Royal Ascot is poised to witness the return of several champions from last year’s five-day spectacle. Here, we spotlight five equines with strong prospects of achieving consecutive victories at the royal gathering. To place your bets on these potential champions and enhance your Royal Ascot experience, visit 1xbet.
Big Evs
Trainer: Mick Appleby
Race: King Charles III Stakes
Odds: 7-2
Big Evs was a revelation under the tutelage of Mick Appleby at two, securing victory in the Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot on his second outing and capping off the season with a win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Santa Anita. He marked a successful comeback in a Listed race at York last month, achieving a career-best Racing Post Rating of 116.
However, more will be required in the King Charles III Stakes, where he will confront his stiffest competition to date. The average winning RPR for this Group 1 sprint over the past decade stands at 123. His adversaries will include the US contender Crimson Advocate, who triumphed in the Queen Mary at the same meeting last year and recently made a victorious return at Gulfstream.
Trainer Mick Appleby (June 4): “He’s heading there fit and well, and hopefully he’ll perform admirably, but this year’s race promises to be his most challenging yet. As long as the ground isn’t too soft, everything else should suit him. He has emerged well from his run at York, and it was a relief to see him win. It’s always a significant ask to see if they progress from being a good two-year-old.”
River Tiber
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
Race: St James’s Palace/Commonwealth Cup
Odds: 16-1 (SJP), 7-1 (CC)
River Tiber was another exceptional two-year-old at Royal Ascot last year, securing victory in the Coventry Stakes. However, his target this month remains uncertain. The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt was third, beaten by a length and a half behind Rosallion and Haatem on his return in the Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh.
Considering O’Brien’s horses typically improve after their reappearances, it was a promising effort. It would not be surprising if River Tiber could narrow the gap on those rivals in the St James’s Palace over a mile. He also holds an entry in the Commonwealth Cup over the same course and distance as his Coventry Stakes win and is notably shorter-priced for that race, with the Jersey Stakes over 7f being another option.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien (May 25): “That was a fine initial run against two strong horses. We need to decide whether he’ll compete over six, seven, or a mile at Ascot.”
Rogue Millennium
Trainer: Joseph O’Brien
Race: Duke of Cambridge/Queen Anne
Odds: 6-1 (DoC)/33-1 (QA)
Unlike the other horses discussed, Rogue Millennium is aiming for consecutive wins in the same race, the Duke of Cambridge. However, she represents new connections, having been sold by her previous owners, The Rogues Gallery, for 1.65 million guineas at the Tattersall December sale.
Now trained by Joseph O’Brien and owned by Scott Heider, Rogue Millennium was a beaten even-money favorite on her stable debut in a Group 2 at the Curragh last month. Nonetheless, her third-place finish can be viewed positively, as she was repeatedly denied a run at a crucial juncture. She aims to become the first horse to win the Duke of Cambridge twice, a feat Integral and Usherette failed to achieve in the last decade. She also has a speculative entry in the Queen Anne.
Trainer Joseph O’Brien: “Rogue Millennium has acclimated nicely. She boasts a Group 2 victory and has secured a place in Group 1. This exquisite filly embodies our aspiration to triumph in a Group 1 race.
We’ll start over a mile, but I wouldn’t rule out trying her over ten furlongs, and she could travel for international races.”
Gregory
Trainers: John and Thady Gosden
Race: Gold Cup
Odds: 6-1
Gregory aims to emulate former stablemate Stradivarius by winning the Queen’s Vase and Gold Cup in successive years. The Wathnan Racing’s four-year-old contender, who experienced a trio of setbacks since his triumph at last year’s royal gathering, exhibited a promising resurgence with a commendable third-place finish trailing Giavellotto in the Yorkshire Cup over a distance of 1 mile and 6 furlongs last month.
The trip appeared short for Gregory, who performed his best work late, and a step up to 2m4f could lead to significant improvement, which is necessary given the task of facing the 2022 winner and short-priced favorite Kyprios.
Trainer John Gosden (May 17): “I was impressed with how he regained his second wind and stayed on. The plan is to proceed straight to the Gold Cup. He’ll appreciate the distance.”
VaubanTrainer: Willie Mullins
Race: Gold Cup
Odds: 10-1
Gregory will be accompanied in the Gold Cup lineup by another winner from last year’s meeting, Vauban, who secured the Copper Horse Handicap in 2023. That form proved solid, with stablemate and runner-up Absurde winning the Ebor at York on his subsequent Flat outing.
Vauban, a three-time Grade 1-winning hurdler, finished down the field as the beaten favorite in the Melbourne Cup at Flemington in November but was a place ahead of Gregory when second at York last time. The Willie Mullins-trained stayer raced keenly on his return and should be sharper for that outing. Like Gregory, he will be tackling 2m4f for the first time.
Jockey William Buick (May 17): “I was pleased with his performance; they will be very happy with that run. Vauban is going to get further, and we felt he would improve for that run, so there are plenty of positives to take from it.”