Royal Ascot is the jewel in the flat-racing crown of Britain, the premier stage for equine superstars to compete for the sport's most prestigious prizes amid unmatched pageantry.
For one week in June, Ascot Racecourse in the Berkshire countryside is the central attraction on the British sporting landscape.
From the arrival of the Royal Procession as the clock strikes two each day, through an array of top-class races on the track - this is a sporting institution intrinsically linked to British summertime.
| What | Royal Ascot |
| Where | Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire |
| When | Tuesday 18th June - Saturday 22nd June 2024 |
| How to watch | bet365 Sports Live Streaming, ITV Racing & Sky Sports Racing |
When is Royal Ascot 2024?
Royal Ascot takes place across five days in mid-June each year, beginning on a Tuesday afternoon and running through until the Saturday and in 2024, it takes place from 18th-22nd June.
Where is Royal Ascot?
The meeting takes place at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire, the venue for more than a third of Britain's Group 1 races annually and known to attract more than half-a-million racegoers per year.
Royal Ascot racecourse guide
How can I watch Royal Ascot 2024?
Fans in Britain can watch the meeting on both ITV Racing and Sky Sports Racing across all five days, while you can also catch it on the bet365 Sports Live Streaming platform.
What are the key races at Royal Ascot?
On Tuesday, the feature is the King's Stand Stakes, a five-furlong Group 1 sprint for horses aged three and older and one of the oldest races run at Royal Ascot.
Wednesday's main dish is the Prince Of Wales's Stakes, a middle-distance contest for four-year-olds and upwards.
Thursday brings with it the centrepiece of the meeting, the Ascot Gold Cup itself, the most prestigious race at Royal Ascot and a contest dating back to 1807.
On Friday, the Coronation Stakes is front and centre, a Group 1 mile contest for fillies, while Saturday's feature is another Group 1 sprint, the Platinum Jubilee Stakes - this time over six-furlongs.
What is the dress code at Royal Ascot?
There are different dress code requirements for the various enclosures at Ascot Racecourse.
Check out the Royal Ascot dress code
History of Royal Ascot
The Royal Ascot meeting dates back to 1807, when the Gold Cup was first held, and the very threads of thoroughbred racing in Britain are intertwined with the great sporting action that takes place on this turf in June.
The Gold Cup itself has been won an incredible 11 times by the great Lester Piggott as rider from 1957-1982, while trainer Aidan O'Brien's tally of eight wins is also a benchmark.
Four of those wins were achieved by Yeats (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009) - a record - but it was John & Thady Gosden who won the race in 2023, with Frankie Dettori guiding home Courage Mon Ami at his final Royal Ascot.
All of the major Group 1 races at Ascot are laced with stories of greatness. Modern day great Frankel was twice a winner at this meeting, taking the St James's Palace Stakes in 2011 and the Queen Anne Stakes a year later.
Royal Ascot 2024 - Day One
There are three Group 1 races that take place on the opening day of the meeting, which often sees some of the best milers in the world.
First up is the Queen Anne Stakes, a mile race for the older horses, won by Triple Time for Kevin Ryan in 2023.
Then it is the King's Stand Stakes, in which Bradsell triumphed in 2023, before the St James's Palace Stakes, in which O'Brien claimed a record-extending ninth victory through Paddington on 20th June.
| RACE TIME | RACE | AGE | PRIZE | DISTANCE |
| 2:30 | Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) | 4YO+ | £TBC | 1m |
| 3:05 | Coventry Stakes (Group 2) | 2YO | £TBC | 6f |
| 3:40 | King's Stand Stakes (Group 1) | 3YO+ | £TBC | 5f |
| 4:20 | St James's Palace Stakes (Group 1) | 3YO colts | £TBC | 1m |
| 5:00 | Ascot Stakes (Handicap) | 4YO+ | £TBC | 2m2f |
| 5:35 | Wolferton Stakes (Listed) | 4YO+ | £TBC | 1m1f |
| 6:10 | Copper Horse Stakes (Handicap) | 4YO+ | £TBC | 1m6f |
Royal Ascot 2024 - Day Two
The Prince Of Wales's Stakes is the Group 1 attraction on day two of the meeting, with Aidan O'Brien and Sir Michal Stoute responsible for four of the last seven winners as the likes of Highland Reel, Crystal Ocean and Love have all scored.
John Gosden has also had two in that time, with Jim Crowley riding home Mostahdaf in 2023 to further Clarehaven's fine record in the race.
| RACE TIME | RACE | AGE | PRIZE | DISTANCE |
| 2:30 | Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2) | 2YO Fillies | £TBC | 5f |
| 3:05 | The Queen's Vase (Group 2) | 3YO | £TBC | 1m6f |
| 3:40 | Prince Of Wales's Stakes (Group 1) | 4YO+ | £TBC | 1m2f |
| 4:20 | Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2) | 4YO+ Fillies and Mares | £TBC | 1m |
| 5:00 | Royal Hunt Cup (Heritage Handicap) | 3YO+ | £TBC | 1m |
| 5:35 | Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed) | 2YO | £TBC | 5f |
| 6:10 | Kensington Palace Stakes | 4YO+ | £TBC | 1m |
Royal Ascot 2024 - Day Three
Day three brings the main event itself, the Ascot Gold Cup, a thorough examination of stamina over two-and-a-half-miles, won by plenty of greats down the years.
Fittingly, it was Dettori who claimed his ninth and final victory in the Thursday feature in 2023, with Courage Mon Ami edging favourite Coltrane to spark more celebrations for the Gosdens.
| RACE TIME | RACE | AGE | PRIZE | DISTANCE |
| 2:30 | Norfolk Stakes (Group 2) | 2YO | £TBC | 5f |
| 3:05 | King George V Stakes (Handicap) | 3YO | £TBC | 1m4f |
| 3:40 | Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2) | 3YO Fillies | £TBC | 1m4f |
| 4:20 | Ascot Gold Cup | 4YO+ | £TBC | 2m4f |
| 5:00 | Britannia Stakes (Heritage Handicap) | 3YO Colts and geldings | £TBC | 1m |
| 5:35 | Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3) | 3YO | £TBC | 1m2f |
| 6:10 | Buckingham Palace Stakes (Handicap) | 3YO+ | £TBC | 7f |
Royal Ascot 2024 - Day Four
Friday at Royal Ascot features a brace of Group 1 races, the Commonwealth Cup, which is a sprint for three-year-olds, preceding the headline-stealing Coronation Stakes for the Classic-generation fillies.
Julie Camacho's Shaquille won the former in 2023, while Dermot Weld's Tahiyra took the latter, 50 years after the Irish handler saddled his first winner at the Royal meeting.
| RACE TIME | RACE | AGE | PRIZE | DISTANCE |
| 2:30 | Albany Stakes (Group 3) | 2YO Fillies | £TBC | 6f |
| 3:05 | Commonwealth Cup (Group 1) | 3YO | £TBC | 6f |
| 3:40 | Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap) | 3YO+ | £TBC | 1m4f |
| 4:20 | Coronation Stakes (Group 1) | 3YO Fillies | £TBC | 1m |
| 5:00 | Sandringham Stakes (Handicap) | 3YO Fillies | £TBC | 1m |
| 5:35 | King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2) | 3YO Colts and geldings | £TBC | 1m4f |
| 6:10 | Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes (Handicap) | 3YO | £TBC | 5f |
Royal Ascot 2024 - Day Five
Into the weekend for the final day of the meeting and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes brings down the curtain in style on the Saturday at Royal Ascot.
Always attracting an international field, 80/1 Khaadem caused a shock in 2023 as he came home first for Charlie Hills.
| RACE TIME | RACE | AGE | PRIZE | DISTANCE |
| 2:30 | The Chesham Stakes (Listed) | 2YO | £TBC | 7f |
| 3:05 | The Jersey Stakes (Group 3) | 3YO | £TBC | 7f |
| 3:40 | Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2) | 4YO+ | £TBC | 1m4f |
| 4:20 | Platinum Jubilee Stakes (Group 1) | 4YO+ | £TBC | 6f |
| 5:00 | Wokingham Stakes (Heritage Handicap) | 3YO+ | £TBC | 6f |
| 5:35 | Golden Gate Stakes (Handicap) | 3YO | £TBC | 1m2f |
| 6:10 | Queen Alexandra Stakes (Conditions Race) | 4YO+ | £TBC | 2m6f |
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