Royal Ascot 2023: Race times, how to watch on TV and betting tips

The glitz and glamour of British racing’s most famous meeting returns this month as thousands descend on Berkshire for Royal Ascot.

The meeting brings together a selection of the world’s best Flat horses for five days of fantastic racing action.

The late Queen was a renowned racing fan, with Royal Ascot being her favourite meeting. This year the Platinum Jubilee Stakes will be renamed the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in her honour.

When is it?

Royal Ascot begins on Tuesday, June 20 and will run through to Saturday, June 24.

Where is it?

The meeting is held at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire.

How do I watch it?

The meeting will be broadcast live on free-to-air television every day on ITV1. Sky Sports Racing will also provide but for this you will need a Sky Sports subscription.

What is the race schedule?

Tuesday June 20

• Queen Anne Stakes - 2:30pm (BST)

• Coventry Stakes - 3:05pm

• King’s Stand Stakes - 3:40pm

• St James’s Palace Stakes - 4:20pm

• Ascot Stakes - 5pm

• Wolferton Stakes - 5:35pm

• Copper Horse Stakes - 6:10pm

Wednesday June 21

• Queen Mary Stakes - 2:30pm

• Kensington Palace Stakes - 3:05pm

• Duke Of Cambridge Stakes - 3:40pm

• Prince Of Wales’s Stakes - 4:20pm

• Royal Hunt Cup - 5pm

• Queen’s Vase Stakes - 5:35pm

• Windsor Castle Stakes - 6:10pm

Thursday June 22

• Norfolk Stakes - 2:30pm

• King George V Stakes - 3:05pm

• Ribblesdale Stakes - 3:40pm

• Gold Cup - 4:20pm

• Britannia Stakes - 5pm

• Hampton Court Stakes - 5:35pm

• Buckingham Palace Stakes - 6:10pm

Friday June 23

• Albany Stakes - 2:30pm

• Commonwealth Cup - 3:05pm

• Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes - 3:40pm

• Coronation Stakes - 4:20pm

• Sandringham Stakes - 5pm

• King Edward VII Stakes - 5:35pm

• Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes - 6:10pm

Saturday June 24

• Chesham Stakes - 2:30pm

• Jersey Stakes - 3:05pm

• Hardwicke Stakes - 3:40pm

• Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes - 4:20pm

• Wokingham Stakes - 5pm

• Golden Gates Stakes - 5:35pm

• Queen Alexandra Stakes - 6:10pm

Are there any protests planned?

Both the Grand National and the Derby have already been targeted by animal rights group ‘Animal Rising’ and there are suspicions Royal Ascot could be another meeting affected.

However, the racecourse will not be applying for a high court injunction to protect the track against the threat of disruption at this year’s royal meeting.

After consultations with Thames Valley Police, officials are confident that existing legislation is sufficient enough to respond to any incidents of disruption or disorder.

A statement from Ascot read “ Thames Valley Police have powers in place within the existing legislation which are sufficient to be able to respond to any incidents of disorder or disruption. Peaceful protest is welcome as it always has been and will be accommodated outside the racecourse.”

“As we do every year, we are working extremely closely with the Thames Valley Police and our own security providers to be as prepared as possible for any planned disruption during Royal Ascot. We will have additional security around the site as well as enhanced CCTV provision and there will be increased police presence throughout the week.”

What is the latest news?

By Press Association

Grade One-winning hurdlers Echoes In Rain and Vauban are part of a team of “four or five runners” Willie Mullins is preparing for Royal Ascot later this month.

The Closutton trainer was again a dominant force at the Cheltenham Festival in March – and is no stranger to success at the showpiece Flat meeting, with eight previous victories.

Two of those were provided by Stratum, who returns to bid for a Queen Alexandra Stakes hat-trick, having taken the 2021 and 2022 renewals.

Mullins, who has plundered the Ascot Stakes on four previous occasions, will try again, relying on Bring On The Night, who has not run since being beaten three-quarters of a length in the same race last year by Ascot Gold Cup favourite Coltrane.

But it is the high-class Echoes In Rain and Vauban who will provide the most intrigue from the Mullins raiding party.

Echoes in Rain, owned by Barnane Stud, has been well supported in the two-and-a-half-mile Ascot Gold Cup, the feature on Ladies’ Day, and is as short as 9-1 with Coral for the Group One prize.

The seven-year-old mare was beaten narrowly in the Irish Cesarewitch in September, and having won a Grade Three hurdle at Naas in January, she was subsequently fourth to Honeysuckle in the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Grade One honours fell her way in the Mares’ Champion Hurdle, over two miles and three furlongs at Punchestown on her last run in April.

Mullins, though, thinks it will be tough to win the Ascot Gold Cup.

He said: “She’s in good form, working well and we’re very happy to take our chance.

“We’re delighted to have one to run in it. She has run well on decent ground before and I hope it won’t be an issue.”

“It will be hard to think she’d have a winning chance, but if she could finish in the first six, it would be a tremendous run.”