The thrill of the Royal Ascot weekend has just come to an end, and the Ascot Racecourse is already getting ready for another glorious event that will feature its premier race. This year, the King George weekend falls on Friday, 24 July and Saturday, 25 July.
Since its establishment in 1711, Ascot Racecourse has become one of the most influential racecourses in the country. Hosting both flat and National Hunt races, it stays open throughout the year. 3 out of 36 annual Group 1 flat races and three Grade 1 jump races conducted in the UK take place at the Ascot Racecourse. The highly prestigious King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is one of the highlights of the summer season.
This year the King George weekend will open with The October Club EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes as its first race, while The Whispering Angel Handicap Stakes will close the entire event.
The feature races for each day are: The Flexjet Pat Eddery Stakes for day one and The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes for day two, the latter also headlining the entire event.
King George Racing Weekend 2026 Racecard
The King George Racing Weekend 2026 will be conducted in the fourth week of July and last for two days. This horse racing fixture will include 14 races, with six races conducted on the first day and eight races conducted on the second day of the event.
Day One: King George Friday (24 July)
- When: Friday, 24 July 2026
- Gate opening: 11:00 am
- First race: 2:20 pm
- Headline race: 2:55 pm
- Last race: 5:12 pm
The daily race card for the King George Friday 2026 is as follows:
Going: good to firm
| Time | Race | Distance | Conditions |
| 2:20 pm | THE OCTOBER CLUB EBF FILLIES’ NOVICE STAKES (CLASS 3) (GBB RACE) (CL 3) | 6f | 2YO £25,000.00 |
| 2:55 pm | THE FLEXJET PAT EDDERY STAKES (CLASS 1) (Listed Race) (CL 1) | 7f | 2YO £65,000.00 |
| 3:30 pm | THE JOHN GUEST RACING BROWN JACK HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 3) (GBBPLUS RACE) (CL 3) | 1m 7f 209y | 3YO+ £30,000.00 Rating 71-90 |
| 4:05 pm | THE SODEXO LIVE! HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (GBBPLUS RACE) (CL 2) | 1m 3f 211y | 3YO+ £45,000.00 Rating 86-105 |
| 4:40 pm | THE CHAPEL DOWN HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 4) (CL 4) | 7f | 3YO+ £25,650.00 Rating 61-80 |
| 5:12 pm | HE SODEXO LIVE! FILLIES’ HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 4) (CL 4) | 5f | 3YO+ £25,650.00 Rating 66-85 |
Day Two: King George Saturday (25 July)
- When: Saturday, 25 July 2026
- Gate opening: 11:00 am
- First race: 1:10 pm
- Headline race: 3:35 pm
- Last race: 5:20 pm
The daily race card for the King George Saturday 2026 is as follows:
Going: good to firm
| Time | Race | Distance | Conditions |
| 1:10 pm | THE DENTAKAY EBF CROCKER BULTEEL “CONFINED” MAIDEN STAKES (CLASS 2) (Not Run More Than Once) (CL 2) | 6f | 2YO £50,000.00 |
| 1:45 pm | THE PRINCESS MARGARET JAPAN CUP STAKES (CLASS 1) (Group 3) (CL 1) | 6f | 2YO £80,000.00 |
| 2:20 pm | THE LONGINES VALIANT STAKES (CLASS 1) (Group 3) (CL 1) | 7f 213y | 3YO+ £95,000.00 |
| 2:55 pm | THE MOET & CHANDON INTERNATIONAL HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (HERITAGE HANDICAP) (CL 2) | 7f | 3YO+ £150,000.00 |
| 3:35 pm | THE KING GEORGE VI AND QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES (CLASS 1) (Group 1) (CL 1) | 1m 3f 211y | 3YO+ £2,000,000.00 |
| 4:10 pm | THE ASCOT HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 4) (GBBPLUS RACE) (CL 4) | 1m 3f 211y | 3YO+ £30,650.00 Rating 61-80 |
| 4:45 pm | THE BETFRED HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (CL 2) | 1m | 3YO+ £60,000.00 Rating 0-105 |
| 5:20 pm | THE WHISPERING ANGEL HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (CL 2) | 5f | 3YO+ £60,000.00 |
Betting at King George Racing Weekend 2026
At 7bet, we offer a wide range of horse race betting markets both for domestic and international events.
Please note that odds for the King George Racing Weekend 2026 will be available closer to the event date.
Betting at the King George Racing Weekend 2026 includes various horse betting markets, with some of the most popular ones being:
- Win: Your task is to predict the race outcome. Place your wager on a horse that you think will finish the race first. If your prediction is correct, you’ll be eligible for a payout proportional to the offered odds and your stake size. This bet is considered a good start for newbies.
- Place: The aim of this bet is to predict which horses will be placed in the race. The winning top ranges between two and four places depending on the number of runners and the type of race. Risks are lower because there are more chances for a strong horse to be placed, while a punter doesn’t need to predict the exact place it’ll take.
- Each Way: For this bet you place two bets on the same horse. One is for it to win the race, the other is to be placed in the same race. Your stake doubles, but if your horse does win, you’ll get two payouts, one for each bet. If it’s placed, you’ll lose the win stake but will get winnings on the place wager.
- Forecast/Tricast: This bet works as a single stake, though you wager on two (forecast) or three (tricast) horses. For the forecast, you need to predict the winner and the second place, while for the tricast you add the third place. In the reverse variation of the bet, the horses can come to the finish line in any order as long as they fall within the places you are betting on. In the straight version they need to take the exact places you assigned them in your bet, otherwise your bet will be lost. In both versions, if one of the horses falls behind, you lose your wager even if others finish as predicted. With more horses influencing the outcome of the bet, the risk of an incorrect prediction increases.
Always remember to gamble responsibly and treat betting as a form of entertainment and not means for financial gain.
Headline Races at the King George Racing Weekend 2026
The King George Racing Weekend 2026 meeting includes 14 races, with six races conducted on the first day and eight races conducted on the second day of the event. Headlined by one of Europe’s most prestigious races, the meeting will offer something of interest to every visitor of the Ascot Racecourse.
Pat Eddery Stakes (Friday, 24 July)
The Pat Eddery Stakes is a Listed flat horse race that accepts both male and female horses aged two years old. It is run over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres).
One of the modern races in British horse racing history, it was established in 2006 and originally called Winkfield Stakes after a nearby village. In 2016 it received its current name to commemorate Britain’s 11 time champion flat jockey Pat Eddery who passed away a year earlier.
Given the race’s upper age restriction, every runner has only one chance in its career to win the champion title. Correspondingly, there are no records of multiple winners of the race.
Jockeys and trainers are welcome to enter the race every year. Currently, the title of the most successful jockey belongs to William Buick with 5 wins (Sixth Sense 2015, New Science 2021, Naval Power 2022, Al Qudra 2024, Time To Turn 2025).
Charlie Appleby stands out among the trainers as the one having brought the largest number of winners to the finish line with 5 wins (Al Dabaran 2019, New Science 2021, Naval Power 2022, Al Qudra 2024, Time To Turn 2025).
The latest winner in 2025 was a 2 year old bay colt Time To Turn. This was one of the three wins he achieved in his debut season. While he can’t re-enter the competition this year, he started the 2026 season with the Star Sports Heron Stakes (Sandown Park, May 2026) where he came second. Time To Turn was trained by Charlie Appleby and led on the track by jockey William Buick.
Currently, there are 13 runners announced to compete in this year’s race, but this number may change before the day of the race. Some of the jockeys for the race have already been announced, others are still awaiting confirmation.
The current full list of contenders, their jockeys and trainers runs as follows:
- Alfred Wallace (age 2, jockey Oisin Murphy, trainer Ed Walker)
- Dandyman Dan (age 2, jockey unconfirmed, trainer David Evans)
- Firehorse (age 2, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Sean Woods)
- Gymbaazy (age 2, jockey Daniel Muscutt, trainer Owen Burrows)
- Kach Above (age 2, jockey unconfirmed, trainer David Loughnane)
- Notable Dream (age 2, jockey Marco Ghiani, trainer Marco Botti)
- Revels (age 2, jockey Sam James, trainer Karl Burke)
- Silver Dominion (age 2, jockey Hector Crouch, trainer Oliver Cole)
- Sonny Parvenue (age 2, jockey Sean Levey, trainer Richard Hannon)
- Sword Salute (age 2, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Charlie Johnston)
- Time For The Moon (age 2, jockey Billy Loughnane, trainer Charlie Johnston)
- Treasurer (age 2, jockey David Egan, trainer Charlie Fellowes)
- Love Is (age 2, jockey Finley Marsh, trainer Richard Hughes)
The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Saturday, 25 July)
The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race that accepts both male and female horses aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards (2,406 metres).
The race was established in 1951 and today is considered the most prestigious open-age flat race in the UK, bringing the world’s best middle distance runners to its track. It came to exist after a merge of two separate races, King George VI race (2 miles, open to three year olds, held in October) and Queen Elizabeth race (1 1/5 miles, held in July).
The only horse who has managed to collect more champion crowns than any other runner is Enable with 3 wins (2017, 2019, 2020).
Two jockeys have brought the same highest number of winners to the finish line: Lester Piggott (Meadow Court 1965, Aunt Edith 1966, Park Top 1969, Nijinsky 1970, Dahlia 1974, The Minstrel 1977, Teenoso 1984) and Frankie Dettori (Lammtarra 1995, Swain 1998, Daylami 1999, Doyen 2004, Enable 2017, 2019, 2020), each with 7 wins.
The undefeated leader among trainers is Sir Michael Stoute with 6 wins (Shergar 1981, Opera House 1993, Golan 2002, Conduit 2009, Harbinger 2010, Poet’s Word 2018).
The latest winner in 2025 was a 4 year old bay gelding Calandagan. This was the second of his four wins of the season, including the Qipco Champion Stakes at the Ascot Racecourse in October. Calandagan started the 2026 season with three races, two of which he won. He has already been declared to take part in this year’s race. Calandagan was trained by Francis Henri Graffard and led on the track by jockey Mickael Barzalona.
Currently, there are 14 runners announced to compete in this year’s race, but this number may change before the day of the race. Some of the jockeys for the race have already been announced, others are still awaiting confirmation.
The current full list of contenders, their jockeys and trainers runs as follows:
- Bay City Roller (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer George Scott)
- Calandagan (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Francis Henri Graffard)
- Goliath (age 6, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Francis Henri Graffard)
- Lambourn (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
- Masquerade Ball (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Takahisa Tezuka)
- Wurttemberg (age 6, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Hiroshi Miyamoto)
- Kalpana (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Andrew Balding)
- Minnie Hauk (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
- Action (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
- Benvenuto Cellini (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Aidan O’Brien)
Other Notable Races at the King George Racing Weekend 2026
There are two other notable races run during the King George Racing Weekend that, while not headlining any of the days, bear major significance.
Princess Margaret Stakes (Saturday, 25 July)
The Princess Margaret Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race that accepts fillies aged two years old. It is run over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres).
The race was established in 1946 and was named after Princess Margaret, the younger daughter of King George VI and sister of Queen Elizabeth II. Though initially classed as a Listed race, it was promoted to Group 3 in 1986.
The upper age restriction on participation prohibits horses from repeated participation, that’s why every filly gets only one shot at an attempt to become the champion. Correspondingly, there are no records of multiple winners.
Among the jockeys, Lester Piggott stands out with the highest number of wins, namely 10 (Parrotia 1958, Parquetta 1961, Soft Angels 1965, Fleet 1966, Star Story 1968, Secret Kiss 1971, Fiery Diplomat 1972, Roussalka 1974, Al Stanza 1976, Desirable 1983).
The title of the most successful trainer with the highest number of champion charges belongs to Sir Michael Stoute with 5 wins (Circus Ring 1981, Hiaam 1986, Enthused 2000, Russian Rhythm 2002, Visit 2007).
The latest winner in 2025 was a 2 year old bay filly Fitzella. This was the second win of her debut season, including the Betfred ‘Supporting Macmillan’ EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes at the Haydock Park Racecourse in May 2025. Though she can’t come back to the race this year, Fitzella participated in four other races since the start of the 2026 season, including the fifth place she took in the Commonwealth Cup during the Royal Ascot week in June. Fitzella was trained by Hugo Palmer and led on the track by jockey Oisin Murphy.
Currently, there are 17 runners announced to compete in this year’s race, but this number may change before the day of the race. Some of the jockeys for the race have already been announced, others are still awaiting confirmation.
The current full list of contenders, their jockeys and trainers runs as follows:
- Alta Regina (age 2, jockey Jamie Spencer, trainer Hamad Al Jehani)
- Blue Flight (age 2, jockey Daniel Muscutt, trainer James Fanshawe)
- Concorde Landed (age 2, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Paddy Twomey)
- Dark Issue (age 2, jockey Sean Levey, trainer Richard Hannon)
- Dee’s Funny Girl (age 2, jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Donnacha O’Brien)
- Divine Whisper (age 2, jockey unconfirmed, trainer George Boughey)
- Glorious Game (age 2, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Hugo Palmer)
- Harlequin Sky (age 2, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam)
- Magnesium (age 2, jockey Silvestre De Sousa, trainer John Butler)
- Miss Kodi (age 2, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Clive Cox)
- Moonrise (age 2, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Andrew Balding)
- Nuit d’Eclair (age 2, jockey David Egan, trainer Kevin Philippart De Foy)
- Silent Beauty (age 2, jockey David Egan, trainer Kevin Philippart De Foy)
- Speed of Sound (age 2, jockey Saffie Osborne, trainer Richard Spencer)
- The Can Can Queen (age 2, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Charlie Johnston)
- Velozee (age 2, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Paddy Twomey)
- Wateera (age 2, jockey Sam James, trainer Karl Burke)
Moet & Chandon International Handicap Stakes (Saturday, 25 July)
The International Handicap Stakes is a Class 2 heritage handicap flat horse race that accepts both male and female horses aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres).
Its first run can be traced to 1976, though the race frequently changed names due to sponsorship reasons. It is now commonly referred to as the International Stakes or International Handicap.
While there are no age restrictions for repeated participation, so far no horse has won the champion title more than once.
Two jockeys share the highest number of wins: William Buick (Bronze Prince 2011, Danyah 2021) and Joe Fanning (Galician 2013, Heavy Metal 2014), each with 2 wins.
Richard Fahey is the most prolific trainer of the race, having brought three of his charges to the finishing line as winners (Castles In The Air 2010, Heavens Guest 2015, Stamp Hill 2017).
The latest winner in 2025 was a 4 year old chestnut gelding Two Tribes. This was the first of his two wins of the season, the second one being the Coral Stewards’ Cup at the Goodwood Racecourse in August. He started the 2026 season by winning the Arn Handicap race at the Meydan Racecourse in UAE (January 2026), then participating in five more races. Two Tribes has already been announced to participate in this year’s race. Two Tribes was trained by Richard Spencer and led on the track by jockey David Egan.
Currently, there are 24 runners announced to compete in this year’s race, but this number may change before the day of the race. Some of the jockeys for the race have already been announced, others are still awaiting confirmation.
The current full list of contenders, their jockeys and trainers runs as follows:
- Room Service (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Jamie Osborne)
- Completely Random (age 5, jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Harry Charlton)
- Golden Mind (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Richard & Peter Fahey)
- Great Acclaim (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Eve Johnson Houghton)
- Two Tribes (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Richard Spencer)
- Arctic Dawn (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Daniel & Claire Kubler)
- Vafortino (age 8, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Charlie Fellowes)
- Mezcala (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Jack Channon)
- Witch Hunter (age 7, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Richard Hannon)
- Stellar Sunrise (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Andrew Balding)
- Back In Black (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer James Fanshawe)
- Extremely Zain (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer William Haggas)
- Superposition (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Ed Dunlop)
- Akkadian Thunder (age 6, jockey unconfirmed, trainer David O’Meara)
- Aalto (age 6, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Ian Williams)
- Brian (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Stan Moore)
- Veblen Good (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer David O’Meara)
- Ata Rangi (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Ed Walker)
- Saytarr (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer James Horton)
- Amazing Journey (age 3, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Jamie Osborne)
- Gangsta Man (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Jim Goldie)
- Philanthropist (age 4, jockey unconfirmed, trainer James Fanshawe)
- Sword (age 5, jockey unconfirmed, trainer Stuart Williams)
- Leadman (age 6, jockey unconfirmed, trainer David O’Meara)
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