How to Bet on Royal Ascot

The glitz and glamour of Royal Ascot takes over the horse racing world every June, with huge crowds mingling with royalty and some of the top flat races of the year being ran.

With the event becoming so famous, it entices punters from all over regardless of whether they do it every day of the year or just for the big events. Those casual punters who do just bet on the big events are the most at risk of losing all their hard-earned cash but everyone can take note of our guide to betting at Royal Ascot and hopefully improve their chances of making a profit.

Royal Ascot

Royal Ascot dates back to 1711 is home to the most prestigious flat race in Great Britain, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. This 1 mile 3 furlong, 211 yard, Group 1 race open to horses aged three and over is worth more than a staggering £1.2 million in prize money. Over £700,000 goes to the winner.

Other notable races during the Royal Ascot festival include:

• The Ascot Gold Cup – 2 mile, 3 furlong and 210 yard Group 1 race, first ran in 1807 in presence of King George III
• St. James’ Palace Stakes – A 7 furlong race for three-year-old Colts, first ran in 1834 and always contested on the opening day of Royal Ascot
• The Coronation Stakes – Open to three-year-old Fillies, this 7 furlong race was first ran in 1840 and has prize money of over half a million pounds
• The Wokingham Stakes – A 6 furlong handicap race open to horses aged three and over, contested on the final day of Royal Ascot

How to Bet on Royal Ascot

Betting on Royal Ascot can be a quick way to going broke if you’re not careful, if you approach it in the wrong way, or if you just allow your heart to override your head. As in all forms of sports betting, you must remain analytical and take a business-like approach to it.

Study Form

The basics of horse racing betting is studying the form, noting down how well a horse has been running, course and distance records, etc.

For Royal Ascot we recommend paying close attention to how each horse runs on different ground conditions, previous form at Ascot regardless of whether it was the Royal meeting or not, and how well the horse has run under the jockey who will be riding in the race you wish to bet on.

All of this information will give you the chance to make an informed decision on who to bet on, and can be done across a period of time up to a few days before the event.

Market Movers

Pay close attention to big movers in the market in the days leading up to the event. Look for horses who are being heavily backed and those who are drifting in the market and try to delve deeper to find out if there is a reason behind it.

Maybe, an outsider who loves soft ground may see a flurry of betting activity on it if there’s a lot of rain in the days leading up to the event. Likewise, a favourite who loves good to firm ground may drift in the betting for the same reason.

There could also be a little insider knowledge at play here as well, so pay close attention and try to find the reasons. If you find a good enough reason why a horse is being backed in, maybe you should get on it before the price drops even lower.

In saying that, do not just back a horse because other people have jumped on the bandwagon. Always find an analytical reason first before parting with your hard-earned cash.

Each Way Bets

A lot of races at Royal Ascot will have a big fields, which increases the chances of big priced horses finishing in the places. In fact, over the years, there have been numerous horses priced in double figures who have won or placed at Royal Ascot. On the Friday in 2018, one race saw both the second and third placed horses priced at 66/1. The first race of the 2018 Royal Ascot meeting saw a 33/1 winner beating a 20/1 shot into second place.

So, each way backers can get some fantastic odds during this meeting.

But, be aware, every decent priced prospect isn’t going to finish in the places. So you must be shrewd when betting each-way at a meeting such as Royal Ascot. Use your knowledge gained through studying form and paying close attention to market movers, weather etc. and make an informed decision.

Perhaps one of the vest ways to use each-way betting is looking at races with a red-hot, and short priced favourite. Look at the horses second and third in the betting, who should be available at decent odds against a heavily fancied favourite.

These are the types of horses who give you a decent return for an each-way bet. It may not be the huge amounts you may win if you select the 33/1 winners, or the 66/1 seconds, but there’s more chance of landing these smaller gambles than the bigger ones.