieces of the bridle.
TONGUE STRAP means any device used to tie down a horse’s tongue. These must not encircle the bit and further detail about the conditions that apply to them can be found at
Lip chains must be covered and nasal strips are not allowed. Any horse wearing non-declared equipment on the way to the start will be withdrawn at the start by the starter. No shoes can have protrusions on the ground surface other than calkins or studs on the hind, limited to 3/8” in height. The use of American type toe-grab plates or those with a sharp flange is forbidden.
SHOEING HORSES WHILST IN GB
It is a legislative requirement for a farrier to be registered to shoe horses whilst in Great Britain. In applicable circumstances, trainers and their (international) farrier(s) are advised to contact the Farriers Registration Council farrier-reg.gov.uk well in advance of their intended visit to clarify the requirements and obtain the appropriate certification.
Horses running in Flat Races conducted on turf must enter the parade ring fully shod except where: The BHA has consented before the Declaration to Run is submitted; or in exceptional circumstances the Stewards give permission.
Mobile +44 7826 671535 jgiven@britishhorseracing.com
OWNERS’ EXPERIENCE
Whether you have a runner at Royal Ascot, in The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes or on QIPCO British Champions Day, we are here to ensure international connections have the best possible experience during their visit to the UK.
ROYAL ASCOT
Unquestionably, Royal Ascot is the jewel in the crown of the British social season. Revered across the globe, from the arrival of the Royal Procession to the communal singing around Ascot’s Bandstand, the experience is like no other.
All international owners and trainers with a horse running from outside of Europe will be provided with:
• Fully catered hospitality on the day their horse runs
• Royal Enclosure guest badges.
• Badges for any other days that they wish to attend.
• Return car transfers to and from the racecourse if required.
Our team includes Owners and Trainers’ Manager, Hannah Parlett who will work closely with our colleagues from the International Racing Bureau (IRB) and the team at Great British Racing International (GBRI).
On the day, you will have a dedicated International Connections Liaison who will be your main contact on race day and will escort you to where you need to be throughout the afternoon.
GBRI provide a concierge service to overseas connections which includes help and advice with accommodation, a bespoke itinerary of activities during your stay or even just the hiring or purchasing of your morning suit or hat for Royal Ascot.
“I have been lucky enough to have been involved in some pretty special sporting moments obviously, but this is a different feeling than, say, winning a World Cup because you have no control over the result.”
SIR STEVE HANSEN
One of Nature Strip’s Owners (Aus), King’s Stand Stakes winner 2022
HERE TO HELP
Hannah Parlett
Owners’ and Trainers’ Manager
Ascot Racecourse
+44 (0) 7738 716395
hannah.parlett@ascot.com
Amanda Prior
Client Relations Manager GBRI
+44 (0) 207 152 0103
aprior@greatbritishracing.com
GOFFS LONDON SALE
The Goffs London Sale is a boutique thoroughbred auction held on the eve of Royal Ascot in the beautiful setting of Kensington Palace Gardens. In 2023 and 2024 Ascot Racecourse hosted international guests at this curtain raiser to the most prestigious week in flat racing.
“It is such an honor for Tepin. Also look at what she has accomplished for American horses now racing at Ascot. Everyone wants to take a chance. The world’s greatest meet which I will never forget.”
Robert Masterson, owner, Tepin (USA), Queen Anne Stakes winner, 2016.
COURSE LAYOUT
Ascot’s round track is just under one and three-quarter miles in length. The round course descends from the mile-and-a-half (2400m) start into Swinley Bottom, the lowest part of the track. It then turns right-handed and joins the “Old Mile” course, which starts at a separate chute 1600m from the finish.
The course then rises to the right-handed home turn to join the Straight Mile course. The run-in of about three furlongs (600m) rises slightly to the Winning Post.
A detailed topography map is available upon request.
The St James’s Palace Stakes, The Coronation Stakes
Old Mile Start
Swinley Bottom
The Prince of Wales’s Stakes
The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, The Commonwealth Cup
The Queen Anne Stakes
The Gold Cup Straight Mile Start
The King Charles III Stakes
The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, The Hardwicke Stakes
Tepin
ROYAL ASCOT PATTERN
& LISTED RACES 2025
CRIMSON ADVOCATE (USA) (George Weaver) winner of The Queen Mary Stakes 2023. She gained automatic entry in to any Royal Ascot two-year-old race following her win in The Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies’ Stakes (Florida) May 2023
THE QUEEN ANNE STAKES
Date: Tuesday 17th June 2025
Distance: 1 mile (1,600 metres) straight
Surface: Turf
Total Prize Fund:
£750,000
Winning Horse: £425,325
Age Range: 4yo and upwards
Field Safety Limit: 30
Weights:
Colts and Geldings: 9st 2lb / 58kg
Fillies and Mares: 8st 13lb / 56.7kg
Southern Hemisphere Allowance: 4yo 1lb / 0.5kg
Nomination (Entry):
£3,285 by noon on 29th April
Scratching Stage: £3,750 unless taken out by 27th May
Confirmation:
£2,340 by noon on 11th June
Declaration: by 10am on 15th June
Supplementary Nomination: £53,000 by noon on 11th June
GROUP ONE
THE KING CHARLES III STAKES
Date: Tuesday 17th June 2025
Distance: 5 furlongs (1,000 metres)
Surface: Turf
Total Prize Fund:
£650,000
Winning Horse: £368,615
Age Range: 3yo and upwards
Field Safety Limit: 28
Weights:
3yo Colts and Geldings: 9st 1lb / 57.6kg
3yo Fillies: 8st 12lb / 56.2kg
4yo+ Colts and Geldings: 9st 7lb / 60.3kg
4yo+ Fillies and Mares: 9st 4lb / 60kg
Nomination (Entry):
Scratching Stage:
Confirmation:
£2,845 by noon on 29th April
£3,250 unless taken out by 27th May
£2,030 by noon on 11th June
Declaration: by 10am on 15th June
Supplementary Nomination: £46,000 by noon on 11th June
THE ST JAMES’S PALACE STAKES GROUP ONE
Date: Tuesday 17th June 2025
Distance: 1 mile (1,600 metres) round
Surface: Turf
Total Prize Fund: £650,000
Winning Horse: £368,615
Age Range: 3yo colts
Field Safety Limit: 20
Weights: 9st 2lbs / 58.1kg
Nomination (Entry):
£2,845 by noon on 29th April
Scratching Stage: £3,250 unless taken out by 27th May
Confirmation: £2,030 by noon on 11th June
Declaration: by 10am on 15th June
Supplementary Nomination: £46,000 by noon on 11th June
THE PRINCE OF WALES’S STAKES
Date: Wednesday 18th June 2025
Distance: 1 mile 2 furlongs (2,000 metres)
Surface: Turf
Total Prize Fund:
GROUP ONE
£1,000,000
Winning Horse: £567,100
Age Range: 4yo and upwards
Field Safety Limit: 16
Weights:
Colts and Geldings: 9st 2lb / 58.1kg
Fillies and Mares: 8st 13lb / 56.7kg
Southern Hemisphere Allowance: 4yo 2lb / 1kg
Nomination (Entry):
£4,370 by noon on 29th April
Scratching Stage: £5,000 unless taken out by 27th May
Confirmation: £3,130 by noon on 12th June
Declaration: by 10am on 16th June
Supplementary Nomination: £70,000 by noon on 12th June
THE GOLD CUP
Date: Thursday 19th June 2024
Distance: 2 miles 4 furlongs (4,000 metres)
Surface: Turf
Total Prize Fund:
£650,000
Winning Horse: £368,615
Age Range: 4yo and upwards
Field Safety Limit: 20
Weights:
4yo Colts and Geldings: 9st 3lb / 58.5kg
4yo Fillies: 9st / 57.2kg
5yo+ Colts and Geldings: 9st 4lb / 60kg
5yo+ Mares: 9st 1lb / 57.6kg
Southern Hemisphere Allowance: 7lb / 3.8kg
Nomination (Entry):
£2,845 by noon on 29th April
Scratching Stage: £3,250 unless taken out by 27th May
Confirmation:
Latest Winners, Ground and Times:
£2,030 by noon on 13th June
Declaration: by 10am on 17th June
Supplementary Nomination: £46,000 by noon on 13th June
THE COMMONWEALTH CUP
Date: Friday 20th June 2025
Distance: 6 furlongs (1,200 metres)
Surface: Turf
Total Prize Fund:
£650,000
Winning Horse: £368,615
Age Range: 3yo
Field Safety Limit: 28
Weights:
Colts: 9st 2lb / 58kg
Fillies: 8st 13lb / 56.7kg
Southern Hemisphere Allowance: 10lb / 4.5 kg (see below)
Nomination (Entry):
£2,845 by noon on 29th April
Scratching Stage: £3,250 unless taken out by 27th May
Confirmation:
Winners, Ground and Times:
GROUP ONE
£2,030 by noon on 14th June
Declaration: by 10 am on 18th June
Supplementary Nomination:
£46,000 by noon on 14th June
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE ALLOWANCE
The Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot is for three-year-old colts and fillies.
It is open to southern hemisphere two-year-olds, who are designated three-year-olds in the UK.
Such entrants – potentially horses that have run in the Blue Diamond or Golden Slipper – are eligible for a 10lb (4.5kg) weight allowance when running against the northern hemisphere three-year-olds.
THE CORONATION STAKES
Date: Friday 20th June 2025
Distance: 1 mile (1,600 metres) round
Surface: Turf
Total Prize Fund: £650,000
Winning Horse: £368,615
Age Range: 3yo fillies
Field Safety Limit: 20
Weights: 9st 2lb / 58kg
Nomination (Entry): £2,845 by noon on 29th April
Scratching Stage: £3250 unless taken out by 27th May
Confirmation: £2,030 by noon on 14th June
Declaration: by 10am on 18th June
Supplementary Nomination: £46,000 by noon on 14th June
ONE
THE QUEEN ELIZABETH II JUBILEE STAKES
Date: Saturday 21st June 2025
Distance: 6 furlongs (1,200 metres)
Surface: Turf
Total Prize Fund:
GROUP ONE
£1,000,000
Winning Horse: £567,100
Age Range: 4yo and upwards
Field Safety Limit: 28
Weights:
Colts and Geldings: 9st 5lb / 59.4kg
Fillies: 9st 2lb / 58kg
Nomination (Entry):
Scratching Stage:
Confirmation:
£4,370 by noon on 29th April
£5,000 unless taken out by 27th May
£3,130 by noon on 16th June
Declaration: by 10am on 19th June
Supplementary Nomination:
£70,000 by noon on 16th June
THE KING GEORGE VI & QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES
Date: Saturday 26th July 2025
Distance: 1 mile 4 furlongs (2,400 metres
Surface: Turf
Total Prize Fund:
GROUP ONE
RUN FOR FREE
The King George is a ‘Run For Free’ race, with connections of all horses that run refunded their entry fees in full.
£1,500,000
Winning Horse: £850,650
Age Range: 3yo and upwards
Field Safety Limit: 19
Weights:
3yo Colts and Geldings: 8st 12lb / 56.67kg
3yo Fillies: 8st 9lb / 54.99kg
4yo+ Colts and Geldings: 9st 9lb / 61.2kg
4yo+ Fillies and Mares: 9st 6lb / 59.87kg
Nomination (Entry):
Scratching Stage:
£6,560 by noon on 10th June
£7,500 unless taken out by 8th July
Confirmation: £4,690 by noon on 21st July
Declaration: by 10am on 24th July
Supplementary Nomination: £102,000 by noon on 24th July
The Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot is recommended as a prep race for the King George, over the same course and distance. No penalties are carried in this Group 2
QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS DAY
The Flat racing season in Britain culminates at QIPCO British Champions Day on Saturday 18th October – the richest raceday in Britain. With four Group 1 Races and one Group 2 race, it promises to be a stellar afternoon of racing at the world’s most prestigious racecourse. QIPCO British Champions Day offers a total of over £4 million in prize money, with the feature QIPCO Champion Stakes and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (sponsored by QIPCO) both run for over £1 million each.
Date: Saturday 18th October 2025
Nomination (Entry): All five Group races will close 5th August
Scratching Stage: 30th September
Confirmation: by noon on Monday 13th October
Declaration: by 10am on Thursday 16th October
Supplementary Nomination: by noon on Monday 13th October
QUEEN ELIZABETH II STAKES (SPONSORED BY QIPCO) (GROUP 1)
Few sporting venues can match the rich heritage and history of Ascot Racecourse. Over the past 300 years, Ascot has established itself as a national institution; with Royal Ascot becoming the centrepiece of the British social calendar and the ultimate stage for the best racehorses in the world.
It was Queen Anne in 1711 who first saw the potential for a racecourse at Ascot (in those days called East Cote). Whilst out riding near Windsor Castle she came upon an area of open heath that looked, in her words, “ideal for horses to gallop at full stretch”.
THE FIRST RACE MEETING
The first race meeting ever held at Ascot took place later that year, on Saturday 11th August. The inaugural event was Her Majesty’s Plate, worth 100 guineas and open to any horse, mare or gelding over six years of age. Each horse was required to carry a weight of 12 stone and the seven runners were all English hunters, rather different to the speedy thoroughbreds that race on the Flat today.
The nature of the contest also bore little resemblance to modern day racing at Ascot. That race consisted of three separate heats, each four miles long – about the length of today’s Grand National course. The winning horse would have required tremendous stamina, but sadly there is no record of who claimed that first plate.
Queen Anne’s gift to racing, founding the Royal Racecourse, is marked by the tradition of opening Royal Ascot with the Queen Anne Stakes.
THE FIRST RACECOURSE
The racecourse was laid out by William Lowen, assisted by a team including a carpenter, a painter, and a racing administrator. The first permanent building was erected around 1794 by a local Windsor builder. Holding 1,650 people, it was used for almost fifty years.
In 1813, Parliament passed an Act of Enclosure, which ensured that Ascot Heath would be kept and used as a racecourse for the public in the future. Racing at Ascot was now secure.
ROYAL ASCOT
The precise origins of the Royal Meeting are unclear, as the event evolved from the first four-day meeting that took place in 1768. The meeting as it’s known today only really started to take shape with the introduction of the Gold Cup in 1807. Royal Ascot was the only race meeting held at Ascot until 1939.
The Gold Cup remains the feature race of the third day of Royal Ascot, when high fashion and exquisite millinery take centre stage alongside Flat racing’s most elite stayers. In 2009, Yeats, ridden by Johnny Murtagh and trained by Aidan O’Brien, won his fourth consecutive Gold Cup – a magnificent achievement, and one that Stradivarius just failed to emulate in 2021 and 2022 having won the race three times between 2018 and 2020.
MANAGING ASCOT
Although founded by a Queen and located on Crown Estate property, the administration of Ascot is handled on behalf of the Crown Estate by a representative appointed by the Monarch. Up until 1901, the racecourse was managed on the Sovereign’s behalf by the Master of the Royal Buckhounds. In 1901, Lord Churchill was appointed as His Majesty’s Representative, responsible for running the course and determining entrance to the Royal Enclosure.
The Ascot Authority was established in 1913 by an Act of Parliament, with His Majesty’s Representative becoming Senior Trustee. Today, as Ascot Authority (Holdings) Limited, Ascot has a formal board chaired by Sir Francis Brooke Bt., who also serves as His Majesty’s Representative at Ascot.
His Majesty The King is the thirteenth monarch that Ascot has operated under having succeeded Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. As an owner and breeder of racehorses, Her Late Majesty took a keen interest in the races and had great success with her own horses over the years, including most famously winning the Gold Cup with Estimate in 2013.
The jockeys riding the Sovereign’s horses can be identified by the Royal racing colours: purple body with gold braid, scarlet sleeves, and black velvet cap with gold fringe – the same as those of King Edward VII and George IV as Prince Regent.
During Royal Ascot, the Monarch traditionally presents the Gold Cup. A new version of this trophy is made each year and presented to the winners to keep.
Ascot Racecourse closed for a £200 million redevelopment in 2004, and was reopened by Queen Elizabeth II on 20th June 2006.
HIGHLIGHTS AT ASCOT SINCE 2006
There have been several landmark occasions since Ascot Racecourse reopened in 2006 and none more memorable than two special Gold Cup days – when Yeats completed his four-timer of Gold Cup wins in 2009 and when Queen Elizabeth II won the stayers’ championship with Estimate in 2013.
In 2011, Ascot celebrated its tercentenary and staged the inaugural QIPCO British Champions Day, now the culmination of the European elite Flat racing season.
The great Frankel won the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day in 2011, and the curtain came down on the career of officially the best horse of all time when he won the Champion Stakes a year later. Sir Henry Cecil’s pride and joy won five of his remarkable unbeaten run of 14 races at Ascot.
2012 also saw Ascot at the heart of the country’s celebrations to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, with the Golden Jubilee Stakes renamed the Diamond Jubilee Stakes and won by the great Australian mare, Black Caviar. Renamed again in 2022 as the Platinum Jubilee Stakes, the race became one of two contests at Royal Ascot worth £1 million in prize money. It is now run as the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes in perpetuity.
In 2023, Desert Hero became the first Royal Ascot winner for Their Majesties The King & Queen when he won the King George V Stakes.
Ascot has continued to cement its reputation as Europe’s premier destination for the best horses in the world. In recent years it is the Americans who have had most success, with Tepin’s win in the 2016 Queen Anne Stakes and Lady Aurelia’s King’s Stand Stakes victory the following year being notable highlights. The latter filly was trained by Wesley Ward, who has now saddled 12 winners at the Royal Meeting, including Campanelle who was successful twice in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, the world’s best sprinter, Nature Strip, travelled
over from Australia and produced a brilliant performance to win the King’s Stand Stakes, a seventh win for that nation. Asfoora won the same race in 2024, run for the first time as the King Charles III Stakes.
It is not just international horses which Ascot is known for, of course. Jockeys also come from all over the world to ride here – perhaps most notably at the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup, a unique fixture in the global racing calendar which each year sees many of the world’s top jockeys compete for points to lift racing’s ultimate team prize, with four teams battling it out across a thrilling six-race contest.
While the grandeur of the Royal Meeting takes centre stage each June, Ascot is also renowned for hosting Europe’s premier midsummer middle-distance contest the following month. The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes has been won by many of racing’s most distinguished champions including Nijinsky, Mill Reef, Dancing Brave, Nashwan, Galileo and - more recently - the remarkable mare Enable, who in July 2020 made history by becoming the first horse to win three renewals of this prestigious prize.
DESERT HERO wins the King George V Stakes 2023 for Their Majesties The King and Queen.
“ Winning the Melbourne Cup was fantastic - absolutely mind blowing and for a European an incredible experience. But I think that my best win has to be Novellist’s King George in 2013.”
Andreas Wöhler, trainer.
“I always said to myself I need to come here and win a big race. I’ve tried before but today is just amazing. We’ve had some nice winners but this one is very special.”
Francis Graffard, trainer.
Novellist Watch Me
Takeover Target
“I’ve lived all my life to do this. To win at Royal Ascot has been a lifetime goal and to come here and take on the best and beat themsimply there are no superlatives that can describe it.”
Australian trainer Lee Freedman following Miss Andretti’s King’s Stand win (2007).
“It’s been an amazing week. It’s been an amazing ride and we’ve been treated so well. We’re honoured to be here and to win a race was very special. I’ll be back.”
Chris Waller, trainer of Nature Strip, King’s Stand winner (2022).
Black Caviar
Miss Andretti
Nature Strip
“It was a world-class race and to come so close with a horse who had travelled all the way from Japan was one of the greatest thrills that any owner could wish for. In Japan the King George is recognised as one of the most prestigious and important races in the global calendar.”
Teruya Yoshida (Shadai Farm), owner of Heart’s Cry, third in the 2006 King George.
“I began planning to come six months in advance. It was very important for me as a trainer to win an international race in Britain.”
Danny Shum, trainer of Little Bridge, Hong Kong, 2012.
Little Bridge
Heart’s Cry (third)
“If other Americans could see how big Royal Ascot is, they would know it’s an honour to compete there.”
Wesley Ward, record-breaking US trainer with 12 Royal Ascot winners to his name including Jealous Again (2009), No Nay Never (2013), Acapulco (2015) Lady Aurelia (2016 + 2017) and Campanelle (2020 and 2021).
