Royal Ascot takes place in the middle of June every year and is a five-day festival that celebrates the best equine talent from the UK and around the world.

Frankel, Yeats, Black Caviar, Harbinger and Battaash are just some of the heavy-hitters to have lit up the famous Berkshire track down the years but like any other big racing festival, Royal Ascot is not averse to a surprise. 

Plenty of favourites oblige but there are also a fair share of upsets and we have picked out five horses that have stunned Royal Ascot at gigantic odds.

2023 - Valiant Force becomes second 150/1 winner

The third day of the 2023 Royal Ascot saw Valiant Force become the joint biggest-priced winner in Royal Ascot history.

Rossa Ryan produced a scintillating ride to guide the 150/1 shot to victory in the Norfolk Stakes.

Valiant Force matched the success of Nando Parrado three years earlier, while 66/1 shot Malc finished second in an unlikely forecast.

Favourite Elite Status finished in third place, while the highly-fancied American Rascal was underwhelming.

2020 - Nando Parrado wins Coventry Stakes at 150/1

It was only three years ago when Royal Ascot saw its biggest-priced winner in the history of the meeting as two-year-old Nando Parrado improved a bundle from his debut effort to win the Coventry Stakes. 

The Clive Cox juvenile had finished fifth on his first start at Newmarket, yet just 14 days later was pitched into the deep end at Royal Ascot. 

But it proved to be an inspired decision from Cox as Adam Kirby steered the son of Kodiac to a 150/1 success, beating the Mark Johnson-trained Qaader by a length. 

Nando Parrado built on that with a pair of seconds in Group One events in France in subsequent starts, yet that day at Royal Ascot proved to be his only victory from his 10 career outings. 

Nando Parrado proved to be a precocious two-year-old and was retired at three having finished down the field in the Qipco British Champions Sprint.

2008 - Flashmans Papers wins Windsor Castle at 100/1 

Until Nando Parrado's surprise success in 2020, the John Best-trained Flashmans Papers had been the joint biggest-priced winner in Royal Ascot history at 100/1. 

Flashmans Papers went into the 2008 Windsor Castle Stakes as one of the rank outsiders in the 25-runner field having finished third on his opening two starts. 

The two-year-old had shown promise in a pair of modest maidens at Windsor and Kempton, but few expected him to break his duck at the third time of asking in a Listed event at Royal Ascot. 

But the son of Exceed And Excel finished strongest of all to collar 4/1 favourite Bushranger, trained by David Wachman and ridden by Johnny Murtagh, to land the £34,062 first prize. 

However, Flashmans Papers didn't progress and was sold to Doug O'Neill's yard in America after failing to win any of his final four starts in Britain.

1990 - Fox Chapel wins Britannia Handicap at 100/1

Fox Chapel is the only other 100/1 winner to have stung punters at Royal Ascot with the three-year-old having stayed on stoutly to land the Britannia Handicap on what was just his sixth career start. 

Recruited from France after two runs, Fox Chapel had beaten only six horses home in his three runs for trainer Richard Hannon Snr. 

Fox Chapel had been beaten by 15 lengths on his penultimate run at Windsor, which came only four days before his shock triumph at Royal Ascot back in 1990. 

But a combination of dropping in trip from 1m2f to a mile and the 5Ib claim of Gary Hind appeared to work the oracle for the three-year-old, who finished two-and-a-half lengths clear of Gulmarg. 

Fox Chapel failed to win again on the Flat, however, and was soon switched to pursue a hurdling career.

2023 - Khaadem wins a Group 1 at 80/1

After Valiant Force's shock 150/1 win earlier in the week, Royal Ascot saw an 80/1 Group 1 winner as Khaadem won the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.

A fine ride from Jamie Spencer helped Khaadem overcome rivals such as favourite Highfield Princess and Artorius.

In the process, Khaadem became the biggest-priced winner in the history of the race.

2009 - Cosmic Sun wins King George V Stakes at 66/1

Still a maiden after 10 starts and having finished runner-up in six of them, it is fair to say few envisaged 66/1 shot Cosmic Sun landing the spoils in the King George V Stakes in 2009. 

He was hampered further by being 3lb out of the handicap but it didn't stop him as he swooped late to collar Chiberta King in the 1m4f contest. 

The Richard Fahey-trained three-year-old rewarded Paul Hanagan with his first Royal Ascot winner and it was the stepping up in trip from 1m to 1m4f that found the necessary improvement. 

Cosmic Sun proved himself to be quite consistent after that and later that campaign went on to win another big pot at York, defying an 8Ib higher mark.

1996 - Amfortas wins King Edward VII Stakes at 66/1

The King Edward VII Stakes is often referred to as the Ascot Derby and the 1996 renewal did feature that year's Epsom Derby third Shantou. 

But the 9/4 favourite could finish only third as Amfortas sprung a 66/1 surprise for trainer Clive Brittain and jockey Brett Doyle. 

It was only a seven-runner affair but Amfortas had yet to win in three starts and had been beaten 28 lengths on his latest outing in a Newbury maiden. 

However, Amfortas benefited from the 1m4f trip and was able to make all from the front under a positive ride from Doyle. 

It was to be the only win in the career of Amfortas, who tailed off in his next and final start in the Irish Derby.

bet365 News Team

• Ascot Racecourse
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