Royal Ascot 2026 Tips: Race-by-Race Guide to Day 1
Royal Ascot 2026 kicks off with three Group 1 contests on Day 1, including the Queen Anne Stakes and Coventry Stakes. Notable Speech is the Queen Anne favourite, but More Thunder may offer better value. High King is a longshot to watch in the Coventry Stakes, while Cover Up and Aspect Island provide outsider appeal in the King Charles III Stakes. Gstaad could turn the tables in the St James's Palace Stakes, while Enfjaar and Galileo Dame are anticipated to make strong handicap claims. Best bets: Valiancy, Enfjaar, Galileo Dame, and High King each-way.
- Royal Ascot 2026 opens with three Group 1 races and hot betting opportunities
- Best value bets: Valiancy (win), Enfjaar, Galileo Dame, High King (each-way)
- Key previews and tips spotlight both favorites and strong-priced outsiders
Royal Ascot's opening day delivers quality, depth and three Group 1 features. (Getty)
One of the highlights of the British sporting summer begins on Tuesday as Royal Ascot 2026 gets underway.
Three Group 1 contests headline the opening day, alongside the prestigious Coventry Stakes, Wolferton Stakes and a pair of competitive staying handicaps.
Our race-by-race preview for day one of Royal Ascot 2026 is included below, while Live Racing & Sports Updates provides the latest previews, analysis and coverage across all major sporting codes.
Royal Ascot 2026 - Day 1 Preview
Race 1 - Queen Anne Stakes Tips
Notable Speech was fantastic in the Lockinge. William Buick's mount was heavily backed in the build-up and settled nicely behind a decent pace. Once angled out, the favourite put the race to bed very quickly, crossing the line a good two lengths ahead of the chasing pack.
On that performance, it's hard to see Notable Speech losing on Tuesday. Yet, Charlie Appleby's Classic winner has underperformed on both previous starts at the Royal meeting and, with no obvious front-runner in this year's field, the early pace isn't guaranteed to be quick.
Opera Ballo could end up making the running under likely jockey Billy Loughnane. Docklands will make his usual challenge from the rear. Zeus Olympios and Damysus were a little disappointing in the Lockinge, but it's too soon to give up on either of these talented four-year-olds.
5. More Thunder appeals most to me, especially if the early pace is only moderate. Tom Marquand’s closer progressed brilliantly last season, winning two handicaps at Newmarket before landing a superb Group 2 victory in the Hungerford Stakes at Newbury.
After finding the ground too testing on his Group 1 debut in the Prix de la Forêt, More Thunder produced a much stronger effort on his return in the Lockinge. Marquand settled his mount at the rear before unleashing a powerful late surge to finish second behind Notable Speech.
More Thunder was one of only two runners in the Lockinge making a seasonal reappearance, while the rest of the top six had already enjoyed at least one run in 2026. That experience could prove crucial, with further improvement likely to come from his comeback effort.
There is every chance More Thunder will take a step forward fitness-wise, and Ascot’s stiff finish looks better suited to his racing style than the straight at Newbury. If he builds on that Lockinge performance, he sets a high standard.
Race 2 - Coventry Stakes Tips
Aidan O’Brien saddles the two market leaders in this juvenile Group 2, with Ryan Moore aboard Confucius and Wayne Lordan partnering Great Barrier Reef. Of the pair, Confucius appears to have received the more favourable draw in stall 20.
One at a much bigger price who caught my eye was 11. High King. Donnacha O’Brien’s colt was not without support on debut at the Curragh but blew the start and never recovered, finishing last of the 12 runners.
Gavin Ryan’s mount showed a completely different side at Fairyhouse, breaking sharply and travelling strongly before kicking clear around the bend. He ultimately stretched away to score by almost four lengths.
High King is by former Coventry Stakes winner Calyx, while his dam finished second in the Prix Morny. He possesses a smart pedigree and showed significant improvement from his first run to his second, suggesting there could be more to come.
Race 3 - King Charles III Stakes Tips
I rarely back short-priced runners in Group 1 sprints in Britain. While I may make an exception later in the week in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, I have little interest in taking skinny odds about the likes of Overpass or Night Raider.
Six of the last eight winners of this race were drawn in stall 10 or higher, so I’ve focused on two outsiders who look well positioned on the favoured side of the track. The first is 4. Cover Up.
Eight of Cover Up’s nine career victories have come over the minimum trip. His sprinting reached a new level last season when he won a competitive handicap over this course and distance before adding Listed and Group 2 success in Meydan.
Simon and Ed Crisford stepped him up to six furlongs for his final two starts in Dubai. He ran respectably when third in the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint but never really featured in the Al Quoz Sprint on his final outing.
The Crisfords have secured James McDonald for the ride, and the champion jockey has an excellent Royal Ascot record, including victory in this race aboard Nature Strip. A return to faster ground is another positive, making Cover Up a fascinating contender at generous odds.
Another outsider worth considering is 24. Aspect Island. It has taken time for James Owen to discover that this talented colt is best suited to five furlongs, despite being a full-brother to Group 1-placed sprinter and leading sire Tasleet.
Aspect Island began his career over seven furlongs and later won a six-furlong handicap off a mark of 76. He rounded out his juvenile campaign with a third in the Cornwallis Stakes before producing a similar effort behind Cy Fair in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.
On his return in the Abernant Stakes, he showed plenty of speed but faded late over six furlongs. Back at five furlongs in the Westow Stakes, a poor draw forced him to race away from the main group before finishing a close third.
A visor is added for his second Group 1 appearance, and Silvestre De Sousa takes over in the saddle. Receiving weight as a three-year-old and still lightly exposed over the minimum trip, Aspect Island has the profile of a runner capable of outrunning his odds.
Race 4 - St James's Palace Stakes Tips
For me, this race revolves around the top two in the market. Talk Of New York and Rayif are talented colts, but the two Guineas winners have achieved considerably more than the rest of the field.
Bow Echo was outstanding in the 2000 Guineas, winning impressively under Billy Loughnane. However, I believe 2. Gstaad has a realistic chance of reversing that form at Royal Ascot.
The pair moved clear together entering the dip at Newmarket, but while Bow Echo remained on the faster stands-side rail, Gstaad drifted slightly toward the slower ground nearer the centre. Even so, he stayed on strongly to finish three lengths behind the winner, with the pair pulling well clear of the remainder.
Unlike Bow Echo, Gstaad has already raced since Newmarket. Ryan Moore guided him to a straightforward victory in the Irish 2000 Guineas, where he gradually built momentum before quickening smartly to win by three lengths.
Aidan O’Brien is likely to ensure a strong gallop, with Puerto Rico and Neolithic expected to press forward, while Flushing Meadows could also help maintain a solid tempo. That scenario should play to Gstaad’s strengths.
The Coral-Eclipse, Juddmonte International and Cox Plate have all been mentioned as future targets, underlining confidence in his stamina. Having bolted up in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot last year, it would be no surprise to see Gstaad turn the tables on the market leader.
Race 5 - Ascot Stakes Tips
Ryan Moore and Willie Mullins have an excellent record in Royal Ascot staying races. However, favourites have struggled in the Ascot Stakes, with none successful in the past nine years.
Joseph O’Brien, who saddled the second, third and fourth in this race last year, runs seven representatives on Tuesday. While the market has reacted to Puturhandstogether, 7. Galileo Dame still appeals at an attractive price.
A comfortable maiden hurdle winner at Navan in February, Galileo Dame returned to the Flat with a strong second behind Mordor at the same venue. Ryan Moore then partnered her in the Chester Cup, where she was shuffled to the rear before staying on strongly into fourth behind stablemate A Piece Of Heaven.
She handled quicker ground better than expected at Chester and competes from only one pound higher. Colin Keane takes the ride, and another bold effort from this versatile mare looks likely.
Another runner worth noting is 14. Ismahane. Since joining Paddy Twomey, she has contested two juvenile hurdles, finishing fourth and second behind Willie Mullins-trained rivals.
Before moving from Germany, Ismahane produced several solid performances for Henk Grewe. She was narrowly beaten in a two-mile handicap before finishing runner-up in the Italian St Leger.
That Italian Classic effort earned an RPR of 99, yet she enters this race from a mark of 93. Billy Lee’s mount ran well at Ballinrobe three weeks ago and has been handed a favourable low draw in stall four.
Race 6 - Wolferton Stakes Tips
The first four home in this race last year meet again, with defending champion Haatem reopposing Galen and the out-of-form King’s Gambit. 5. Enfjaar finished an unlucky fourth 12 months ago and returns on the back of an encouraging comeback run at Goodwood.
Roger Varian’s lightly raced six-year-old endured a troubled passage from stall two, becoming trapped on the rail behind the leaders. Jim Crowley repeatedly searched for room in the straight but found little until the race was effectively over.
Once clear, Enfjaar finished strongly, but Haatem and Galen had already established decisive advantages. Despite the circumstances, he still managed to finish a close fourth.
Enfjaar again shaped well on his return in the Festival Stakes at Goodwood, launching a strong challenge before being denied by the race-fit Boiling Point and Naqeeb.
Varian has suggested his stable star has improved significantly for that reappearance, and it would be no surprise to see Enfjaar go off much shorter than his current quote on race day.
Race 7 - Copper Horse Stakes Tips
After siding with several runners at bigger prices earlier on the card, I’ll finish day one of Royal Ascot with a more obvious selection. 10. Valiancy arrives seeking a hat-trick and looks the one they all have to beat.
Having suffered narrow defeats in his first two handicap appearances, Valiancy rounded off 2025 with a determined success in a valuable contest at Haydock. He then returned at Hamilton, where James Doyle endured a difficult passage before producing him late.
Forced to switch sharply left to launch his challenge, Valiancy accelerated impressively once in the clear and ultimately won with plenty in hand.
A wide draw in stall 14 should hold no fears for Doyle, who recently stated he believes Valiancy is the best horse in the field. With only eight pounds separating the entire line-up, there are no obvious weight advantages for rivals to exploit.
Valiancy remains open to further improvement and arrives in Berkshire with the profile of a horse capable of taking another significant step forward..
Verdict
Our best & value bets for Royal Ascot day one are:
Valiancy
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Enfjaar
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Galileo Dame
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High King
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