2025 Royal Ascot Betting Picks – Best Bets for the Top 3 Races
Royal Ascot isn’t merely a pageant of fascinator hats and crystal champagne flutes; it’s one of the most competitive betting stages in all of global racing. Beneath the pomp and ceremony is a slate of high-stakes races that bring in serious punters, syndicates, and anyone who knows the difference between a sprinter and a stayer.
This year’s card features three races with real implications for status, for profit, and for those with the nerve to bet on form over fanfare. We’ve narrowed in on the races that matter and the bets that hold up under scrutiny.
Choose your horses carefully; the tailoring may be immaculate, but the racing is grimy and ruthless.
Keep scrolling for our expert picks for the top three races, our best bets for each one, and what sportsbooks offer the best betting value!
Race Details
- Dates: June 17–21
- Location: Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire, England
- Top Races Covered: Queen Anne Stakes (Tuesday); Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Wednesday); Gold Cup (Thursday)
- How to Watch in the U.S.: FanDuel TV / NBC Sports
About Royal Ascot 2025
Dating back to 1711, Royal Ascot is still one of the most anticipated fixtures in flat racing! It combines historic prestige with top-tier competition. Every day features seven races with world-class runners, huge betting pools, and viewership that stretches far beyond Berkshire.
Wagering exceeds £200 million during the week, and a lot of it comes from online punters. If you’re betting on a sportsbook, treat it like a proper meet! Set your stakes before the first post, track line movement across markets, and don’t adjust midstream just because the first race didn’t go your way. Structured and disciplined bets always fare better than impulsive ones!
Race #1: Queen Anne Stakes – Tuesday, June 17
The Queen Anne kicks off Royal Ascot with a mile-long Group 1 that’s anything but a warm-up. Open to horses aged four and up, the race regularly draws serious talent, usually returning champions or top milers coming off big runs in the Breeders’ Cup.
- Race Type: Group 1 flat
- Distance: 1 mile (1,600 meters)
- Eligibility: Horses aged 4 years and up
- Post Time: Tuesday, June 17 at 2:30 p.m. BST / 9:30 a.m. ET (U.S.)
Top Contenders
These are the projected top contenders;
- Charyn: solid prep season, sharp miler form
- Big Rock: front-runner with serious pace from France
- Facteur Cheval: Breeders’ Cup Mile runner-up, handles firm turf
- Maljoom: lightly raced, big upside if fit and firing
Note: Inspiral has not yet been confirmed in the final field, but if she lines up? She’ll likely go off as the favorite. Her 2024 return was solid, and she’s already a multiple Group 1 winner over this distance.
Our Pick
If Inspiral bypasses the Queen Anne, this is our top pick:
- Facteur Cheval: The only confirmed blue-chip contender among the initial trio. Finished 2nd in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Mile and excels at finishing strongly on firm ground
Best Bet
- Exacta Box: Facteur Cheval / Maljoom
- Prop: Winning Time Over 1:37 (+120)
Race #2: Prince of Wales’s Stakes – Wednesday, June 18
A middle-distance Group 1 showdown over 1 mile 2 furlongs that showcases elite four-year-olds and up.
- Group: 1
- Distance: 1 m 2 f (≈2,004 m)
- Eligibility: 4-year-olds and up
- Post Time: Wednesday, June 18 at 4:20 p.m. BST / 11:20 a.m. ET (U.S.)
Top Contenders
- Auguste Rodin: The defending champion (2024 winner) with Ascot experience and top-tier form.
- King of Steel: Big-framed runner with proven stamina; won the G2 King Edward VII and handles Ascot’s demands.
- Al Riffa: Emerging talent; was recently successful over 12f and could spring a surprise if conditions suit!
Our Pick
Auguste Rodin to Win: Holds the class advantage, experience on this course, and proven ability at this distance.
Best Bet
- Win/Place: Auguste Rodin: strong form and Ascot proven.
- Trifecta Box: Auguste Rodin > King of Steel > Al Riffa: A solid combo of class, stamina, and upside value.
Race #3: Ascot Gold Cup – Thursday, June 19
The Gold Cup is Royal Ascot’s longest and most grueling test: 2 miles and 4 furlongs of sustained pace, endurance, and tactical patience. It’s the crown jewel for stayers and takes more than raw speed; it calls for stamina, positioning, and timing over a brutal distance!
- Group: 1
- Distance: 2 m 4 f (4,014 meters)
- Eligibility: 4-year-olds and up
- Post Time: Thursday, June 19 at 4:20 p.m. BST / 11:20 a.m. ET (U.S.)
Top Contenders
- Illinois: Aidan O’Brien’s rising stayer, coming off a strong win in the Ormonde Stakes. Lightly raced at this trip, but looks bred for it.
- Coltrane: Veteran stayer who finished 2nd in last year’s Gold Cup. Reliable over this distance and has run well at Ascot in every major staying race.
- Gregory: Unexposed but bred for this kind of distance. Showed staying potential as a 3-year-old and could improve with a more patient ride.
Our Pick
- Illinois to Win: Has the right pedigree, recent form, and is trained by one of the best minds in staying races. If he settles early? He’s the one with the advantage.
Best Bet
- Straight Forecast: Illinois > Coltrane
- Prop: Winning Margin Over 2 Lengths (+150)
Best Overall Bets for Royal Ascot 2025
The Royal Ascot card is deep, but not all plays are deserving of your bankroll! We’ve narrowed it down to the bets that hold value, and here are the ones that we trust the most.
- Top Value Bet – Maljoom (Queen Anne Stakes, each-way) | Recently highlighted at ~10/1 as a solid each-way selection: well supported in ante-post markets and worth backing for value.
- Most Confident Pick – Illinois (Gold Cup, Win) | With Kyprios retired, Illinois has trotted into the favorite’s role at ~11/8 for the Gold Cup, picked up by multiple sportsbooks after strong staying form and an Ormonde Stakes win.
- Best Exotic Play – Prince of Wales’s Stakes Trifecta | Forecasting Auguste Rodin – King of Steel – Al Riffa reflects top-tier class, stamina, and potential upside. Routes like this usually favor that precise order in a middle-distance Group‑1 race.
- Dark Horse of the Week – Gregory (Gold Cup, Place) | Listed at ~50/1 in pre-race Gold Cup betting, Gregory is bred for the staying trip and profiling as a sleeper, so this is an ideal value on the tote!
Where to Bet on Royal Ascot in the U.S.
You don’t have to be trackside to bet on the races! Below is where U.S. players can wager on Royal Ascot; all have full markets and live coverage.
- FanDuel: Solid odds and a user-friendly setup make it a really easy go-to for bettors.
- TwinSpires: Best option for live streaming and building out exotic bets.
- TVG / Bet365: Reliable platforms with regular promos during big races.
Royal Ascot Betting Tips for 2025
Betting on Royal Ascot isn’t like betting at the local track. Field depth, turf variability, and international form all matter. Below is what you need to factor in before you bet!
- Monitor the going daily: A race run on good-to-firm ground Tuesday can look totally different by Thursday if it rains. Horses like Coltrane and Big Rock handle softer turf really well, and speed types can struggle when it cuts up.
- Understand the market split: U.S. bettors who are using FanDuel or TwinSpires are getting fixed odds at the time of the bet. UK and Irish punters are in the pari-mutuel (tote) pool, where odds can change drastically in the final minutes. If you’re following European market trends, don’t assume the U.S. price will mirror them.
- Dig into pace bias by race type: Races like the Commonwealth Cup and Diamond Jubilee tend to favor early speed due to track layout and race flow. In longer distances like the Gold Cup, late closers with stamina usually clean up. Study previous runnings at the same distance and conditions for valuable clues.
Final Thoughts & Predictions Recap
We have pinpointed the races that have structure behind them; all are backed up by form, pace, and pricing that hold up!
- Queen Anne: If Inspiral doesn’t run, Facteur Cheval is the clear play. Maljoom holds each-way value.
- Prince of Wales’s: Auguste Rodin has the tools to control this race. King of Steel and Al Riffa fill out the trifecta.
- Gold Cup: With Kyprios out, Illinois has moved to the top of the conversation. Coltrane holds as a reliable second, and Gregory is a place-play sleeper.
