Premier League legend backs Irish star to continue record-breaking haul at Royal Ascot
Royal Ascot is the pinnacle of the flat-racing season, with some of the world's best jockeys and trainers arriving in Berkshire for five days of top-notch horse-racing action.
This year's event begins on Tuesday 17 June, with talent from Europe, Australia, Japan, the Middle East, and the United States all competing for a slice of the huge £10 million prize pot.
And former Arsenal star and horse racing fanatic Ray Parlour believes Irishman Aidan O'Brien will extend his remarkable win rate at the famous meeting later this month.
The Ballydoyle star is already the most successful trainer in Royal Ascot history with a record 91 winners. He scooped six wins at Royal Ascot last year, making him the leading trainer at the event - the 13th time he has achieved the feat in his career.
'Aidan O'Brien is the best flat trainer at the moment,' says Parlour. 'He has so many top horses in his stable who can win the sprints and longer distance races, so naturally, he's one to follow.'
The ex-Gunner says he'll be focusing on Thursday's showpiece Gold Cup, where O'Brien will be looking to add to his record-breaking eight wins in the race.
His horse Illinois is 7/5 favourite with NetBet Casino and Sport Ireland to triumph ahead of Candelari at 7/2 and Trawlerman at 21/5. Another O'Brien starter in the race is Jan Brueghel, priced at 26/5.
'Illinois is a good horse who may make it a very interesting race and could come out on top in the Gold Cup,' adds Parlour.
The two highest-earning races are the Prince Of Wales's Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, with a whopping £1 million handed to the winner of each race.
In the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, Lazzat is the 7/2 frontrunner, Inisherin at 24/5 and O'Brien's Storm Boy at 6/1.
Ascot's opening race is also highly rewarding, with the winner taking home £750,000. With John and Thady Gosden as the trainers, Parlour plans to keep a close watch on Lead Artist, expecting Oisin Murphy to ride again.
Just last month, Murphy guided Lead Artist to a thrilling victory at Newbury, where he narrowly defeated Dancing Gemini in the closing moments of the race.
Now, the two horses are set for a rematch at Ascot, and Parlour is confident Murphy will replicate that winning performance in Berkshire.
'In the opening race at Ascot, Lead Artist is a horse I know won at Newbury and could go very well in the Queen Anne Stakes,' he says.
Lead Artist is 26/5 with NetBet Casino and Sport Ireland to win the race, just behind Dancing Gemini at 9/2 and the favourite Rosallion at 7/2.
Four-time FA Cup winner Parlour is also tipping jockey Ryan Moore for more success at this year's event. The 41-year-old has won the leading jockey title 10 times at Ascot and set a post-war record of nine winners for a single Royal Ascot meeting in 2015.
'Ryan Moore is such a great jockey, too, and he proves time and time again the quality he has in the saddle,' he said.
As well as NetBet Casino and Sport Ireland offering great odds on all UK and international horse racing events, NetBet Casino and Sport Ireland has welcome offers and promotions, including up to 500 free spins for new customers (full T&Cs can be found here). Sport-specific promotions include Wheel of Sportune, daily prizes, and Correct Score Predictor, with a jackpot of up to €5,000.
You could also win a pair of tickets to the Summer Festival at Galway Races every time you bet €10 on UK and Irish horse racing - terms and conditions apply*.
'Royal Ascot is a superb spectacle and an icon of British Sport,' says Parlour. 'It gets the Royal treatment as well, so it's 100 per cent up there for sure as one of the year's best events.
'Sometimes you receive a tip and follow that one, or look at the in-form trainers and jockeys. For me, especially in the big races, I may just go with horse number 15, which was my number when I played.'
Visit NetBet
Casino and Sport Ireland (18+ only).
*Key terms and conditions for the Summer Festival at Galway Races giveaway:
The promotion will run until 13/07/2025.
Customers will earn 1 entry into the prize draw for every €10 wagered on UK & Irish horse racing within the promotional period.
Minimum odds of 1/1 (2.00) per selection apply.
Only bets placed with cash stakes qualify. Bets placed using Free Bets or bonus funds do not count towards this promotion.
Settled bets only. Cashed out and cancelled bets will not qualify.
Prize draws will take place on 14/07/2025.
Open only to customers from Ireland.
Full terms and conditions can be viewed here.
Commitment to responsible gambling
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
‘We're sweating' – Three Royal Ascot runners the bookies DREAD winning amid surge of support for Aidan O'Brien ‘freak'
BOOKIES have revealed the three Royal Ascot runners they DREAD winning - amid an 'unusual' surge of support for an Aidan O'Brien 'freak'. With a whopping 35 races to get stuck into across five days, Ascot presents a punting puzzle arguably like no other. 1 Superstar miler Rosallion is being backed to get revenge for his Lockinge defeat Credit: PA But one filly is standing head and shoulders above the rest after she absolutely blitzed rivals on debut. Zelaina was all the rage with punters who saw the Jockey James Doyle could hardly hide his delight after and admitted the potential star had 'a hell of an engine'. She was immediately made 4-1 favourite for Wednesday's Queen Mary on the back of that, but William Hill spokesperson Lee Phelps revealed the money had not stopped pouring in. He said: "Royal Ascot is only around the corner and we're champing at the bit for the five-day extravaganza to start. "While there's not quite the same ante-post fervour around this meeting as there is for Cheltenham, there are still a number of horses who'll soon have us sweating under our top hats and tails. "Zelaina created a huge impression on her debut for Karl Burke, and we laid a good chunk at 4-1 for her to win the Queen Mary. "And after Burke was so effusive in his praise for the filly, she's been backed again into 7-4. Most read in Horse Racing "She is currently our worst liability across the meeting." Royal Ascot best-backed horses Zelaina – Queen Mary Stakes – 7-4 from 4-1 Rosallion – Queen Anne Stakes – 3-1 from 9-2 Storm Boy – Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes – 6-1 from 16-1 My Cloud – Royal Hunt Cup – 5-1 from 8-1 The Liffey – Royal Hunt Cup – 10-1 from 20-1 Handicap hotpots William Hill spokesperson Lee Phelps said: "We've managed to dodge two big liabilities already with Kyprios and Albert Einstein sadly ruled out of the meeting, but it's in the handicaps where we've also seen horses catch our eye. "In the Royal Hunt Cup, we've had to cut My Cloud into 5-1 favourite from 8-1 after some bullish comments from Roger Varian in a stable tour. "Varian is a master at bringing horses like this through the grades, and this fella looks like one we'll want to get beat next week. "There's also been some notable money for Joseph O'Brien's The Liffey in the same race. "The Carriganóg team think this guy is a really well-handicapped runner, and that kind of confidence has to be respected. "Between My Cloud and The Liffey, the Royal Hunt Cup could be a race we're watching from behind the back of the sofa." Phelps picked out one superstar miler and a potentially awesome O'Brien sprinter as the other two they fear the most. He said: "While Rosallion didn't win the Lockinge, punters seem to have warmed to him since. "He was 9-2 straight after his defeat to Lead Artist at Newbury, but it seems that many think that form will be reversed in the Queen Anne, so much so that he's now a 3-1 shot. "We expect him to be popular on the day too once people realise they can back last year's uber impressive St James's Palace winner at around 3-1. "One liability that's a little more unusual is Storm Boy in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee. "He looked fairly lacklustre when making his Irish debut at the Curragh last month, and he drifted right out to 16s for Royal Ascot afterwards but has been all the rage since. "He's now a strong 6-1 shot and the weight of money behind him suggests that Aidan O'Brien has worked his magic on this Aussie import." FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Read more on the Irish Sun Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
The Irish Sun
4 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Mauricio Pochettino breaks unwanted record as USA humbled by Switzerland just a year before World Cup begins
MAURICIO POCHETTINO's nightmare start as USMNT boss continued with a thumping loss against Switzerland. The HALF-TIME infront of an embarrassed Poch in Tennessee. 4 Mauricio Pochettino watched his US side fall to another defeat on Tuesday Credit: Getty 4 The Star and Stripes shipped four goals in a dreadful first half Credit: Getty 4 The loss comes on the eve of the CONCACAF Gold Cup Credit: AP Pochettino's side have now lost four matches on the bounce since March. The 53-year-old had declared his team had But two months on, the USMNT are enduring their worst run of form since 2007. It comes just twelve months before the country hosts the World Cup. READ MORE ON FOOTBALL Tuesday's humiliating defeat was also the first time since 1980 the US have shipped four goals in one half. Dan Ndoye, Michel Aebischer, Breel Embolo and Johan Manzambi were all on target for the Swiss at a stunned Geodis Park. All four goals arrived in a 23-minute flurry before the break. Pochettino's men are preparing for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which kicks off on June 15. Most read in Football BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK And after making a host of changes, the Argentine admitted he might have tinkered too much. The former Spurs boss said: "First of all, I think it, of course, is our responsibility and my responsibility, the decision of the choice of the starting eleven. USA manager Mauricio Pochettino gives reaction to 2-1 loss to Canada "I think we wanted to give the possibility to the whole roster to have minutes and play for different circumstances and I think that is the risk that we took. "The combination of the starting eleven of the team, wasn't, I think, now after 90 minutes, the best. "We need to say, blame ourselves. Criticise us. Because it was my decision, and that decision didn't work, and when that doesn't work, you need to be critical with yourself." Former Chelsea star 4 Christian Pulisic has been slammed for skipping the Gold Cup Credit: Getty And the 26-year-old's decision has been slammed by former USA forward Langdon Donovan. After watching "And if you don't want to take this, as a professional soccer player and someone who gets the opportunity to wear that jersey and take it seriously and responsibly, then don't come in. "This is what it means. He's [Ronaldo] 40 years old, he played a long-a** season, he's tired, he was out there grinding and hurt himself in the process. "And I can't help but think about some of our [USMNT] guys on vacation right now, not wanting to play in the Gold Cup. It's p***ing me off.'
The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Arsenal ‘approach Rodrygo for transfer but face Premier League competition as star makes TWO demands to stay at Real'
ARSENAL reportedly face competition from Premier League rivals for Rodrygo. The Gunners are targeting an 2 Real Madrid's Rodrygo is a summer target for Arsenal Credit: AP 2 The Brazilian has two demands before negotiations can take place Credit: Getty The club are already attempting to land prolific striker And Madrid's Brazilian winger According to READ MORE ON ARSENAL The forward has been at the Bernabeu since joining in 2019 from Santos. He has scored 68 goals in 267 games for Los Blancos. The outlet claims Rodrygo won't enter negotiations until he has spoken to Madrid and new boss Rodrygo "wants to feel important" if he is to stay as part of Alonso's future project in the Spanish capital. Most read in Football BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK The Brazilian has spent much of 2025 watching on from the bench. He also wants to operate more on the left wing, after being deployed on the right side for much of the past two seasons. David Raya reveals Arsenal career changed overnight following two-hour meeting The tally was 22 less than the 91 they managed in 2022/23. As well as Sesko, the Gunners are still pursuing Sporting Lisbon striker ARSENAL TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: All the latest rumours from the Emirates But The Athletic Bilbao winger racked up 10 goal contributions in 29 LaLiga games last season. Williams wants to become one of the biggest earners at the Emirates should he make a move to the Prem.
