It has been a while since the last race of Royal Ascot came to the finish line, but Ascot Racecourse never sleeps. And as July turns its midpoint, the flat horse racing community is once again directing their eyes at the tracks in Berkshire, this time for the King George Racing Weekend.
The history of this event begins with two separate races, the King George VI race established in 1946 and Queen Elizabeth race established in 1948. In 1951 they were combined into one race, and its inaugural run took place on 21 July same year.
This year the King George racing weekend falls on 25 and 26 July. It will open with The John Guest Racing British EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes. The King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes that gave its name to the entire event will take place on the second day. Ascot Racecourse will host a total of 14 races of different classifications during the weekend.
Key Dates & Timings
The King George Racing Weekend will take place in the fourth week of July and last for two days. The first day includes six races, while the second one includes eight races.
Day One
- Date: Friday, 25 July
- Gate opening: 11:00 am
- First race of the day starts: 1:50 pm
- Headline race of the day starts: 2:25 pm
- Last race of the day starts: 4:45 pm
Day Two
- Date: Saturday, 26 July
- Gate opening: 11:00 am
- First race of the day starts: 1:10 pm
- Headline race of the day starts: 4:10 pm
- Last race of the day starts: 5:15 pm
The daily race cards for the Racing Weekend are as follows:
Friday, 25 July
| Time | Race | Distance | Conditions |
| 1:50 pm | THE JOHN GUEST RACING BRITISH EBF FILLIES’ NOVICE STAKES (CLASS 3) (GBB RACE) (CL 3) | 6f | 2YO £15,000.00 |
| 2:25 pm | THE FLEXJET PAT EDDERY STAKES (CLASS 1) (Listed Race) (CL 1) | 7f | 2YO £50,000.00 |
| 3:00 pm | THE JOHN GUEST RACING BROWN JACK HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 3) (GBBPLUS RACE) (CL 3) | 1m 7f 209y | 3YO+ £25,000.00 Rating 71-90 |
| 3:35 pm | THE JOHN GUEST RACING HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (GBBPLUS RACE) (CL 2) | 1m 3f 211y | 3YO+ £45,000.00 Rating 86-105 |
| 4:10 pm | THE CHAPEL DOWN HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 4) (CL 4) | 7f | 3YO+ £20,000.00 Rating 61-80 |
| 4:45 pm | THE ASCOT FILLIES’ HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 4) (CL 4) | 5f | 3YO+ £15,650.00 Rating 66-85 |
Saturday, 26 July
| Time | Race | Distance | Conditions |
| 1:10 pm | THE BRITISH EBF CROCKER BULTEEL “CONFINED” MAIDEN STAKES (CLASS 2) (Not Run More Than Once) (CL 2) | 6f | 2YO £50,000.00 |
| 1:40 pm | THE SODEXO LIVE! PRINCESS MARGARET STAKES (CLASS 1) (Group 3) (CL 1) | 6f | 2YO £70,000.00 |
| 2:20 pm | THE LONGINES VALIANT STAKES (CLASS 1) (Group 3) (CL 1) | 7f 213y | 3YO+ £85,000.00 |
| 3:00 pm | THE INTERNATIONAL HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (HERITAGE HANDICAP) (CL 2) | 7f | 3YO+ £150,000.00 |
| 3:35 pm | THE BETFRED HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (CL 2) | 1m | 3YO+ £60,000.00 Rating 0-105 |
| 4:10 pm | THE KING GEORGE VI AND QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES (CLASS 1) (Group 1) (CL 1) | 1m 3f 211y | 3YO+ £1,500,000.00 |
| 4:45 pm | THE ASCOT HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 4) (GBBPLUS RACE) (CL 4) | 1m 3f 211y | 3YO+ £25,000.00 Rating 61-80 |
| 5:15 pm | THE BRACKNELL HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (CL 2) | 5f | 3YO+ £60,000.00 |
How to Buy Tickets
Two enclosures will be offering tickets to Ascot Racecourse visitors on Friday, the first day of the meeting: Queen Anne Enclosure and King Edward VII Enclosure. On Saturday, Winning Post Enclosure will also be available.
Prices for the Queen Anne Enclosure start from £20 per person on Friday and from £35 on Saturday. Here you will find majestic views of the tracks, as well as the Grandstand, Pre-Parade Ring, and Parade Ring. You can also buy group tickets (7 people or more) with a reduced price.
The King Edward VII Enclosure offers tickets starting from £40 on Friday and £70 on Saturday for an elevated experience of the race, while the Winning Post Enclosure will get you close to the action in the West End of the Grandstand concourse for £50 per person.
If you are looking for a premium experience on the racecourse, you can additionally purchase admission to exquisite dining venues, the Vista lounge, or a private Loge at concourse level.
Please note that while not very strict, a dress code still applies to all days of the King George racing weekend, so make sure you dress accordingly and look your best self.
Travel and Transport Guide
King George racing weekend is conducted at Ascot Racecourse located at the following address: High Street, Ascot, Berkshire. You can reach your destination by various means of transportation from different directions.
Trains
You can take a South Western Railway train from Reading, Aldershot, and London Waterloo. Trip duration varies depending on your starting point:
- From Reading: approximately 27 minutes
- From Aldershot: approximately 30 minutes
- From London Waterloo: approximately 52 minutes
The racecourse is a 7 minute walk from the Ascot train station.
Cars
From London & The North: M4 Junction 6 onto the A332 Windsor by-pass and follow the signs to Ascot.
From the West: M4 Junction 10 to the A329(M) signed to Bracknell and follow the signs to Ascot.
From the South & East: M3 Junction 3 onto the A332 signed to Bracknell and follow the signs to Ascot.
From the Midlands: M40 southbound, Junction 4. Take the A404 towards the M4 (Junction 8/9). On the M4 head towards Heathrow/London. Leave M4 at Junction 6 and follow the A332 Windsor by-pass to Ascot.
During the King George racing weekend car parking is free. Visitors are asked to park in Car Park 1 and Car Park 6.
Taxis
If you use a taxi to reach Ascot Racecourse, the designated drop-off and pick-up spot is Car Park 3.
Headline Races at the King George Racing Weekend
The King George Racing Weekend includes 14 races, six of them run on the first day and eight on the second day of the meeting. Distances, age restrictions, and classifications vary to make sure every visitor of the Ascot Racecourse finds something interesting to enjoy.
Pat Eddery Stakes (Friday, 25 July)
The only Class 1 race conducted on the first day of the King George racing weekend, the Pat Eddery Stakes is open to both male and female horses but accepts exclusively two year olds. It is run over the distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres).
The race was established in 2006 and originally named Winkfield Stakes after the village near Ascot. However, in 2016 it was renamed to commemorate Pat Eddery, an 11-time British Champion flat jockey who passed away a year prior.
Runners for this year’s Pat Eddery Stakes are still to be announced. We will update the article as soon as the list is available.
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Saturday, 26 July)
The titular race of the meeting is considered one of the most prestigious open-age flat races in Britain. It is a Group 1 flat horse race that accepts both female and male horses aged three years or older and is run over the distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards (2,406 metres).
One of the most memorable runs of the race took place in 1975. The fierce battle between Grundy and Bustino is to this day referred to as the “race of the century”. Grundy eventually came first to the finish line, with Bustino and Dahlia following in second and third place respectively.
Currently, there are 32 runners announced to compete in this year’s race, but this number may change before the day of the race. The jockeys for the race are still to be confirmed.
The current full list of contenders and their trainers runs as follows:
- Al Riffa (age 5, trainer Joseph O’Brien)
- Almaqam (age 4, trainer Ed Walker)
- Calandagan (age 4, trainer Francis Graffard)
- Continuous (age 5, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
- Ghostwriter (age 4, trainer Clive Cox)
- Goliath (age 5, trainer Francis-Henri Graffard)
- Illinois (age 4, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
- Jan Brueghel (age 4, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
- Los Angeles (age 4, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
- Map Of Stars (age 4, trainer Francis-Henri Graffard)
- Ombudsman (age 4, trainer John & Thady Gosden)
- Rebel’s Romance (age 7, trainer Charlie Appleby)
- Sosie (age 4, trainer André Fabre)
- Sunway (age 4, trainer David Menuisier)
- Kalpana (age 4, trainer Andrew Balding)
- Amiloc (age 3, trainer Ralph Beckett)
- Azimpour (age 3, trainer Francis-Henri Graffard)
- Green Impact (age 3, trainer Mrs John Harrington)
- Hotazhell (age 3, trainer Mrs John Harrington)
- Lambourn (age 3, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
- Lazy Griff (age 3, trainer Charlie Johnston)
- Merchant (age 3, trainer William Haggas)
- Minhad (age 3, trainer Ismail Mohammed)
- Pride Of Arras (age 3, trainer Ralph Beckett)
- Ruling Court (age 3, trainer Charlie Appleby)
- Stanhope Gardens (age 3, trainer Ralph Beckett)
- Tennessee Stud (age 3, trainer Joseph O’Brien)
- Tornado Alert (age 3, trainer Saeed bin Suroor)
- Trinity College (age 3, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
- Bedtime Story (age 3, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
- Minnie Hauk (age 3, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
- Whirl (age 3, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
Betting at the King George Racing Weekend
As usually, Ascot Racecourse offers various opportunities to punters who would like to try their luck at the King George racing weekend. If you visit the racecourse during the event, there will be three different ways of horse race betting:
- Multiple Bet With Ascot kiosks
- Individual bookmakers in front of the racetrack
- Betfred Betting Shop
And of course, plenty of online bookmakers will also offer various horse racing markets throughout the King George racing weekend.
At 7bet, we offer a wide range of horse race betting markets both for domestic and international events.
Please note that odds for King George racing weekend will be available closer to the event date.
Betting at King George racing weekend includes various horse betting markets, with some of the most popular being:
- Win: Whether it is the favourite or the underdog, if you think you know who is going to reach the finish line first, you can place your bet on that horse.
- Place: Instead of betting on a direct winner, with this betting market you are trying to predict the horse that will place in the top two to four (depending on the amount of runners) in a single race.
- First Two (or First Three): If you want to bet on more than one horse, you can place a wager on the first two (or three) horses to come to the finish line, but you will have to predict not only the names but also the order in which they will finish.
- Two From Three: Make your bet a little easier by trying to name any two of the first three horses to come to the finish line.
- Placepot: This wager spreads across multiple races and wins if the horse you selected is placed in all of the first six races.
Always remember to gamble responsibly and treat betting as a form of entertainment and not means for financial gain.
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Past Winners
Despite being newer compared to other prestigious British flat races, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes already has an impressive list of winners that have been taking the cup home during its 74 years of existence. The horses who won the this race in the past 24 years since 2000 were the following:
| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
| 2000 | Montjeu | 4 | Michael Kinane | John Hammond | Michael Tabor |
| 2001 | Galileo | 3 | Michael Kinane | Aidan O’Brien | Magnier / Tabor |
| 2002 | Golan | 4 | Kieren Fallon | Sir Michael Stoute | Exors of Lord Weinstock |
| 2003 | Alamshar | 3 | Johnny Murtagh | John Oxx | HH Aga Khan IV |
| 2004 | Doyen | 4 | Frankie Dettori | Saeed bin Suroor | Godolphin |
| 2005 | Azamour | 4 | Michael Kinane | John Oxx | HH Aga Khan IV |
| 2006 | Hurricane Run | 4 | Christophe Soumillon | André Fabre | Michael Tabor |
| 2007 | Dylan Thomas | 4 | Johnny Murtagh | Aidan O’Brien | Magnier / Tabor |
| 2008 | Duke of Marmalade | 4 | Johnny Murtagh | Aidan O’Brien | Magnier / Tabor |
| 2009 | Conduit | 4 | Ryan Moore | Sir Michael Stoute | Ballymacoll Stud |
| 2010 | Harbinger | 4 | Olivier Peslier | Sir Michael Stoute | Highclere “Admiral Rous” |
| 2011 | Nathaniel | 3 | William Buick | John Gosden | Lady Rothschild |
| 2012 | Danedream | 4 | Andrasch Starke | Peter Schiergen | Burg Eberstein / Yoshida |
| 2013 | Novellist | 4 | Johnny Murtagh | Andreas Wohler | Christoph Berglar |
| 2014 | Taghrooda | 3 | Paul Hanagan | John Gosden | Hamdan Al Maktoum |
| 2015 | Postponed | 4 | Andrea Atzeni | Luca Cumani | Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum |
| 2016 | Highland Reel | 4 | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien | Magnier / Tabor/ Smith |
| 2017 | Enable | 3 | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden | Khalid Abdullah |
| 2018 | Poet’s Word | 5 | James Doyle | Sir Michael Stoute | Saeed Suhail |
| 2019 | Enable | 5 | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden | Khalid Abdullah |
| 2020 | Enable | 6 | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden | Khalid Abdullah |
| 2021 | Adayar | 3 | William Buick | Charlie Appleby | Godolphin |
| 2022 | Pyledriver | 5 | P. J. McDonald | William Muir & Chris Grassick | La Pyle Partnership |
| 2023 | Hukum | 6 | Jim Crowley | Owen Burrows | Shadwell Racing |
| 2024 | Goliath | 4 | Christophe Soumillon | Francis-Henri Graffard | Philip Baron Von Ullmann |
Last year’s winner bay gelding Goliath had quite a successful, if somewhat mixed, season. Out of the six races he participated in, Goliath won three. The other two races besides King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes were Prix du Conseil de Paris and Prix d’Hedouville. He also came second twice and fourth once.
As his age still allows him to participate in this year’s race, now five year old Goliath is headlining the list of runners for the upcoming King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes this year.
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Records
Winning a prestigious race like King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes once in your lifetime is a big achievement for any horse, jockey, or trainer. Some of them hold the record for doing it more times than any other participant.
- Leading horse: Enable with 3 wins (2017, 2019, 2020)
- Leading jockey: Lester Piggott (1965, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1977, 1984) and Frankie Dettori (1995, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2017, 2019, 2020), both with 7 wins
- Leading trainer: Sir Michael Stoute with 6 wins (1981, 1993, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2018)
- Leading owner: Michael Tabor with 6 wins (2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2016)
Betting is only available to participants above 18 years. Please bet responsibly. BeGambleAware.org