The prestigious Royal Ascot June 2026 meeting will be staged at Ascot Racecourse from 16 to 20 June, bringing together five days of elite Flat racing and more than £10.6 million in prize money across a 35-race programme. Regarded as one of the world’s premier racing festivals, the meeting will feature eight Group 1 contests alongside a strong supporting schedule of Group races, Listed events and highly competitive handicaps.
Day 1 – 16th June (Tuesday)
The opening day will carry total prize money of £2,765,000 and will feature three Group 1 races, ensuring a high-quality start to the festival.
Proceedings will commence with the Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) at 2:30pm. Run over one mile and worth £800,000, the race will provide an important early-season championship test for older milers and will traditionally attract some of Europe’s leading performers in the division.
The Coventry Stakes (Group 2) over six furlongs will follow at 3:05pm and will offer an early opportunity for promising two-year-olds to establish themselves among the season’s leading juveniles.
At 3:40pm, attention will turn to the King Charles III Stakes (Group 1). Worth £700,000 and contested over five furlongs, the sprint championship will bring together elite speed specialists from across the racing world.
The feature race for three-year-olds will arrive at 4:20pm with the St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1) over one mile. The contest will regularly feature Classic form and will rank among the most prestigious mile races for the age group.
The day will conclude with the Ascot Stakes Handicap over two miles and four furlongs, the Wolferton Stakes (Listed) over one mile and two furlongs, and the Copper Horse Stakes Handicap over one mile and six furlongs.
Day 2 – 17th June (Wednesday)
Wednesday’s programme will distribute £2,110,000 and will revolve around the £1 million Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1), one of Europe’s leading middle-distance contests.
The card will begin with the Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2), a five-furlong race for juvenile fillies that has historically served as a launching platform for future top-level performers.
The Queen’s Vase (Group 2) over one mile and six furlongs will provide an important staying examination for three-year-olds before the Duke of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2) brings together accomplished fillies and mares over the round mile.
At 4:20pm, the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1) will take centre stage. Run over one mile and two furlongs, the race will offer a £1 million purse and will likely attract some of the highest-rated middle-distance horses in training.
Supporting contests will include the historic Royal Hunt Cup Handicap, the Kensington Palace Stakes Handicap, and the Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed) for two-year-olds.
Day 3 – 18th June (Thursday)
The third day of the Royal Ascot June 2026 meeting will be highlighted by the historic Gold Cup (Group 1) and will carry total prize money of £1,620,000.
The day’s action will begin with the Chesham Stakes (Listed) over seven furlongs before progressing to the King George V Stakes Handicap and the Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2) for three-year-old fillies.
The feature attraction will arrive at 4:15pm when the Gold Cup (Group 1) will be contested over two miles and four furlongs. Worth £700,000, the staying championship will represent the ultimate test of stamina and endurance and will remain one of the most prestigious races in the British Flat racing calendar.
The supporting programme will include the Britannia Stakes Handicap, a highly competitive one-mile handicap for three-year-olds, the Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3) over one mile and two furlongs, and the Buckingham Palace Stakes Handicap.
Day 4 – 19th June (Friday)
Friday’s seven-race card will offer £2,135,000 in prize money and will feature a pair of significant Group 1 races.
The afternoon will begin with the Albany Stakes (Group 3) for juvenile fillies before the spotlight shifts to the Commonwealth Cup (Group 1) at 3:05pm.
Run over six furlongs and worth £700,000, the Commonwealth Cup will provide a championship opportunity for three-year-old sprinters and will bring together some of the fastest horses of the generation.
At 4:20pm, the Coronation Stakes (Group 1) will be staged over one mile. The prestigious contest for three-year-old fillies will often showcase Classic form and will stand among the most important races of the season for the division.
Additional races on the card will include the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes Handicap, the Sandringham Stakes Handicap, the King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2) over one mile and four furlongs, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes Handicap.
Day 5 – 20th June (Saturday)
The concluding day of the Royal Ascot June 2026 meeting will offer £2,015,000 in prize money and will be headed by another £1 million Group 1 contest.
The programme will commence with the Norfolk Stakes (Group 2) over five furlongs for two-year-olds before the Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2) over one mile and four furlongs for older horses.
At 3:40pm, the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (Group 1) will take centre stage. Run over six furlongs and worth £1 million, the race will attract elite sprinters and will serve as one of the premier sprint championships of the season.
The final afternoon of the festival will also feature the Jersey Stakes (Group 3), the historic Wokingham Stakes Handicap, the Golden Gates Stakes Handicap, and the traditional closing contest, the Queen Alexandra Stakes, run over two miles and six furlongs.
As the curtain falls on the week, the Royal Ascot June 2026 meeting will have showcased every major division of Flat racing through a programme combining championship races, valuable handicaps and international competition.
The Royal Ascot June 2026 meeting will feature 35 races, eight Group 1 contests and more than £10.6 million in prize money, reinforcing its position as one of the most important events on the global Flat racing calendar.
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