Royal Ascot 2026: day one horse racing updates – live

Key events38m agoPreamble3.40 KING CHARLES III STAKES previewThe biggest field for 20 years goes to post for the first Group One sprint of the meeting, headed by the leading Australian sprinter, Overpass, whose trainer, Bjorn Baker, likes a celebration. His vastly experienced eight-year-old gelding is without a win since November 2024, but he was around two lengths behind fellow-traveller Joliestar – a runner in the Jubilee Stakes on Saturday – in the Group One TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick in April.

His best form – including a close fourth behind the brilliant Ya King Rising in the Everest in October, when he was run out of second only late on – is enough to put him top of the Timeform ratings and he has “a lot of frequent-flyer points” around Australia, according to his trainer, so will hopefully handle the travel. Rayevka is a fascinating runner for Francis-Henri Graffard, having put up a career-best when dropped back to five furlongs in a Group Three at Longchamp last month. She has solid course form too, having finished third in the Commonwealth Cup last summer and sixth of 19 in the Group One sprint here on Champions Day in October.

The domestic speedsters are headed by Night Raider, a convincing winner of the Temple Stakes at Haydock last time. Karl Burke’s runner has regularly shown glimpses of blinding speed during his career to date but looks much more consistent this season having been gelded over the winter, and it’s interesting too that he won at Haydock despite being unusually slow to stride. Last year’s winner, American Affair, was a one-length second there on only his second start since last summer’s Group One breakthrough, and is another with obvious claims assuming that run has put him spot on for today.

Another previous winner, meanwhile, is the Australian-trained mare Asfoora, who registered a smooth success two years ago. It takes a slight leap of faith to back her after she finished last behind Night Raider in the Temple (see above), but the ground at Haydock was softer than she prefers and her usual blinkers were left off. The blinds are back on today – along with a first-time tongue tie – and she has useful high draw near the stand rail.

Timeform top-rated: OverpassSELECTION: ASFOORAView image in fullscreenAscot’s answer to the late David Hockney. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA3.05 COVENTRY STAKES previewAidan O’Brien is looking for a third win in four years – and a record-extending 12th success in all - in one of the juvenile highlights of the meeting, and his two main contenders have flip-flopped in the betting since Ryan Moore’s name appeared against Confucius at declaration time on Sunday morning.

The general wisdom had been that O’Brien’s No.1 would be aboard the unbeaten Great Barrier Reef, a Group Three winner at the Curragh last time, but Wayne Lordan, the latest incumbent of what is surely the finest No.2 role in the game, gets the leg-up on that one while Moore is aboard Confucius, who was beaten first time up but got a maiden win on the board at Naas in May.

The 22-runner field has many live alternatives, however, including Cut A Dash, from the Richard Hannon yard, who made a winning debut at York’s Dante meeting, and Night In Vegas, trained by Eve Johnston Houghton, who won first time up over this track and trip and then followed up in a three-runner contest at Goodwood. Ruler’s Pride, who cost £550k at the breeze-up sales in the spring, is another live contender for the Karl Burke stable, and he was backed as though defeat was out of the question for his three-runner debut at Ayr. Royal Heritage posted a good time when winning his only start so far at Hamilton, and Siouxperb (Archie Watson/Hector Crouch) is another once-raced winner to ponder, thanks to a four-length debut success at Yarmouth which was again very much heralded in the market.

Timeform top-rated: Great Barrier Reef.SELECTION: CUT A DASHView image in fullscreenShe’s going to need help getting around. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters2.

30 QUEEN ANNE STAKES previewCharlie Appleby’s Notable Speech has been a warm favourite for the meeting’s traditional opening event since posting a convincing two-length success in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury with More Thunder next across the line. That was the five-year-old’s fifth Group One or Grade One win in all, including the 2,000 Guineas in 2024, but his first in Great Britain since the Sussex Stakes later that year. He was also the beaten 6-4 favourite in the St James’s Palace Stakes in 2024, on the round course here, and didn’t have much luck in running in this race last year, finishing fourth behind track specialist Docklands having taken a strong hold in the early stages.

He did, though, go on to register two Grade One wins in North America, at Woodbine and then the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar. That course form is a slight concern but there is no knocking his consistency overall, as this will be his 14th consecutive start at the highest level and he has won five of the