Royal Ascot: Top Trainer odds

Royal Ascot, the crown jewel in the British flat racing season, is not far away and it brings together the world’s best horses, jockeys, trainers and stables.

There are 35 races, staged over five days of stunning action in Berkshire, and as well as the battle between the horses and jockeys, there’s the race to be crowned leading trainer at the Royal meeting. 

It’s competitive at the top this year, with five or six handlers with realistic hopes of topping the charts and we take a look at the odds, leading chances and profiles of the principal trainers.

What	Royal Ascot
Where	Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire
When	Tuesday June 20 - Saturday June 24
How to watch	bet365 Sports Live Streaming, ITV, Sky Sports Racing
Odds	Aidan O’Brien 5/4, John & Thady Gosden 5/2, Charlie Appleby 7/2, William Haggas 14/1, Andrew Balding 16/1

Aidan O’Brien (5/4)

There’s no better place to start than with the Ballydoyle maestro. Aidan O’Brien is a formidable force, who trained five winners at this meeting last year. 

The Irishman’s leading hopes this time around include Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Paddington, who is due to run in the St James’s Palace Stakes. 

Paddington is a 2/1 chance to win that Group 1 contest and the Ballydoyle maestro has 51 entries at the Berkshire venue. 

O’Brien also saddles 2/1 favourite Luxembourg in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes and a total of 81 Royal Ascot winners have been unleashed by the legendary handler. 
 

John & Thady Gosden (5/2)

As a sole trainer, John Gosden had had over 40 winners at Royal Ascot before taking out a joint license with his son, Thady. 

The Gosden partnership continues to churn out winner after winner and the pair were responsible for this year’s Oaks queen, Soul Sister. 

The filly is a 7/1 chance to claim victory in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Gosden’s have plenty more fancied runners. 

Inspiral is 15/8 second-favourite for the Queen Anne Stakes and Running Lion and Nashwa also look to hold strong claims. 

The pair are also likely to prove a threat in many of the handicap races and it’s easy to see why they are 5/2 chances for leading trainer honours. 
 

Charlie Appleby (7/2)

Charlie Appleby has the might of the Godolphin ownership operation to back him in his quest for the top Royal Ascot trainer title.

The 2021 and 2022 British champion flat trainer saddled four winners at this meeting last year and that was a personal best for the Godolphin handler. 

This year, 2021 Derby winner Adayar, 9/4 for the Prince Of Wales's Stakes, and 2021 Irish Derby champ Hurricane Lane are in Appleby’s team and there is the usual strong squad of two-year-olds. 

Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf hero Rebel’s Romance also looks to hold strong claims in the Hardwicke stakes. 
 

William Haggas (14/1)

William Haggas has saddled an impressive 14 Royal Ascot winners and the Newmarket-based trainer heads to Berkshire with some nice chances this year. 

Many will remember the brilliant Baaeed, who scored for Haggas in the Queen Anne Stakes last year and My Prospero looks the pick of the 62-year-old’s chances this term.