Ascot Racecourse
- Golden Gates Handicap
- Wokingham Stakes
- Sandringham Stakes
- Palace of Holyroodhouse Handicap
- Duke of Edinburgh Stakes
- Buckingham Palace Handicap
- King George V Stakes
- Britannia Stakes
- Royal Hunt Cup
- Kensington Palace Stakes
- Ascot Stakes
- Copper Horse Handicap
- Silver Cup Handicap Chase
- Bateaux London Gold Cup Handicap Chase
- Silver Wokingham Handicap
- Silver Royal Hunt Cup Handicap
While Newmarket and Cheltenham are referred to as flat and National Hunt’s respective HQ’s, Ascot is without doubt the premier dual-purpose track in the country.
Some top flat handicaps are staged here, most of them during June’s royal meeting, while over the sticks there are more top betting events in the winter.
Track Details
When thinking of betting in handicaps at Ascot, remember the differences between the round course and the straight course on the flat, as well as the hurdle and chase courses over jumps, all of which are right-handed.
The flat round course is almost triangular in shape, with a shortish run-in of 2½ furlongs after the final bend meaning horses have to be good enough to be in a striking position on the turn.
The straight mile undulates and joins the round course. The tracks are galloping with those on the front end on the round course often difficult to get by on the run-in.
With positioning being key, a look at the better jockeys around this track is important when betting in handicaps on the round course
Up the straight in dry conditions, the stands side (high numbers) have definitely held sway, though in big field handicaps it can be almost as important to check where the pace is.
Over the jumps, it once again pays more often than not to race prominently throughout. Novices often struggle, but that’s not something to worry about in the handicaps as it tends to be the more experienced jumpers being sent to Ascot.
While runners may struggle being held up too far back, they also don’t often front-run to victory in handicaps over fences here so look out for horses who are generally comfortable not far from the pace but are not confirmed front-runners or hold-up horses.
Top Trainers and Jockeys
One handicap betting angle is to check out who traditionally does well at Ascot. The top trainers in terms of strike-rate and/or prize money are:
- John Gosden*
- Roger Varian*
- Sir Michael Stoute*
- Charlie Appleby*
- Paul Nicholls
- Nicky Henderson
- Nigel Twiston-Davies
- Harry Fry
- Dr Richard Newland
The better-performing jockeys at Ascot are:
- Frankie Dettori*
- James Doyle*
- Ryan Moore*
- Oisin Murphy*
- William Buick*
- Harry Cobden
- Nico De Boinville
- Sam Twiston-Davies
- Robbie Power
* Flat racing, others National Hunt
Major Handicaps at Ascot
Most of Ascot headline-grabbing races are conditions events, many of them at Group/Grade 1 level. Their handicaps are also legendary though with these being their biggest.
Flat:
| Race | Meeting | Grade | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria Cup | May Raceday Weekend | Class 2 | 7 furlongs |
| Ascot Stakes | Royal Ascot | Class 2 | 2 miles, 4 furlongs |
| Royal Hunt Cup | Royal Ascot | Class 2 | 1 mile |
| Sandringham Stakes | Royal Ascot | Class 2 | 1 mile |
| Britannia Stakes | Royal Ascot | Class 2 | 1 mile |
| Wokingham Stakes | Royal Ascot | Class 2 | 6 furlongs |
Jumps:
| Race | Meeting | Grade | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swinley Chase | Ascot Chase Raceday, February | Listed Race | 3 miles |
| Sodexo Gold Cup Chase | November Racing Weekend | Grade 3 | 3 miles |
| Betfair Exchange Trophy (Hurdle) | Christmas Racing Weekend | Grade 3 | 1 mile, 7 furlongs |
| Ascot Silver Cup (Chase) | Christmas Racing Weekend | Listed Race | 3 miles |