Ascot Course Guide

Famous worldwide for its June meeting, ‘Royal Ascot’ is the most prestigious fixture in the UK Flat racing calendar. The meeting includes 8 Group 1 races, ranging in distance from the five-furlong King’s Stand Stakes to the two and a half mile Gold Cup, which spearhead five days of top-class racing comprising prestigious pattern races and historic handicaps such as the Royal Hunt Cup and Wokingham Stakes. With a Flat calendar that is further-bolstered by the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes in late July and British Champions Day in mid-October, no other racecourse stages a comparable level in terms of quality racing.

Ascot’s National Hunt course was inaugurated in 1966 and also stages several important meetings, notably the Ascot Hurdle fixture in November, the Christmas meeting featuring the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle, the two-mile Clarence House Chase (formerly the Victor Chandler) in January and the Ascot Chase fixture in February – the last two meetings featuring several ‘trial’ races for the upcoming Cheltenham Festival.

Flat Racing
Jumps Racing

The round course is a right-handed, triangular circuit of fourteen furlongs, with a run-in of 2½ furlongs. There is a straight mile course and the Old mile course which joins the round course in Swinley Bottom. Despite the downhill run into Swinley Bottom and relatively short run-in from the final turn, Ascot is galloping in character. Since the redevelopment, the turn into the straight has become more sweeping and those ridden prominently can be difficult to peg back. Nowadays, the ground in the straight drains quicker than the rest of the course, meaning going descriptions can vary.

Because the run-in on Ascot’s round course is relatively short, positioning - jockeyship in other words - is key. It goes without saying that in steadily-run races you want to be towards the sharp end but, whatever the pace, you can get into trouble trying to come through rivals late on. We’re still learning about the straight course, following the relaying a few years back, but in my view it’s more pace-dependent than draw-dependent. Given the right pace to chase, I reckon you can win from anywhere.

View from the saddle: Jason Weaver

Right handed, galloping. NH course reopened in 2006/7 after major redevelopment work, and improved drainage means conditions rarely get so testing as they used to. Fences appear as stiff as they've ever been, the course taking plenty of jumping. The chase course often favours those ridden prominently.

The fences on the far side are quite tricky, particularly for a novice, but, if you’re on a horse that can jump them and freewheel nicely on the downhill section, it can usually win for you. Handling those obstacles smoothly saves an awful lot of energy. It’s a front-runners’ track, too, especially in small fields of novices, but it’s very difficult to win from the front in a big-field handicap. Saving ground when you can and making sure you meet the fences right are the two biggest factors to keep in mind when you’re riding Ascot.

View from the saddle: Mick Fitzgerald

Ascot Top Times
Last 5 years

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat
Flat

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m 192y	Quite By Chance (Good)	29 Oct 2016	3m 55.4s
2m 2f 175y	Master Dee (Good)	29 Oct 2016	4m 29.8s
2m 5f 8y	Cyrname (Good to Soft)	16 Feb 2019	5m 9.85s
2m 7f 180y	Antony (Good)	29 Oct 2016	5m 50.5s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
1m 7f 152y	So Celebre (Good)	02 Apr 2017	3m 34.22s
2m 3f 58y	Miss Estela (Good)	29 Oct 2016	4m 33.6s
2m 5f 141y	Doux Pretender (Good)	24 Nov 2018	5m 12.55s
2m 7f 118y	Dell' Arca (Good)	02 Apr 2017	5m 34.35s
3m	Unowhatimeanharry (Good to Soft)	17 Dec 2016	5m 55.75s
3m 1f	Reve De Sivola (Good to Soft)	20 Dec 2014	6m 11.35s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m	Wilberdragon (Good)	01 Nov 2014	3m 34.33s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
5f	Lady Aurelia (Good to Firm)	20 Jun 2017	57.45s
6f	Blue Point (Good to Firm)	03 May 2017	1m 11.05s
7f	Society Power (Good to Firm)	11 May 2018	1m 24.07s
7f 213y	Alpha Centauri (Good to Firm)	22 Jun 2018	1m 35.89s
1m 2f	The Fugue (Good to Firm)	18 Jun 2014	2m 1.9s
1m 3f 211y	Poet's Word (Good to Firm)	28 Jul 2018	2m 25.84s
1m 6f	Big Orange (Good)	03 Oct 2014	2m 59.36s
2m	Mizzou (Good to Firm)	29 Apr 2015	3m 24.12s
2m 3f 210y	Thomas Hobson (Good to Firm)	20 Jun 2017	4m 17.62s
2m 5f 159y	Oriental Fox (Good to Firm)	20 Jun 2015	4m 45.67s

Ascot Top Trainers
Last 3 years (ordered by number of winners)

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat
Flat

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
P F Nicholls	59	11	27	£323,336	18.64%	-£13.66
N J Henderson	34	10	12	£299,537	29.41%	£27.82
G L Moore	24	5	7	£206,139	20.83%	£8.25
C L Tizzard	33	3	13	£142,375	9.09%	-£18.06
Harry Fry	17	3	5	£78,424	17.65%	-£4.50
Robert Walford	6	3	1	£60,037	50%	£35.00
Miss V Williams	23	2	7	£68,340	8.7%	-£10.50
Dr R D P Newland	9	2	5	£112,370	22.22%	£15.50
D Pipe	7	2	3	£37,536	28.57%	£1.50
Ian Williams	5	2	3	£24,303	40%	£9.00

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
N J Henderson	63	12	25	£233,528	19.05%	-£14.53
P F Nicholls	49	8	19	£108,569	16.33%	£29.38
Harry Fry	19	5	7	£168,618	26.32%	£5.00
A King	39	4	14	£132,048	10.26%	-£21.47
N A Twiston-Davies	19	3	3	£89,301	15.79%	-£7.00
N J Gifford	10	3	3	£26,252	30%	£19.25
D Pipe	13	2	6	£30,872	15.38%	£8.00
D Skelton	17	2	4	£92,183	11.76%	£3.75
Tom Lacey	7	2	2	£11,306	28.57%	£9.50
Dr R D P Newland	7	2	0	£34,650	28.57%	£5.00

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
P F Nicholls	8	2	2	£9,098	25%	-£2.25
W Greatrex	6	2	1	£21,634	33.33%	£7.00
Tom Lacey	4	1	1	£4,549	25%	-£1.75
O Sherwood	3	1	1	£4,549	33.33%	-£0.13
N J Gifford	2	1	1	£17,085	50%	£9.00
Ben Pauling	3	1	0	£4,549	33.33%	£4.00
B G Powell	2	1	0	£4,549	50%	£3.50
M R Channon	1	1	0	£4,549	100%	£5.00
Ian Williams	1	1	0	£4,549	100%	£20.00
D Pipe	1	1	0	£17,085	100%	£8.00

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
J H M Gosden	177	30	50	£5,435,334	16.95%	-£21.05
A P O'Brien	154	22	55	£4,661,292	14.29%	-£20.62
C Appleby	106	18	37	£827,444	16.98%	-£19.05
Sir Michael Stoute	97	16	43	£1,957,551	16.49%	£21.07
W J Haggas	109	15	37	£400,370	13.76%	-£20.81
R Hannon	188	13	39	£391,545	6.91%	-£116.25
M Johnston	149	13	34	£476,480	8.72%	-£77.00
C G Cox	83	11	22	£824,076	13.25%	£1.50
J A Osborne	40	11	10	£280,350	27.5%	£54.25
R Varian	95	10	23	£315,513	10.53%	-£38.02

Ascot Top Jockeys
Last 3 years (ordered by number of winners)

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat
Flat

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Sam Twiston-Davies	27	5	16	£199,862	18.52%	£4.41
H Cobden	22	5	9	£187,072	22.73%	£5.15
J E Moore	20	5	6	£174,213	25%	£14.25
Nico de Boinville	15	5	3	£201,994	33.33%	£0.39
B J Geraghty	16	3	4	£95,091	18.75%	£13.38
James Best	9	3	1	£60,037	33.33%	£32.00
Jack Sherwood	5	3	1	£35,739	60%	£10.38
T J O'Brien	17	2	8	£74,035	11.76%	£3.00
D A Jacob	16	2	6	£46,920	12.5%	-£12.95
T Scudamore	12	2	5	£37,536	16.67%	-£3.50

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Nico de Boinville	25	8	9	£99,484	32%	-£0.83
N D Fehily	24	5	8	£145,341	20.83%	£1.03
B J Geraghty	22	5	7	£141,842	22.73%	-£8.95
Sam Twiston-Davies	17	5	5	£105,374	29.41%	£10.88
Wayne Hutchinson	25	3	10	£47,686	12%	-£8.27
Aidan Coleman	17	3	5	£85,465	17.65%	£18.50
H Cobden	22	2	13	£16,765	9.09%	£0.00
R Johnson	21	2	10	£11,306	9.52%	-£5.50
T Scudamore	18	2	10	£37,536	11.11%	£0.00
L P Aspell	16	2	6	£13,256	12.5%	£8.00

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
David Bass	7	1	4	£4,549	14.29%	£0.00
H Cobden	3	1	2	£4,549	33.33%	£0.00
Brendan Powell	5	1	1	£4,549	20%	£0.50
N D Fehily	3	1	1	£4,549	33.33%	-£0.75
B J Geraghty	2	1	1	£17,085	50%	£9.00
L P Aspell	3	1	0	£4,549	33.33%	-£0.13
G Sheehan	3	1	0	£17,085	33.33%	£6.00
T Scudamore	2	1	0	£17,085	50%	£7.00
A P Heskin	2	1	0	£4,549	50%	£19.00
B S Hughes	1	1	0	£4,549	100%	£5.00

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
R L Moore	173	32	71	£5,086,890	18.5%	-£51.60
W Buick	150	27	53	£1,594,795	18%	-£8.15
L Dettori	106	25	30	£4,814,468	23.58%	£5.58
James Doyle	116	17	30	£2,016,048	14.66%	-£28.09
A Kirby	135	14	33	£946,508	10.37%	-£29.50
Andrea Atzeni	107	13	27	£529,293	12.15%	-£3.22
J P Spencer	129	12	35	£413,359	9.3%	-£29.43
S De Sousa	142	11	36	£300,515	7.75%	-£67.55
Oisin Murphy	111	10	33	£950,386	9.01%	-£19.46
Jim Crowley	128	8	37	£510,270	6.25%	-£55.25