Royal Ascot Wednesday Prince Of Wales Stakes Day – Day Two 16th June 2027

Race 1 - Queen Mary Stakes - 14:30

Royal Ascot’s Queen Mary Stakes is a captivating Group 2 horse racing event exclusively for two-year-old fillies. Held on the second day of the prestigious meeting, this five-furlong dash on the straight track offers an exhilarating display of speed and skill from talented young female horses. Established in 1921 and named after Queen Mary, consort of King George V, the Queen Mary Stakes boasts a relatively young history compared to other Royal Ascot races. Renowned jockey Sir Gordon Richards and esteemed trainer Fred Darling have left their mark on the event, with Darling securing an impressive seven victories between 1924 and 1946.

The race’s elevation to Group 2 status in 2004 solidified its significance, attracting top-class fillies and promising emerging stars. Winners of the Queen Mary Stakes have often gone on to achieve greatness in other prestigious races, showcasing the event’s potential to discover future champions. The Queen Mary Stakes is known for its fast-paced nature, with some races being completed in under a minute. The favourites don’t always win, which is worth bearing in mind.  That is not too surprising when you see the field size for this race, 28 running last year.  As a result it is common for this race to not go off at post time when you consider how long it can take to load that many horses into the stalls.

Don't miss the thrilling spectacle of the Queen Mary Stakes, where young fillies compete fiercely for glory, making it a race to watch and an experience to remember at the iconic Royal Ascot meeting.

Race 2 - Queen’s Vase - 15:05

The Queen’s Vase is a distinguished Group 2 horse race and has a storied legacy dating back to 1838. Set against the iconic Ascot Racecourse, this prestigious event unfolds right-handed over a distance of one mile, six furlongs and 34 yards. In its early days, the race spanned two miles, and the triumphant horse was rewarded with a majestic vase gifted by Queen Victoria herself. This regal gesture bestowed the race its illustrious title of ‘The Queen’s Vase’, signifying the monarch’s esteemed patronage of the event. Today, exclusivity marks the Queen’s Vase, as it caters solely to three-year-olds, with a stringent weight requirement of nine stone, two pounds.

The race offers a platform for emerging talents to showcase their prowess on Ascot’s hallowed turf. Throughout its extensive history, the Queen’s Vase has undergone a change to its status several times. Once a Group 3 race in 1971, it briefly held Listed status in 1986 before reclaiming its former Group 3 classification in 1991. In a recognition of the significance of staying flat races, the European Pattern Committee elevated the race to the prestigious Group 2 tier in 2017, where it currently stands. The Queen's Vase is one of three perpetual trophies presented during Royal Ascot week.

The joint-leading trainer in this one is a great Ascot name from the past, Henry Cecil with 8 wins between 1972 and 1999.  The race was renamed for 2013 to the 'Queen's Vase In Memory of Sir Henry Cecil' in honour of that achievement along with winning 75 races at the Royal meeting overall. You have to go back 100 years before that for the joint-leading jockey with George Fordham winning six races between 1857 and 1882.

In more modern times the race has been dominated by the Aidan O'Brien who holds the joint record with Cecil with eight victories.  With Ryan Moore being his go to jockey it means he has won six races now since 2008 as the top jockey of recent times.

This one saw thirteen starting in 2025, as with all races this week that is a decent field.  Since the distance was reduced for this race in 2017 you can expect a run time of just over 3 minutes these days, on good or firm ground at least.

Race 3 - Duke of Cambridge Stakes - 15:40

The Duke of Cambridge Stakes is a Group 2 event introduced at Royal Ascot in 2004. Despite being a relatively young addition to the prestigious meeting, the race has swiftly established itself as an exciting platform for seasoned female horses. In 2005, the Ascot Racecourse redevelopment led to a temporary move of the event to York Racecourse, adding an element of unpredictability upon its return. Limited to fillies and mares aged four and above, the Duke of Cambridge Stakes offers a mile-long straight track challenge, where maturity and intelligence play a significant role in the outcome.

No horse has managed to secure more than one victory in this race, keeping the competition thrillingly open.  John Gosden is the leading trainer with six wins (three of which are with Thady as co-trainer) and the leading jockey is William Buick with three.

The race’s renaming in 2013 to honour Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, added an extra touch of prestige to the event. Throughout its short history, some jockeys have enjoyed multiple victories, adding excitement and rivalry to each running.

Intriguingly, four-year-olds have dominated the winners’ circle, seeing 20 of the 23 races to date won by fillies aged 4. Most races are completed in approximately 1 minute and 40 seconds.  Field-wise last year 15 ran, so it is on the moderate side given there is maximum field size of 20.  It should come as no surprise then that the favourite wins fairly often. As the Duke of Cambridge Stakes continues to evolve, the event promises thrilling competition.

Race 4 - Prince of Wales’s Stakes - 16:20

The Prince of Wales’s Stakes is an esteemed Group 1 horse race held during the Royal Ascot meeting. It was established in 1862 and named after the Prince of Wales of that era, who later became King Edward VII. The race retains its name as a tribute to the Prince of Wales title.

Open to horses aged four and above, the race takes place on Ascot’s turf track, covering a distance slightly under 1 mile and 2 furlongs. It is widely recognised for attracting top-tier horses from across the globe. Over the years, the race has seen impressive champions, including Brigadier Gerard, Dubai Millennium and Ouija Board.

Notably, four horses have achieved the remarkable feat of winning the race twice: Connaught in 1969 and 1970, followed by Mtoto, Muhtarram and most recently Ombudsman. The Prince of Wales's Stakes holds a significant place in the Royal Ascot program, usually occurring on the second day as the sole Group 1 race.

We have to go back over 100 years to find the leading trainer.  That was John Porter between 1888 and 1905 with 8 wins, the jockey for six of those wins was Morny Cannon who is the leading jockey with 6 wins.  That isn't very helpful now, though, and in modern times as with so many other Ascot races it has been dominated by Aidan O'Brien with five wins between 2008 and 2024 and John Gosden who has 7 wins to date either on his own or with Thady.  John's wins include two dual winners with Muhtarram (1994 & 1995 - his first wins) and Ombudsman (2025 & 2026), separated by over 30 years.  Ryan Moore, James Doyle and William Buick have chalked up three wins each as jockeys in that time too.

It captivates the attention of racing enthusiasts and global spectators eagerly anticipating the exhilarating competition among elite horses. Throughout its history, the race’s distance has undergone modifications, with the current distance set in 2000 to attract exceptional middle-distance horses.  Expect a time between 2 minutes and 2:10 depending on the ground and a modest field, eight started last year.

Race 5 - Royal Hunt Cup - 17:00

The Royal Hunt Cup is a handicap event run during the week of Royal Ascot. It takes place on the straight over one mile, having begun life as an event run over a little more than seven furlongs. That was back in 1843, with the race having developed since then. It is for horses aged three and over, whilst the fact that the handicapper decides the weight that is carried might help to explain why only one of the 13 winners between 2012 and 2024 were the bookies' favourite. In fact, you need to look back to 2009 before that in order to find a favourite enjoying success in the race, which was Forgotten Voice.

Only one horse to date has managed to win the event twice, which was Master Vote in 1947 and 1948. When it comes to jockeys, Lester Piggott and Charles Wood share the honour of enjoying the most success, having four wins apiece during their careers.  In the modern era no trainer or jockey has dominated in this race that tends to be won by four or five year-olds, showing how competitive this race is.  Indeed in the last 15 editions only James Doyle has won twice as a jockey and Saeed bin Suroor and Charles Hills more than once as trainers.  Strangely too in that period only two horses have won that didn't carry a weight between 9-00 and 9-05.

The event is run on the second day of the Royal Ascot meeting and it has a perpetual trophy, which the winners get to keep, associated with it. Only the Gold Cup and Queen's Vase also share that honour in terms of races run during the meeting, which adds a touch of prestige to proceedings.

This is a huge field race with 30 running last year from a maximum of 30, no wonder favourites do not win often (although funnily the joint-favourite did win in 2024 and the favourite in 2025).  If the weather an ground is good this one should be done in one minute and forty seconds, or thereabouts.

Race 6 - Kensington Palace Fillies' Handicap - 17:35

Run over a little over seven furlongs on the round course, the Kensington Palace Fillies' Stakes is a handicap event that is open to female horses aged four and above. The handicap nature of it means that the weights carried by the participants are decided upon by the official handicapper, who uses the horse's rating and form to decide what they should carry.

The horses are asked to have an official rating of between 0 and 105 in order to take part in the event, which often attracts a large field in order to mean that it is one of the most open events that is run during the meeting.

If you're placing a bet on the race then you'll want to look towards the finish line after about one minute and 40 seconds, which is roughly how long it takes the leaders to make it there. The event is one of the youngest that takes place during the Royal Ascot meeting, having only been added to the list of races in 2021.

It is named after the Royal residence of Kensington Palace, which is where numerous members of the Royal Family have lived over the years. From 2021-2026 all of the winners of the race were aged four, in spite of the fact that older horses can run in it. Only one of those winners was the favourite, that was Alobayyah in 2026 priced 11/4.  The others were all priced in double figures (12/1, 40/1, 25/1, 10/1, 11/1).

No horse, jockey or trainer has yet won this race more than once. In the last running of this race 25 ran so it is another exciting race to look for an each-way wager.

Race 7 - Windsor Castle Stakes - 18:10

When Strike the King Of Cloughan won the race in 2026, he did so as a 33/1 offering. That is long odds, but the favourite for the event only won it three times between 2012 and 2026. It might be because the field is large, making it a tricky one to be successful in.

Run over six furlongs on the straight, the race is limited to two-year-olds. The weight information is nine stone and two pounds, with fillies given an allowance of five pounds. It is named in honour of Windsor Castle, which is one of the Royal residences and was one of the favourites of Queen Elizabeth II before her death in 2022.  The race was extended from 5f to 6f in 2026 and is restricted to horses whose sire won over 6 furlongs 110 yards or more as a two-year-old, or 7 furlongs 110 yards or more as a three-year-old or older.

The race is a Listed event that tends to take about a minute and 12 seconds for the horses to complete (since it was extended by a furlong). If they come in in under 1:12 seconds then it is fair to say that it has been a quick running of the event. It is an interesting event, insomuch as it is one of only a few races that Frankie Dettori failed to win at Ascot. That is in spite of the fact that he rode in it 15 times during the course of his career. Several other jockeys managed to rack up more than one win, including Pat Eddery, who found himself in the Winners' Enclosure six times between 1988 and 2001, putting himself in the record books. In terms if trainers there is no one trainer that has dominated this one with Mick Channon and Aidan O'Brien both winning this race three times.

A race called the Windsor Castle Stakes was first run at Ascot in 1839 and first run at the Royal meeting in 1880.  In 1898 the first Windsor Castle Stakes for two-year olds was run.  This is yet another big race to finish the day and look for a potential higher priced each-way punt.  In 2026 25 ran in this race out of a maximum 30.