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Royal Ascot Day 1 Tips 2026 - Best Bets and Predictions for Tuesday

jon-vine
Jon Vine
Editor
Last updated: Mon 15 Jun 2026 14:04
Royal Ascot 2026 opens in style on Tuesday, June 16, featuring an action-packed seven-race card of world-class flat racing. The day includes three Group One contests: Queen Anne Stakes, King Charles III Stakes, and the feature race, St James’s Palace Stakes. Expert tips focus on value selections across the card, such as High King (50/1) in the Coventry Stakes and Valiancy (9/4) in the Copper Horse Stakes. Recommendations encourage punters to consider both favourites and big-odds runners for a balanced betting approach.
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  • Royal Ascot 2026 Day 1 features 3 Group One races and 7 races in total
  • Expert tips include outsiders like High King (50/1) and favourites like Valiancy (9/4)
  • Picks cover every race, blending value bets with solid selections for punters
Royal Ascot June 17
Royal Ascot. (Getty)

One of the highlights of the British sporting summer begins on Tuesday, as Royal Ascot 2026 gets off to a flying start.

Three thrilling Group One races will be run on Tuesday, along with the Coventry Stakes, Wolferton Stakes and a couple of staying handicaps. Here are our free betting tips for day one of Royal Ascot 2026.

Royal Ascot 2026 Day 1 Card


Time Title
2:30pm Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) 1m
3:05pm Coventry Stakes (Group 2) 6f
3:40pm King Charles III Stakes (Group 1) 5f
4:20pm St James's Palace Stakes (Group 1) 1m
5:00pm Ascot Stakes (Heritage Handicap) 2m4f
5:35pm Wolferton Stakes (Listed Race) 1m2f
6:10pm Copper Horse Stakes (Handicap) 1m6f

Royal Ascot Day 1 Tips - Tuesday 16th June 2026


2:30pm Ascot - Queen Anne Stakes Tips


All eight Group One races this week will be covered with feature previews. Here's our free guide to the 2026 Queen Anne Stakes.

Visit our Queen Anne Stakes Live Stream page if you want to watch Tuesday's opener via a mobile or tablet.

3:05pm Ascot - Coventry Stakes Tips


Aidan O'Brien will saddle the top two in the betting ahead of this juvenile Group Two. Ryan Moore and Confucius look to have landed a more favourable draw in stall 20, with Wayne Lordan and Great Barrier Reef on the inside part of the track.

One who I thought was interesting at a fairly big price was HIGH KING (50/1). Donnacha O'Brien's colt wasn't unfancied on his debut at the Curragh, but got off to a shocking start and could never recover, finishing last of the 12 runners.

Gavin Ryan's mount broke smartly on his second start at Fairyhouse, kicking into the lead rounding the bend before stretching clear to win by almost four lengths. High King is by former Coventry Stakes winner Calyx, and his dam finished second in the Prix Morny. He's bred to be a pretty smart juvenile, and I liked the way he improved between his first and second runs.

3:40pm Ascot - King Charles III Stakes Tips


Check out our two value bets for this Group One sprint in our free guide to the 2026 King Charles III Stakes.

Head to our King Charles III Stakes Live Stream page if you want to watch this race via a mobile device.

4:20pm Ascot - St James's Palace Stakes Tips


Find out whether we're with Bow Echo or Gstaad in our guide to the 2026 St James's Palace Stakes.

For more information on how you can stream any race at Royal Ascot on a mobile or tablet, then visit our St James's Palace Stakes Live Stream page.

5:00pm Ascot - Ascot Stakes Tips


Ryan Moore and Willie Mullins are a potent combination in staying races at Royal Ascot. However, it's been nine years since a favourite last won the Ascot Stakes, and Reaching High hasn't been seen since finishing ninth as the favourite in this race 12 months ago.

Joseph O'Brien saddled the second, third and fourth in this race 12 months ago, and runs seven in Tuesday's renewal. I've missed the price a bit with Puturhandstogether, but GALILEO DAME (14/1) can still be backed at a decent price.

An easy winner of a maiden hurdle at Navan in February, Galileo Dame went close under Joey Sheridan when second to Mordor on her return to the Flat at that same venue in March. Ryan Moore then took the ride in the Chester Cup, where Galileo Dame was shuffled back to the rear after a couple of furlongs, but stayed on well to finish a one-and-a-half-length fourth behind stablemate A Piece Of Heaven.

O'Brien's mare handled decent ground better than I thought she would at Chester, and she's only one pound higher in the handicap. Colin Keane has picked up the spare ride, and another bold showing from this talented dual-purpose mare wouldn't be a surprise.

An interesting name to note further down the market is ISMAHANE (28/1). Paddy Twomey's recruit has run twice in juvenile hurdles since joining this growing operation in the winter, finishing fourth and second behind Willie Mullins-trained runners on both occasions.

Before joining Twomey, Ismahane was running well on the Flat for Henk Grewe in Germany. This Isfahan filly was touched off in a two-mile handicap in November, before finishing second in the Italian St Leger later that month.

Ismahane clocked an RPR of 99 in that Italian Classic, but has been handed a mark of 93 for her first outing in a British handicap. Billy Lee's mount ran well at Ballinrobe three weeks ago, and she's landed a kind low draw in stall four.

haatem
Enfjaar (third) finishing behind Haatem in last year's Wolferton Stakes. (Getty)

5:35pm Ascot - Wolferton Stakes Tips


The first four from this race last year will meet again, with defending champion Haatem sitting ahead of Galen, and long way clear of the out-of-form King's Gambit. ENFJAAR (11/1) finished a luckless fourth 12 months ago, and returns to Ascot on the back of a fine reappearance run at Goodwood last month.

Roger Varian's lightly-raced six-year-old was bumped around early as he tried to find a good position from stall two, and found himself boxed in against the rail behind the leaders. Jim Crowley tried a couple of times to extricate himself from that tricky position once entering the home straight. Enfjaar finally found open air at the two-furlong pole, but Haatem and Galen had gotten away from him, and he could only stay on to finish fourth.

Enfjaar came with a strong challenge under Ray Dawson in the Festival Stakes at Goodwood, but was edged out into third by two race-fit rivals in Boiling Point and Naqeeb. Varian seemed confident that his star had improved plenty for that return to action when he spoke to the press in the build-up to Royal Ascot. I doubt Enfjaar will go off at a double-figure price.

6:10pm Ascot - Copper Horse Stakes Tips


Having tipped several runners at more interesting prices, I'll be ending my Royal Ascot day one tips with a fairly unimaginative selection. VALIANCY (9/4) arrives in Berkshire looking to complete a hat-trick, and William Haggas' star should take the world of beating.

Having suffered narrow defeats on his first couple of starts in handicaps, Valiancy ended 2025 with a hard-fought success in a valuable handicap at Haydock. James Doyle then endured a rough passage at Hamilton as Valiancy made his return in a Sunday Series handicap. The favourite was forced to angle sharply left to make his challenge, but flew home once he'd hit the centre of the track and won cosily in the end.

A wide draw out in stall 14 will be no bother for Doyle, who said at the weekend that he was confident Valiancy was the best horse in this contest. Just eight pounds separate the entire field, so there won't be any lurkers looking to take advantage of a low weight. Valiancy hasn't finished improving yet.

Royal Ascot Day 1 Tips Summary


TimeTrackTip 1 (Price Taken)Tip 2
2:30pm Ascot More Thunder (6/1)
3:05pm Ascot High King (50/1)
3:40pm Ascot Cover Up (50/1) Aspect Island (100/1)
4:20pm Ascot Gstaad (3/1)
5:00pm Ascot Galileo Dame (14/1) Ismahane (28/1)
5:35pm Ascot Enfjaar (11/1)
6:10pm Ascot Valiancy (9/4)

Royal Ascot 2026 Day 1 FAQs

When does Royal Ascot Day 1 take place?

The opening day of Royal Ascot 2026 takes place on Tuesday, June 16. The first race is the Queen Anne Stakes at 2:30pm, with the final race scheduled to start at 6:10pm.

What races are run on Royal Ascot Day 1?

Royal Ascot Day 1 features several prestigious races, including the Queen Anne Stakes, King Charles III Stakes and the St James's Palace Stakes. The Coventry Stakes, Ascot Stakes, Wolferton Stakes and Copper Horse Handicap will also take place.

What is the feature race on Royal Ascot Day 1?

The Group One St James's Palace Stakes is often regarded as the feature contest on the opening day, attracting many of the season's leading three-year-old milers. The Queen Anne Stakes and the King Charles III Stakes also hold Group One status.

Where can I watch Royal Ascot Day 1 live?

Royal Ascot Day 1 will be shown live on ITV1 and ITVX in the UK, while Racing TV will provide comprehensive coverage of every race from Ascot. Visit our website if you'd like to watch any race at Ascot via a mobile or tablet.

Verdict

Royal Ascot Day 1 Tips:

Best Bet1: Valiancy 6:10pm Ascot @9/4 at bet365 - 5 Units
Best Bet2: Enfjaar E/W 5:35pm Ascot @11/1 at Star Sports - 5 Units
Best Bet3: Galileo Dame E/W 5:00pm Ascot @14/1 at Betgoodwin - 5 Units
Best Bet4: High King E/W 3:05pm Ascot @50/1 at BOYLE Sports - 5 Units
Valiancy
6:10pm Ascot
@9/4 - 5 Units
Bet £10 Get £30
with bonus code NEWBONUS

Available to new customers only. Make a qualifying deposit of £5 or more and claim the offer within 30 days of registering your account to qualify for 300% of that amount in Bet Credits, up to a maximum of £30 in Bet Credits. Once released, your Bet Credits will be held in your account balance and are non-withdrawable. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Registration required. Time limits and T&Cs apply. The bonus code NEWBONUS can be used during registration but does not change the offer amount in any way. #ad

Bet at bet365
Enfjaar E/W
5:35pm Ascot
@11/1 - 5 Units
Bet £20 Get £10
Use promo code NEWBONUS

18+ New customers only. Bet £20 (or more) EVS (2.0) or greater Get 2 x £5 Free Bets. 1 x £5 Free Bet paid automatically & following £5 Free Bet after 24hrs. Min Free Bet odds 4/1 (5.0) on accumulators Trebles & upwards. Expires after 24hrs. Full T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org

Bet at Star Sports
Galileo Dame E/W
5:00pm Ascot
@14/1 - 5 Units
Bet £10 Get £10
with promo code NEWBONUS

Join betgoodwin with promo code NEWBONUS and get access to their Bet £10 Get £10 as a free ACCA welcome offer. 18+ only. T&Cs apply.

Bet at Betgoodwin
High King E/W
3:05pm Ascot
@50/1 - 5 Units
Bet £10 Get £40
in free bets

18+. New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Account & Payment method restrictions apply. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. 18+. T&Cs apply.

Bet at BOYLE Sports

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