Royal Ascot Preview
We are set for the strangest Royal Ascot for many years in 2020 due to the current racing schedule. Action resumed on June 1st, so we have a mix of horses coming here who have either not ran for a considerable period of time, or who are running again for the second time in very quick succession.
This is going to make it tough on punters, but there are winners to be found throughout the week.
Here we pick out some runners to look out for across the biggest races of the five days.
King’s Stand Stakes – Tuesday
If there is going to be a horse that stands out and does something special this week then that horse could well be Battaash. The six year old has ran here three times and is yet to win, but the fact there is no crowd in attendance will really play into his hands.
Anyone who has seen this horse run in the past will know that the crowd can get to him, and we have seen him lose races in the paddock before hitting the track. That shouldn’t affect him here. It’s a good race, but by no means a great renewal and this could be the year that Battaash shines at the Royal meeting.
Prince of Wales’s Stakes – Wednesday
A clash between Japan and Barney Roy is the highlight on day two, and it is the older horse Barney Roy that looks the best of those for this particular contest. Japan may be the best runner out of the two, but although winning over 1m2f and 1m4f last season, he looked a lot better over 1m4f. Another year of growing and maturing and that looks as though it will be the trip he needs this season.
Barney Roy is the opposite, this is as far as he wants but the speed he possesses could be enough to outdo Japan on the day over this trip.
Ascot Gold Cup – Thursday
We have lost Kew Gardens from this race, a big blow and a horse that would have gone very close. Stradivarius comes back for another shot, but you have to be concerned by him having a run already. He ran over 1m4f just 13 days ago, and now comes here to run over 2m4f, that is a big ask for any horse.
Taking him on with something at a bigger each way price seems the thing to do, and this is another horse who has ran already this season. Nayef Road is trained by Mark Johnston, a trainer known for having very durable horses who can run many times in quick succession, so don’t be worried about the quick run for him. He won at Newcastle and looks set to improve further for this trip, he can be close to the pace and hopefully prove very difficult to pass.
Hardwicke Stakes – Friday
Anthony Van Dyck was the only horse to get close to Ghaiyyath when they met in the Coronation Cup at the start of the season and that form would be more than enough to take this Group 2 contest. The Aidan O’Brien runner won the Derby last season but hasn’t won since then. This drop in grade looks to be the ticket to change that.
There are plenty of others who will feel they have a shout, but all have small question marks beside them about the run they have already had this season. That seems to leave the door open for Anthony Van Dyck to take this.
Royal Ascot Betting Tips
- King’s Stand – Battaash to win @ 4/6 (888 Sport)
- Prince of Wales’s Stakes – Barney Roy to win @ 6/1 (Ladbrokes)
- Ascot Gold Cup – Nayef Road EW @ 12/1 (Bet365)
- Hardwicke Stakes – Anthony Van Dyck win @ 9/4 (Ladbrokes)
Royal Ascot Betting Offer – Mansionbet Beaten by a Head

There is nothing worse than cheering a horse home only to see it beaten by the narrowest of margins. While those can be the cruellest of losses for a punter, the ‘beaten by a head’ offer from Mansionbet goes some way to easing the pain of that defeat.
They offer this across selected meetings, and Royal Ascot will be one of those meetings for the full five days.
Simply place a single bet of £5 win or £5 each way on any Royal Ascot race over the week. If your horse is beaten into second by a head or less, then you will receive your money back as a free bet up to a maximum of £25.
Top 20 Betting Offers
New cust. Deposit £10+ in 7 days & bet on sports. Min odds apply. Reward = 4 x £10 Free Bets (2 x £10 Bet Builders & 2 x £10 Sports bet). Valid 7 days. Free bets not valid on e-sports & non UK/IE horse racing. 18+. T&Cs apply. |
|||||
New customers online only. Eligibility restrictions apply. Only valid with code B10G40 on registration. £10 min qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater across sports or racing (if EW then min £10 Win + £10 Place). Receive £20 Tote Credit, £10 Free Sports Bet and 50 Free Spins on a selected game within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. 7-day expiry on free bets & Tote Credit. Your first bet will be your qualifying bet. One per customer. UK & ROI customers only. 18+. Full T&Cs apply Gambleaware.org. Full T&Cs apply. |
|||||
T&Cs apply. 18+ New customers only. You must place a single win-only bet of £10 or more with odds of evens (2.00) or greater to qualify. Money back as £10 in free bets. Free bet is credited the day after the qualifying bet has settled. Must use code B10G10 when creating an account. |
|||||
New Players Only. Sign Up with Bonus Code: NEW30. Bet and Settle 1x£10 Bet on Matchbook Exchange at odds of 2.0 or more. Bet and Settle 1x£10 Bet on a Bet Builder or Multiple at odds of 3.0 or more, with min 3 selections. Within 72 hours of Qualifying Bets settling user will receive 1x £10 Exchange Free Bet, 1x £10 Multiples Free Bet, and 1x £10 Bet Builder Free Bet. Users making their first deposit by Skrill, Neteller or PaySafe card will not qualify for this promotion. 18+ Only. T’s and C’s Apply. Be Gamble Aware. |
|||||
18+ New customers only. Place a £10+ bet at min odds 1/1 (2.0) within 14 days of sign-up. Get £30 in Free Bets, valid for 7 days on selected bets only. Free stake not returned with winnings. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org |
|||||
New customers only. Register, deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility exclusions & T&Cs Apply. |
|||||
18+ New Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. 1st Deposit & Bet £/€10+ at min odds 1/2 on Sports within 14 days of account reg & Get 4x £10 Free Bets (selected sportsbook markets only, valid 7 days) Max 1 Free Bet per player. Restrictions + T&Cs apply. |
|||||
18+. New customers only. Deposit and place first bet of £20 or more at min odds Evens (2.0). Get £20 in Free Bets credited as x1 £10 Free Bet and x2 £5 Bet Builder Free BetsT&Cs Apply. Please gamble responsibly. |
|||||
18+ New customers only. Min deposit £20. Min Wager £20 at min odds 1/1 (2.0). Max free bet £20. T&Cs apply begambleaware. |
|||||
18+. New UK & ROI customers only . Certain deposit methods & bet types excl . Min first £10 win or E/W bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 & get 4 x £10 free bets . Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. No cashout, restrictions + T&C apply |
|||||
*New members only. £10+ bet on sports (ex. Virtuals) 1.5 min odds, settled within 14 days. Free Bets: accept in 7 days, valid 7 days; £20 use on sportsbook, £10 on Bet Builder. Stake not returned. T&Cs + deposit exclusions apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org. 18+ |
|||||
New Customer only. £10 in real money. Bets placed on sports at odds of 2.00 or more to qualify. Bets must be placed 24 hours within registration. £10 free bets must be wagered on sports. Full terms apply. Gambling can be addictive, play responsibly. 18+ |
|||||
New members only. £10+ bet on sports (ex. virtuals) at 1.5 min odds, settled within 14 days. Free Bets: accepted in 7 days, valid 7 days; £20 use on sportsbook, £10 on Bet Builder. Stake not returned. T&Cs + deposit exclusions apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org. 18+ |
|||||
New bettors; Code SPORT; Wager deposit & bonus 8x; Max qualifying bet stake=initial bonus; Valid 60 days; Min odds, payment method exclusions apply; New customers only. T&C apply; 18+ Please gamble responsibly. |
|||||
Place a £10 fixed odds bet at minimum odds of 1/2 and get 3 x £10 free fixed odds bets, 3 x £5 Total Goals football spread bets and 3 x £5 Winning Favourites spread bets and a £1 racing Race Index spread bet.18+. Full T&Cs apply. www.gambleaware.org. |
|||||
18+. BeGambleAware.org. New customers only. Min. £10 deposit, debit card only. Up to 50x wagering, game contributions vary, max. stake applies, 7 day expiry. See full terms. #AD |
|||||
#AD | Welcome bonus for new players only | Maximum bonus is 100% up to £100 | Min. deposit is £10 | No max cash out | Wagering is 40x bonus | Maximum bet with an active bonus is £5 | Eligibility is restricted for suspected abuse | Skrill & Neteller deposits excluded for welcome bonus | Cashback when offered, applies to deposits where no bonus is included | Cashback is cash with no restrictions | T&C's apply |Free bet: Min odds: 2.0 - Free bet value will be deducted from free bet winnings | 18+ | BeGambleAware.org | Gambling is addictive, please gamble responsibly! |
|||||
18+ New customers only. Opt in and bet up to £40 (min. £20) via mobile or app on any football (odds 1/1+) within 7 days of registration. Get up to £40 in free bets on selected markets, which expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply, see below. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly |
|||||
18+. BeGambleAware.org. New GB customers only. Min £10 debit card deposit. Place a £10+ bet at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days. Opt in for £20 sports free bet and £20 Casino Bonus. Valid for 7 days. Geographical restrictions and T&C’s apply. #AD |
|||||
New UK Customers place a minimum £10 qualifying sports bet at evens (1/1) or greater on a single selection only. A £20 free bet will be credited within 24 hours. The free bet is valid for 7 days and must be used on selections with minimum odds of evens (1/1). 18+ Please gamble responsibly. |