Royal Ascot 2025 tips: Best bets and Irish runners to follow this week
Run over five days, with eight Group 1s, Royal Ascot is one of, if not the best, week in horse racing, and we can't wait to share it with you.
Just like the Cheltenham Festival, Royal Ascot attracts the best trainers and horses from the Emerald Isle. Over the five days of Royal Ascot, we will bear witness to the master of Ballydoyle, Aidan O'Brien, Ger Lyons, and Champion UK and Ireland National Hunt trainer, Willie Mullins, and more take on the best of what Britain has to offer.
These are the names that have struck fear into UK horse racing for many years, and this year, they send some of the most exciting horses in training to take on the British battalion.
With that in mind, we have picked out the best betting tips and the most exciting Irish runners for you to follow at Royal Ascot 2025
.
Whether you're interested in win, place, or accumulators, we've got you covered.
Quick Royal Ascot tips for Tuesday June 16
Tue 16:20 - St James's Palace Stakes
➡️
Tue 17:00 - Ascot Stakes
➡️
Tue 18:10 - Copper House Stakes
➡️
Royal Ascot tips: Best bets of the week
Day
Race
Horse
Odds
Trainer
Notes
Tue
St James's
Palace Stakes
FIELD OF GOLD
4/5
J & T Gosden
Dominant Irish 1000 Guineas winner. Can gain revenge on Ruling Court.
Tue
Ascot
Stakes
REACHING HIGH
7/2
W P Mullins 🇮🇪
Looks open to significant improvement. The one to beat.
Tue
Copper House
Stakes
CABALLO DE MAR
7/1
G Scott
Won 6 of his last 7. On the rapid improve. Big player
Wed
Duke Of
Cambridge
FALLEN ANGEL
6/1
K R Burke
Group 1 winner dropping in class. Set for a big run.
Thu
Gold Cup
TRAWLERMAN
4/1
John & Thady Gosden
Third in this last season to Kyprios. Made a winning return at Sandown. Hard to ignore.
Thu
Buckingham
Palace Stakes
OLIVER SHOW
16/1
G Boughey
A model of consistency. Headed on the line in the Lincoln. Can have a say.
Fri
Common-
wealth Cup
SHADOW OF LIGHT
7/4
Charlie Appleby
Third in the 2000 Guines. Will be hard to beat back at 6f.
Fri
Coronation
Stakes
EXACTLY
6/1
A O'Brien 🇮🇪
Not far behind Zarigana at Longchamp when hampered in the closing stages. Live chance.
Sat
Queen
Elizabeth II
Jubilee
INISHERIN
5/1
Kevin Ryan
Won the Commonwealth Cup last season. Perfect winning prep. Big player.
🇮🇪 Irish-trained horses
Odds subject to change
.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Royal Ascot key race previews
Tuesday
2:30 Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes: 1m (4yo+) (Str) - Rosallion 11/4
Royal Ascot starts with a bang as 11 head to post for the Queen Anne Stakes. Lead Artist, Dancing Gemini, Rosallion, and Notable Speech, who finish first, second, third, and fourth in that order in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes, will lock horns again.
Lead Artist, Dancing Gemini, and Notable Speech had race fitness on their side, and now that
ROSALLION
has that comeback run under his belt, he can gain his revenge. He won the St James's Palace at last year's festival, and if this four-year-old comes forward as expected, he will prove hard to beat at a course where he has yet to taste defeat. At bigger odds, Sardinian Warrior looks set for a big run.
➡️
3:40 Group 1 King Charles III Stakes: 5f (3yo+) - Mgheera 12/1
Last season's winner, Asfoora, is back from Australia to defend her crown. She has demonstrated her effectiveness on this track, giving her standout claims of winning back-to-back King Charles III Stakes. Believing was unlucky not to win a Group 1 last season, but she started this season with a Group 1 win in Meydan, and she is another with clear claims.
However, it can pay to side with the mare
MGHEERA
. She is unbeaten since arriving in the UK, and on the back of a Group 2 win where she showed her staying power over this trip, the stiff Ascot 5f looks right up her street. She will be finishing with a rattle when many are crying enough. Even though she has 20 races under her belt, she looks to be hitting peak form for her new connections.
➡️
4:20 Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes: 1m (3yo) (Rnd) - Field Of Gold 5/6
The St James's Palace is one of the most anticipated races at Royal Ascot 2025 as the UK, Irish, and French 2000 Guineas winners come head-to-head. Henri Matisse was a game-winner in the French 2000 Guineas, but there is a suspicion that he will need to pull out even more to get the better of the top two in the betting.
Ruling Court got the better of
FIELD OF GOLD
in the 2000 Guineas after the Juddmonte-owned runner was given a poor ride by Kieren Shoemark, failing to reel in the Godolphin runner. But today, Field Of Gold can gain a deserved revenge.
The son of Kingman made no mistake in the Irish 2000 Guineas under the newly appointed Juddmonte retained jockey, Colin Keane. This strapping grey can dominate his opposition here and replicate his sire by winning the St James's Palace Stakes.
➡️
Thursday
4:20 Group 1 Gold Cup: 2m4f - Trawlerman 7/2
The early retirement of Kyprios has blown the Gold Cup wide open. The omission of one of the greatest stayers of all time would have left any normal trainer searching far and wide for a replacement, but not Aidan O'Brien. The Ballydoyle maestro has an able replacement in the St Leger runner-up, Illinois. He has big hoofs to fill, but this young star has bags of potential; even so, he has to be taken on at his current odds.
The lightly raced French raider, Candelari, comes here on the back of clear-cut Group 1 win at Longchamp. He looks as if he will have no issue seeing out this extreme trip, but it can pay to stick with the tried and tested in last season's third-place finisher
TRAWLERMAN
.
The Godolphin-owned runner overraced in last season's renewal, but as it seemed he was going to drop out tamely, Trawlerman rallied to take third. He made a perfect start to the season with a facile win in a Sandown Group 3, setting him up perfectly for another crack at this Group 1 prize. Now that he doesn't have to deal with Kyprios, this can be Trawlerman's time to shine.
Friday
3:05 Group 1 Commonwealth Cup: 6f (3yo) - Shadow Of Light 7/4
Colin Keane could have a dream day in the saddle should he get his old boss, Ger Lyons's Babouche, over the line in the first place here. But the more we delve into the Commonwealth Cup, this looks there for the taking for
SHADOW OF LIGHT
. A top-class operator as a two-year-old, winning two Group 1s over 6f and 7f, Shadow Of Light seemed to be stretched in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket over 1m but still finished a close third behind two top-class colts.
He drops back to 6f here, which won't be an issue for the son of Lope De Vega. He has every right to come forward fitness-wise for his run a Newmarket, and this prominent racer should prove hard to beat here. Should Shadow Of Light underperform, Big Mojo may be the one to capitalize. He made a winning return to the tack over this course and distance and was unlucky not to back that up on his next start. At his current odds, he looks a good each-way alternative.
2:20 Group 1 Coronation Stakes: 1m (3yo) (Rnd) - Bedtime Story 20/1
The French 1000 Guineas winner, Zarigana, will be hard to beat if she is at her best, but even so, her form is not beyond reach. The supplemented Falakeyah is a fascinating runner on the back of an impressive Listed win on just her second career start.
EXACTLY
was just over one length behind Zarigana in the French 1000 Guineas, and considering that the Aidan O'Brien filly was hampered in the closing stages and eased off inside the final 100 yards, she doesn't have much to find with Zarigana.
The form of that race has already taken a boost, with the sixth Bedtime Story going on to take the runner-up spot in the Group 1 Prix de Diane at Chantilly on Sunday. This daughter of Frankel is the type to improve with racing, and it's hard to see her not being in the shake-up.
Saturday
3:40 Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes: 6f (4yo+) - Inisherin 5/1
The final Group 1 of Royal Ascot 2025 comes over 6f with a host of runners with realistic chances of winning. Storm Boy was the talk of the town when arriving at Ballydoyle from Australia, but he started his career in Ireland with a whimper. He was sent off the well-supported 6/4 favourite for his Irish debut, but he was beaten by the two-furlong pole, eventually finishing last of the six runners.
However, he is trained by Aidan O'Brien, so expect to see this son of Justify take a big step forward here. Even if he does show considerable improvement, he and the rest of the field may find it hard to head the game
INISHERIN
. The Kevin Ryan-trained inmate was an easy winner of the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot 2024, and he made a winning return to the track when showing bravery to hold off the fast-finishing Flora Of Bermuda.
This big strong son of Shamardal looked as if he would come on plenty for his comeback run, and given how he won with so much ease over course and distance last season, Inisherin can make it back-to-back Royal Ascot wins. Elite Status looks to have been missed in the betting and can run well at big odds.
Irish runners to watch at Royal Ascot in 2025
HENRI MATISSE
(St James's Palace – Aidan O'Brien) French 2000 Guineas. winner.
REACHING HIGH
(Ascot Stakes – Willie Mullins) Major improvement to come. Royal runner.
ONE LOOK
(Duke Of Cambridge – PaddyT womey) Career best on her latest run. Big chance.
LOS ANGELES
(Prince Of Wales Stakes – Aidan O'Brien) Unbeaten this season. Battle hardened.
CHARLES DARWIN
(Norfolk Stakes – Aidan O'Brien) - Odds on in three starts. An exciting sprinter in the making.
ILLINIOS
(Gold Cup – Aidan O'Brien) - Super sub for Kyprios. New trip is an unknown but has huge potential.
BABOUCHE
(Commonwealth Cup – Ger Lyons) - Back to winning ways as of late. Big player here.
EXACTLY
(Coronation Stakes – Aidan O'Brien) - 4
th
in French 2000 Guineas. Can get closer to the winner here.
STORM BOY
(Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes – Aidan O'Brien) - Talented sprinter who is likely to leave a poor Irish debut well behind.
Where to watch the 2025 Royal Ascot in Ireland
The week of Royal Ascot is a week in racing that cannot be missed by any racing fan. From Donegal to Waterford, you will not miss a minute of Royal Ascot. The first race on each day of Royal Ascot goes to post at 2:30, and here is how you can watch the greatest summer festival.
TV:
ITV, Virgin Media.
Online
: Online betting sites (check with your chosen betting site), Virgin Media Player.
About the author
Craig Mahood
Craig Mahood is an expert in sports betting and online casinos and has worked with the company since 2020. He joined the Betting & Gaming team at The Sun in June 2022 and works closely with the leading bookmakers and online gaming companies to provide content on all areas of sports betting and gaming. He previously worked as a Digital Sports Reporter at the Scottish Sun, covering Scottish football with particular focus on Celtic and Rangers, As well as football, he has covered horse racing, boxing, darts, the Olympics and tennis for the Sun.
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