Royal Ascot: King of Steel set to take part this year

After a few month’s absence, the Roger Varian trained horse looks set to take part in this year’s Royal Ascot in June 2024.

Royal Ascot is one of the standout events on every horse racing fan’s calendar, and the excitement and anticipation ahead of the 2024 renewal of this prestigious festival of racing only growing by the day. The racing is set to take place over the course of five days, from Tuesday 18th to Saturday 22nd June 2024.

This event is famous for the royal family’s presence each year, as well as the fantastic racing and the world-class horses and jockeys that take part in the various races every year. This year will be King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s second ever Ascot as the reigning monarchs of the United Kingdom.

History is made at each and every Royal Ascot, and a number of jockeys have enjoyed a plethora of success over the years – none more than the legendary Lester Piggott. Piggott is the most successful jockey of all time at this event – he had no less than 116 wins, which included an incredible 11 Ascot Gold Cup wins during his illustrious career.

Estimate is one of the most famous horses to have won a race over the years, and was a horse owned by the late Queen Elizabeth II. Jockey Ryan Moore rode the Sir Michael Stoute trained Estimate to victory in the 2013 Ascot Gold Cup to make Elizabeth II the first reigning monarch to have a winner at this highly prestigious event.

The aforementioned Sir Michael Stoute is the most successful horse trainer in the history of Royal Ascot. He has no less than 82 wins to his name as of the time of writing, having surpassed Sir Henry Cecil’s record of 75 winners being beaten thanks to Dream of Dreams’ victory in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes in 2021.

Now, in the 2024 Royal Ascot event, a number of horses are set to take to the track, and one that looks set to take part after a three month long absence in Ireland is Roger Varian’s King Of Steel.

The son of Wootton Bassett, King Of Steel, has enjoyed success at Ascot in the past. Frankie Dettori rode the pre-race favourite to a dominant victory in the 2023 QIPCO Champion Stakes on 21st October 2023. Oisin Murphy’s Via Sistina and Mickael Barzalona’s Horizon Dore rounded off the top three in second and third place, respectively.

At last year’s Ascot, not only did King Of Steel win the King Edward VII Stakes, the horse also managed to finish third in the King George VI Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes as well. It does look like the Prince Of Wales’ Stakes is the race being targeted by trainer Roger Varian for the 2024 event.

Varian said the following (via Bloodhorse.com): “I went to see King of Steel at Robson’s (Robson Aguiar) place a few days ago, and he looks in fantastic shape. I couldn’t be happier with his condition, and the plan is for him to return to us before the end of the month.

“It’s a bit early to be talking about targets, but we know he likes Ascot, so it makes sense to point towards the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.”

Roger Varian will be targeting further Royal Ascot success later this year, and hopes are high that King Of Steel will be able to secure further victories at one of horse racing’s most prestigious and well-known events.

With excitement and anticipation growing rapidly, all eyes will soon be on the 2024 Royal Ascot that takes place at the famous and iconic Ascot Racecourse over five days, from Tuesday 18th to Saturday 22nd June 2024.

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