Looking back at Royal Ascot 2023

Ahead of the return of Royal Ascot in June 2024, we look back at the action from 2023.

Excitement and anticipation are growing rapidly ahead of the return of Royal Ascot to this iconic Ascot Racecourse for the 2024 renewal of this highly prestigious race meeting. This year’s event, as ever, takes place over the course of five days, with the races being run from Tuesday 18th to Saturday 22nd June 2024.

Founded by Queen Anne back in 1711, the historic Ascot Racecourse has hosted Royal Ascot since it took place for the first time in 1807, a year that also saw the introduction of the famous Ascot Gold Cup.

Throughout the more than 200 year history of Royal Ascot, there have been a number of famous jockeys and horses that have taken to the track in the quest for glory in one of the sport’s most revered and eye-catching events of the year. Of all the jockeys to have taken part, Lester Piggott has the most wins at this event, with no less than 116.

Piggott also won the Ascot Gold Cup 11 times throughout his career. These wins came with Zarathustra (1957), Gladness (1958), Pandofell (1961), Twilight Alley (1963), Fighting Charlie (1965), Sagaro (1975, 1976, 1977), Le Moss (1979) and Ardross (1981, 1982).

Let’s fast forward to the most recent Royal Ascot in 2023 and look back at the action ahead of this event’s June 2024 return.

Day One

The first day of the 2023 Royal Ascot began with that year’s Queen Anne Stakes – the first of seven races that took place that day. The favourite for the opening race was William Buick’s Modern Games, but this race did not go his way – the surprise winner was Triple Time, ridden by Neil Callan.

The second race, the Coventry Stakes, was a race that did end up going the way of the favourite, who was, in this case, Ryan Moore’s River Tiber. Moore had made the late Queen Elizabeth II the first reigning monarch to win at Ascot 10 years earlier. In 2023, River Tiber won, with Hollie Doyle’s Army Ethos and Kevin Stott’s Bucanero Fuerte having to settle for a second and third place, respectively.

Then came the King’s Stand Stakes. The highly favoured horse in this was indeed Highfield Princess, ridden by Jason Hart and trained by John Quinn. However, it was, in fact, Hollie Doyle who emerged victorious from this race, riding Bradsell to the win. Highfield Princess had to settle for a second place finish with Annaf finishing in third.

Race number four of the opening day in 2023 was the St James’s Palace Stakes. This race saw the favourite come in second place once again, with Frankie Dettori’s Chaldean finishing behind race winner Paddington, which was jockey Ryan Moore’s second win of the day.

The Ascot Stakes then followed as the third to last race to take place on day one. The favourite finished further down the order this time, with Ryan Moore’s Bring On The Night coming in 13th. As for the winner, this was William Buick’s Ahorsewithnoname – his second win of the day.

The penultimate race of the day was the Wolferton Stakes, which saw Jack Mitchell’s Royal Champion come out on top, with Bolshoi Ballet coming second and pre-race favourite Buckaroo having to settle for a third-place finish.

As the final race of the inaugural day of action in the 2023 Royal Ascot, the Copper Horse Handicap rounded off proceedings on day one. This race did go with the pre-race favourite, Vauban, who gave jockey Ryan Moore his third win of the day.

Day Two

Following the enthralling action from day one, the Queen Mary Stakes were highly anticipated as the opening race of day two. Going into this race, Clifford Lee’s Beautiful Diamond was seen as the leading contender to win it. However, Lee ended up finishing in third after Crimson Advocate took first place, with Tom Marquand’s Relief Rally coming in second place as the runner-up.

Then came the Kensington Palace Fillies Handicap. Jockey Colin Keane rode Villanova Queen to victory in this race ahead of Don’t Tell Claire in second and Tarrabb, who rounded off this race’s top three in third place.

Race three of the day was the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes. Following an enthralling race, it was Daniel Tudhope and Rogue Millennium who came out on top as the winners, with Random Harvest (Saffie Osborne) and Prosperous Voyage (Frankie Dettori) coming in second and third place.

The Prince Of Wales Stakes came next, with Jim Crowley’s Mostahdaf fending off pre-race favourite Luxembourg to victory ahead of Ryan Moore’s horse. Adayar was the horse to round the three podium positions, coming in third place in the end.

Jimi Hendrix won the 2023 Royal Hunt Cup, the fifth race of the day, after being ridden to glory by Rossa Ryan. Ryan Moore just about missed out on victory, coming in second place with Sonny Liston, whilst William Buick’s Awaal came in third.

The penultimate race of the second day was the Queen’s Vase, won by pre-race favourite Frankie Dettori’s Gregory, finishing ahead of Oisin Murphy’s Saint George and James Doyle’s Chesspiece in second and third place, respectively.

Finally, day two came to a close with the Windsor Castle Stakes, which were won by Jason Hart and Big Evs, whilst Johannes Brahms and Inquisitively came in second and third place in the end.

Day Three

The third day of racing action began with the 2023 renewal of the Norfolk Stakes. The pre-race favourite, Elite Status, could only manage a third place finish, with Malc finishing in second and just behind winner Valiant Force, ridden by Rossa Ryan.

Desert Hero was very much the hero in the second race, the King George V Stakes, with Tom Marquand riding Desert Hero to victory in this particular race. Valiant King (Oisin Murphy) and Unbelievable (Ryan Moore) came in second and third place in the end.

Next up was the 2023 Ribblesdale Stakes, with a total of 17 horses taking part, from Ryan Moore’s Warm Heart to Kevin Stott’s Maman Joon. It is the former who won the race after managing to fend off some stern competition that were coming from Lumiere Rock (James McDonald, 2nd) and Bluestocking (Frankie Dettori, 3rd).

Race number four on day three was the 2023 renewal of the highly coveted and prestigious Ascot Gold Cup. Frankie Dettori wrote another chapter in the history of this race with victory on Courage Mon Ami. Pre-race favourite Coltrane and Subjectivist came in second and third place respectively.

The fifth race of day three was won by pre-race Docklands, who Hayley Turner was able to rid to victory in the Britannia Stakes last year. Turner was closely followed by David Egan’s New Endeavour and Andrea Atzeni’s Urban Sprawl.

Waipiro was the winner of the third day’s penultimate race, the 2023 Hampton Court Stakes. Tom Marquand rod that horse to victory ahead of Exoplanet (David Egan) and Bold Act (William Buwick).

Pre-race favourite Biggles, ridden by Ryan Moore, came 9th in the Buckingham Palace Stakes (The final race of day three). It was, in fact, Jamie Spencer and Witch Hunter who took home the victory, with Croupier in second place and Northern Express in third.

Day Four

The fourth and penultimate day of action of the 2023 Royal Ascot began with the Albany Stakes early on in the afternoon. The iconic jockey Frankie Dettori came out on top once again in his illustrious career, with Porta Fortuna winning the race ahead of Matrika and Soprano.

This race was then followed by the Commonwealth Cup. Pre-race favourite Little Big Bear, ridden by Ryan Moore, had to settle for a second-place finish, with Oisin Murphy’s Shaquille emerging victorious in the end.

Next to come that day was the prestigious Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes. The favourite, Teumassias Fox, could only come 15th, so this left the race open to win for everybody else, and, in the end, it was Okita Soushi who won with Jockey Ryan Moore on board.

Race four of the penultimate day of action in the 2023 Royal Ascot was to be the Coronation Stakes later on that afternoon. Chris Hayes got his first win of the day after riding Tahiyra to victory as the pre-race favourite ahead of Remarquee in second, whilst Ronan Whelan’s Sounds Of Heaven came third.

The fifth race for day four was the  Sandringham Stakes. Coppice was the winner with Frankie Dettori on board, with Bregge in second and Hayley Turner’s Balalaika coming in third. Then came the sixth and penultimate race of the day, the King Edward VII Stakes, which Kevin Stott’s King Of Steel won.

The race that concluded on day four of the 2023 edition of Royal Ascot was the Palace of Holyrood House Stakes. In this race, pre-race favourite Jer Batt, ridden by Colin Keane, could not live up to the tag of being favourites, finishing in 12th place in the end. Instead, it was Hollie Doyle and Rhythm N Hooves who took home the win in this race in the end.

Day Five

Now we finally move on to looking back at the fifth and final day of the 2023 Royal Ascot at the iconic and historic Ascot Racecourse. The day began with that year’s Chesham Stakes, where Ryan Moore rode favourite Pearls and Rubies to second place, with Gary Carroll’s Snellen taking home the win in first place.

Next up on day five was the 2023 Jersey Stakes, which were won by Wayne Lordan, who managed to win riding Age Of Kings to victory ahead of some stern competition that came from Oisin Murphy’s Zoology and Charles Bishop’s Streets Of Gold, who had to settle for a second and third place finish respectively.

The third of seven races to take place on the fifth and final day of the 2023 Royal Ascot was to be that year’s Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, where Jamie Spencer and Khadeem came out on top ahead of Tom Marquand’s Sacred and Jason Hart’s Highfield Princess in second and third respectively.

Next up was the Hardwicke Stakes. Whilst pre-race favourite Free Wind (Frankie Dettori) had to settle for a fifth place finish, it was Pyledriver (Patrick McDonald) who came out on top ahead of West Wind Blows and Changing of the guard in the top three.

The fifth race on day five was the Wokingham Stakes at Ascot Racecourse. Hollie Doyle managed to emerge with yet another victory at Royal Ascot, riding Saint Lawrence to victory ahead of Richard Kingscote on Apollo One and Alistair Rawlinson’s Juan Les Pins, who had to settle for a second and third-place finish, respectively.

Then came the penultimate race of the entirety of the 2023 Royal Ascot event – the Golden Gates Stakes. Neil Callan was able to lead Burdett Road to a victory that saw him fend off some stern competition from Oisin Murphy’s Lion Of War in second and William Buick’s Local Dynasty in third place.

Finally, it was to be the 2023 Queen Alexandra Stakes to round-off the action in that year’s Royal Ascot. Pre-race favourite Dawn Rising was, ridden by jockey Ryan Moore, successfully came out on top to win the race ahead of Richard Kingscote’s The Grand Visir in second and Jim Crowley’s Run For Oscar in third.

With the 2024 renewal of the iconic and illustrious Royal Ascot getting underway in a matter of weeks at Ascot Racecourse, excitement and anticipation is certainly on the rise amongst horse racing fans.

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