Royal Ascot Races: Guide, Race Information, Fixtures & Events 2024
The longest-running drama returns this summer, featuring a star-studded cast of horses, trainers and jockeys. Royal Ascot is the crown jewel of the summer sporting calendar, renowned for its explosive racing, long-standing traditions and being equally synonymous with sartorial elegance.
Last year, Ascot Racecourse celebrated Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee; as a result, the names of many races adopted a Royal theme, such as the “King George V Stakes”, “Diamond Jubilee Stakes”, and “Windsor Castle Stakes.”
Royal Ascot has long been Queen Elizabeth’s favourite event of the year. Each day of the week starts with the Royal Procession when the Queen and accompanying members of the Royal Family make their way up the famous Straight Mile by horse-drawn carriage.
The annual meeting in Berkshire also has a stellar connection with celebrities. We’ve seen several famous faces over the years, including British TV personality Simon Cowell, Made in Chelsea star Georgia “Toff” Toffolo, and double Olympic Champion Mo Salah.
With Ascot Racecourse welcoming 300,00 spectators last year, 2024 is set to be an extraordinary Royal Meeting. Here’s what you can expect from Royal Ascot in 2024 (and a few fun facts about Britain’s most valuable race meeting).
Royal Ascot Day One: Tuesday 18th June 2024
The Royal Meeting kicks off with seven races on the card instead of the traditional six after officials expanded the schedule to include 36 races.
Spearheaded by the G1 Queen Anne Stakes – a race that has produced some epic performances – the stage is set for five days of world-class racing. Royal Ascot Tuesday is one of the most popular race days, making it a popular option for those looking to entertain and socialise with guests or clients.
There are three Group 1 races on the card, including one of the top sprint races in the world, The King’s Stand Stakes, which is run over five furlongs. Will Bradsell return to defend his title in 2024?
RACE TIME |
RACES |
RACE PRIZE MONEY |
| 14:30 | The Queen Anne Stakes (G1) | £600,000 |
| 15:05 | The Coventry Stakes (G2) | £150,000 |
| 15:40 | The King’s Stand Stakes (G1) | £500,000 |
| 16:20 | The St James’s Palace Stakes (G1) | £500,000 |
| 17:00 | The Ascot Stakes (Handicap) | £100,000 |
| 17:35 | The Wolferton Stakes (Listed) | £110,000 |
| 18:10 | The Copper Horse Stakes (Handicap) | £100,000 |
Royal Ascot Day Two: Wednesday, 19th June 2024
With one Group 1 race on the card, day two of Royal Ascot tends to get underway at a more relaxed pace.
The headline race is the G1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes, a top-level contest worth £ 1 million, making it one of the most valuable races at Ascot Racecourse. It’s run over one mile and two furlongs and attracts some of the best middle-distance performers in the sport.
Previous winners of the Prince of Wales’s Stakes include Crystal Ocean (2019), Muhtarram (1994/1995), Mtoto (1987/1988), Love (2021), and more recently, Mostahdaf (2023), ridden by Jim Crowley.
Day Two also features three Group 2 races: The Royal Hunt Cup, The Queen’s Vase and The Duke of Cambridge Stakes.
RACE TIME |
RACES |
RACE PRIZE MONEY |
| 15:05 | The Queen’s Vase (G2) | £262,500 |
| 15:40 | The Duke of Cambridge Stakes (G2) | £175,000 |
| 16:20 | The Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1) | £1,000,000 |
| 17:00 | The Royal Hunt Cup (Handicap) | £175,000 |
| 17:35 | The Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed) | £100,000 |
| 18:10 | The Kensington Palace Stakes (Handicap) | £100,000 |
Royal Ascot Day Three: Thursday, 20th June 2024
Commonly referred to as “Ladies Day”, Royal Ascot Thursday is a glorious occasion where fashion and style take centre stage. As famous for its dress code as the races itself, day three of the Royal Meeting sees racegoers flaunt some of their best attire.
While Ascot Racecourse doesn’t host any best-dressed competitions, Thursday is dubbed Ladies Day, as women were traditionally offered free or discounted tickets on day three of the races.
One of Queen Elizabeth’s go-to milliners, Rachel Trevor-Morgan, told the Telegraph:
“With Her Majesty the Queen present, everyone wants to look smart and make a statement.”
Day three also features Ascot’s oldest surviving race, the G1 Gold Cup. The historic race has produced some of Royal Ascot’s most memorable moments, including Yeat’s record fourth victory in 2009, Subjectivist’s shock win in 2021 and Courage Mon Ami in 2023!
The four-year-old was ridden by Ascot legend Frankie Dettori who won the Gold Cup for the ninth time. Coltrane came in 2nd, with Subjectivist taking 3rd place.
With Dettori riding for the very last time in 2023, who will win Ascot Gold Cup in 2024?
RACE TIME |
RACES |
RACE PRIZE MONEY |
| 14:00 | The Norfolk Stakes (G2) | £110,000 |
| 15:05 | The King George V Stakes (Handicap) | £100,000 |
| 15:40 | The Ribblesdale Stakes (G2) | £200,000 |
| 16:15 | The Gold Cup (G1) | £500,000 |
| 17:00 | The Britannia Stakes (Handicap) | £120,000 |
| 17:35 | The Hampton Court Stakes (G3) | £100,000 |
| 18:10 | The Buckingham Palace Stakes (Handicap) | £100,000 |
Royal Ascot Day Four: Friday, 21st June 2024
Two Group 1 races headline the penultimate day of Royal Ascot. The day also features the G2 King Edward VII Stakes and a pair of fiercely competitive handicaps, offering plenty of excitement for racing enthusiasts.
The G1 Coronation Stakes – which attracts Irish, British and European 2,000 Guineas winners – is set up to be another classic this year. In 2023, Tahiyra won the Coronation Stakes under Chris Hayes. Can he compete again in 2024?
Day four of Royal Ascot is guaranteed to feature a star-studded line-up, and with six top-level races on the card, it makes for a perfect day of corporate entertaining and group socialising.
RACE TIME |
RACES |
RACE PRIZE MONEY |
| 14:30 | The Albany Stakes (G3) | £100,000 |
| 15:05 | The Commonwealth Cup (G1) | £500,000 |
| 15:40 | The Duke of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap) | £100,000 |
| 16:20 | The Coronation Stakes (G1) | £500,000 |
| 17:00 | The Sandringham Stakes (Handicap) | £100,000 |
| 17:35 | The Kind Edward VII Stakes (G2) | £225,000 |
| 18:10 | The Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes (Handicap) | £100,000 |
Royal Ascot Day Five: Saturday, 22nd June 2024
On Saturday, Royal Ascot reaches its climax with three Group races, including the Group 1 Platinum Jubilee Stakes worth £1 million.
Run over six furlongs, The Platinum Jubilee Stakes attracts some of the world’s finest sprinters to the Berkshire course. It’s also the sixth leg of the Global Sprint Challenge, providing a fitting close to a sensational week.
Ascot legend Lester Piggott is the leading jockey in The Platinum Jubilee Stakes – previously called The Diamond Jubilee Stakes, with ten winners, including Right Boy.
The most successful horse was Joseph Dawson-owned Prince Charlie, recording three consecutive wins in 1872, 1873 and 1874. Khaadem clinched the victory in 2023 with Jamie Spencer in the saddle, coming in at 80/1 ahead of Sacred ridden by Tom Marquand.
Royal Ascot Saturday also features Flat racing’s longest race, The Queen Alexandra Stakes, which is run over two miles and six furlongs. Gordon Elliott-trained Pallasator holds the record for the fastest time, completing the race in 4:45.24.
RACE TIME |
RACES |
RACE PRIZE MONEY |
| 14:30 | The Chesham Stakes (Listed) | £100,000 |
| 15:06 | The Jersey Stakes (G3) | £110,000 |
| 15:41 | The Hardwicke Stakes (G2) | £225,000 |
| 16:20 | The Platinum Jubilee Stakes (G1) | £1,000,000 |
| 17:00 | The Wokingham Stakes (Handicap) | £175,000 |
| 17:35 | The Golden Gates Stakes (Handicap) | £100,000 |
| 18:10 | The Queen Alexandra Stakes (Conditions) | £100,000 |
Ascot Racecourse’s Royal Heritage
Ascot Racecourse was founded by Queen Anne in 1711 and has since received the patronage of eleven monarch’s.
HM Queen Elizabeth II, who ascended to the throne in 1952 is the current patron, and until the pandemic struck in 2020 she had never missed a Royal Meeting.
The Royal Family continues to influence Ascot today. In the early 19th century, a close friend of the future King George IV implemented a dress code for men to preserve the meeting’s elegance. While he didn’t give any guidance over what women should wear, Queen Victoria is credited to have set the standard for ladies.
It wasn’t until 2012 when Ascot Racecourse released an official dress code, outlining regulations for racegoers. Read more about the Royal Ascot Dress Code.
The patronage of 12 monarchs has made Ascot Racecourse a truly unique venue, with the five-day-long showpiece fast establishing itself as the crown jewel in Britain’s social calendar.
Royal Ascot as we know it now began to take shape in 1807, which is the year of the inaugural Gold Cup race. More than 200 years later, winning owners still receive a physical Gold Cup trophy.
The Royal Enclosure was conceived in 1822, while the first Royal Procession dates back to 1825. In the 1970s, a new tradition arose – the Bandstand, where spectators continue to enjoy communal singing to British classics after the final race.
Royal Ascot is revered for its tradition, prestige and first-class hospitality, and we are proud to be official hospitality suppliers for Ascot Racecourse.
Royal Ascot Fun Facts
- The inaugural Royal Meeting took place at Ascot Racecourse in 1786
- Ascot Racecourse is a right-handed course approximately 1 mile and 6 furlongs in length
- About 300,000 guests attend Royal Ascot each year
- Royal Ascot Thursday is the most popular race day, with 70,000 spectators in attendance
- Royal Ascot is Britain’s most valuable meeting, worth a record £15.64 million in 2022
- The Royal Meeting is watched in more than 200 countries
- 509 horses ran across the five-day event in 2021
- Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was the first monarch to win the Gold Cup race
- 173,000 race cards were printed, and 19,430 Facebook check-ins were made last year
- Renowned for first-class hospitality with 5 Michelin stars and 13 AA Rosettes
- Guests consume 56,000 bottles of Champagne, 44,000 bottles of wine, 21,000 jugs of Pimm’s, and 80,000 cups of tea
- Visitors eat 120,000 buttermilk scones, 60,000 finger sandwiches, 5,000 Angus steaks and 5,000 kilos of salmon
- 3,500 cleaning shifts run within a 24-hour cycle across the five days
- Up until 1920, a flock of more than 400 sheep kept the Ascot grounds in pristine condition
- Lester Piggot is Royal Ascot’s most successful jockey with 116 winners
Hospitality Packages for Royal Ascot
Enjoy the most prestigious race meeting of the year with a VIP hospitality experience in one of Ascot Racecourse’s stunning facilities.
Ascot Pavilion Hospitality Package
Located in the heart of Ascot Racecourse, the Pavilion offers guests a delightful ambience to enjoy a three-course lunch, complimentary bar and Prosecco Brut reception.
The historic facility embodies everything Royal Ascot is renowned for – prestige, tradition and elegance. It’s perfect for racegoers who want to combine excellent food with world-class racing and has been the preferred choice among our corporate clients for years.
Gallery Hospitality Package
Located in the Queen Anne Enclosure and boasting panoramic views of the home straight from a private balcony, the Gallery is hard to overlook.
The second-floor suite offers a formal but relaxed hospitality experience perfect for hosting clients, family and friends with private tables for eight or more guests available.
Furlong Club Hospitality Package
Enjoy uninterrupted views of the finishing straight from an exclusive balcony with the Furlong Club hospitality package.
The Furlong Club is a contemporary hospitality facility, where guests can enjoy a Moët & Chandon Brut Imperial Champagne reception, Chefs’ station dining experience and traditional Ascot afternoon tea.
Lawn Club Hospitality Package
The Lawn Club is perfect for a day at the races, being just a stone’s throw away from the Winners’ Enclosure and Parade Ring.
The informal dining area is situated within a beautiful track-facing marquee. It also boasts a private terrace offering unrivalled views of the home straight to view the on-track drama and Royal Procession.
