Top Trainers To Follow At Royal Ascot 2026
Royal Ascot remains a fiercely contested event, but several trainers consistently outperform their rivals. Key names to follow in 2026 include Aidan O'Brien, who leads with 22 winners (mostly with jockey Ryan Moore), the Gosdens (16 winners), Andrew Balding (9 winners in juveniles and handicaps), William Haggas (7 wins, especially in handicaps), and Karl Burke (noted in juvenile races). Bettors should especially note the O'Brien/Moore and Haggas/Marquand combinations, as their partnerships have yielded regular success at recent meetings.
- Aidan O'Brien is the most successful Royal Ascot trainer in history, with 22 winners since 2021
- The Gosdens, Andrew Balding, William Haggas, and Karl Burke have all delivered consistent results and are trainers to watch in 2026
- Key jockey partnerships (like O'Brien/Moore & Haggas/Marquand) are valuable for bettors seeking winning combinations
Royal Ascot is one of the most competitive meetings in the racing calendar, but certain trainers continue to enjoy remarkable success year after year.
While every stable dreams of saddling a winner at the Royal Meeting, a handful of trainers consistently dominate the biggest races and provide punters with plenty of winners throughout the week. Ahead of Royal Ascot 2026, we've analysed the results from the last five meetings to identify the trainers with the strongest records.
Royal Ascot 2026 - Trainers To Follow
Aidan O'Brien
Aidan O'Brien is the winning-most trainer in the history of Royal Ascot. Since the start of the 2021 meeting, the Master of Ballydoyle has celebrated 22 winners, with the majority coming in either Group One or juvenile races.
21 of Aidan's 22 winners have been ridden by Ryan Moore, with only Wayne Lordan getting in on the act as he rode Age Of Kings to Jersey Stakes glory in 2023. Ballydoyle will likely have several runners in most races, especially the juvenile contests, but - much more often than not - Ryan Moore picks the right one at Royal Ascot.
John and Thady Gosden
In the last five years, John and Thady Gosden have saddled a total of 16 Royal Ascot winners. The Gosdens are particularly proficient in middle-distance Group races and the fillies' and mares' contests.
Since Frankie Dettori retired, a range of different jockeys have ridden Royal Ascot winners for the Gosdens. William Buick has ridden multiple winners for the stable, along with James Doyle, Oisin Murphy and Colin Keane.
Andrew Balding
Andrew Balding has managed to rack up nine winners in the last five years, despite enduring a winless meeting in both 2023 and 2024.
Balding celebrated four winners last year. Three came in handicaps and were ridden by Oisin Murphy, with the other coming in the Chesham Stakes. In fact, aside from Alcohol Free in the 2021 Coronation Stakes, all of Balding's winners have either come in juvenile races or handicaps.
William Haggas
Recently, there hasn't been a year where William Haggas hasn't had at least one Royal Ascot winner. Haggas has saddled seven winners in the last five years, the most famous being Baaeed when he struck in the 2022 Queen Anne Stakes.
Haggas is particularly proficient in the handicap races, winning both handicap sprints and middle-distance contests alike. Tom Marquand has ridden the majority of the Royal Ascot winners for that stable, so watch out when you see Haggas and Marquand team up next week.
Karl Burke
I was expecting to include Charlie Appleby in this list. However, Godolphin's leading trainer has only managed six Royal Ascot winners since 2021, and only one in the past three seasons. He's actually been outperformed by Saeed bin Suroor, who has grabbed a couple of handicap winners in the past two seasons.
Karl Burke, meanwhile, has racked up six winners at Royal Ascot since 2021. Significantly won the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes in 2021. His five winners since then have all come in juvenile races, so any horse that Burke runs in a two-year-old contest has to be respected.
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