I n this post, we present our Royal Ascot Day 3 Betting Preview, featuring trends and predictions for the third day of one of the standout events in the summer racing calendar.
Royal Ascot Day 3 kicks off with the Norfolk Stakes a Group 2 event scheduled for 2:30 pm run over five furlongs. The highlight of Day 3 is the Gold Cup, a prestigious Group 1 race scheduled for 4:25 pm, run over two miles and four furlongs for horses aged four and older.
The favourite for the Gold Cup is the four-year-old Illinois, trained by Aidan O'Brien, boasting an impressive career record of four wins, four second-place finishes, and two third-place results from his ten starts.
Royal Ascot Race Schedule
Thursday
2:30 PM: Norfolk Stakes (Group 2) – 5 furlongs
3:05 PM: King George V Stakes (Heritage Handicap) – 1 mile 4 furlongs
3:40 PM: Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2) – 1 mile 4 furlongs
4:20 PM: Ascot Gold Cup (Group 1) – 2 miles 4 furlongs
5:00 PM: Britannia Stakes (Heritage Handicap) – 1 mile
5:35 PM: Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3) – 1 mile 2 furlongs
6:10 PM: Buckingham Palace Stakes (Handicap) – 7 furlongs
Royal Ascot Feature Race Preview
Norfolk Stakes – 14:30
The Norfolk Stakes (Group 2, 2:30 PM, 5 furlongs) opens Day 3 of Royal Ascot 2025, showcasing precocious two-year-olds. Expect a competitive field with international contenders like Charles Darwin (Ireland) and Afjan (France). Recent trends favour horses with prior 5f wins, but big-priced shocks like Valiant Force (150/1, 2023) are common.
Betting Tip: Charles Darwin tops the Racing Post ratings with a 116 given that he comes from the prestigious Aiden O’Brien stables and the Colt's sharp debut win at Navan it’s hard to look past another win.
Charles Darwin to win - 4/5
*Odds are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Ribblesdale Stakes – 15:40
The Ribblesdale Stakes is a Group 2 race run over the 1 mile 4 furlong distance featuring three-year-old fillies. Recent trends show Aidan O’Brien’s dominance, with five wins in the last 22 years, including Port Fairy (12/1, 2024) and Warm Heart (13/2, 2023).
Betting Tip: Favorites often struggle, with only five winners in the last 20 renewals, and so the value may lie in each-way bets at prices 10/1–20/1.
Go Go Boots to win - 16/1
*Odds are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Ascot Gold Cup – 16:20
The feature race on Day 3 of Ascot is the Gold Cup run over the distance of 2 miles and 4 furlongs it’s seen as the pinnacle of stayers races renowned for its gruelling test of stamina for horse and jockey and has been run since 1807.
The 2024 Ascot Gold Cup was won by Kyprios, trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, at odds of 11/10F. Kyprios reclaimed the title he first won in 2022, beating Trawlerman by a length, with Sweet William third, in a thrilling finish. This victory marked O’Brien’s record-extending ninth Gold Cup win and Moore’s fourth
The 2025 Ascot Gold Cup is wide open with Kyprios retired. Illinois a Gaillieo colt trained by Aiden O’Brien is the current market leader who returned to racing following a 215-day break at the beginning of last month winning over the 1 mile 5 and a ½ furlong distance at Chester to beat Al Qareem by 1 and a ¼ lengths.
Elsewhere we have Candelari at 10/3 who impressed during a a Group 1 victory at Longchamp but faces the challenge of adjusting to Ascot’s right-hand track. Last year's runner-up Trawlerman is 5/2 and Sweet William who was third can be gotten at 9/1. If looking for a big-price runner Coltrane at 33/1 for jockey Oisin Murphy and trainer Andrew Balding may hold claims.
Betting Tip: Betting trends favor horses with recent wins (9/12 winners), Group 1–3 form (10/12), and stamina proven over 2 miles or more (9/12 with a win at 16f+). The market’s reliability (8/10 winners in the top three) suggests sticking with shorter prices.
Illinois to win - 13/8
*Odds are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Hampton Court Stakes - 17:35
The Hampton Court Stakes is a 1 mile 2 furlong race for three-year-olds. Recent trends highlight Aidan O’Brien’s dominance, with four wins, including Russian Emperor (2020). Favourites have a solid record, with 4 of the last 12 winners at the head of the market, but longshots like Snoqualmie Boy (33/1, 2006) can surprise.
Betting Tip: High Stock was only beaten a neck in his last outing at Chester last month over the 1 mile 2 and a 1/2 furlong distance and could have each-way claims for jockey William Buick and trainer Andrew Balding at odds of 4/1.
High Stock to win - 4/1
*Odds are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
BoyleSports Market Watch
Galway Gamble Grabs Over €20,000
Fashion fanatics make call on colour of Camilla’s hat
A County Galway punter picked up a tidy five-figure profit on the horses this week when they picked out the winners in four races at Royal Ascot.
The anonymous winner invested a total stake of €15 with BoyleSports, striking a €0.50 each-way Lucky 15 on four horses running on the first day of the Royal Ascot meeting on Tuesday.
The winning run started when Docklands, who was picked out at 16/1, upset the odds in the 2.30 Queen Anne Stakes, while victories for Gstaad (9/2) and American Affair.
Lawrence Lyons, spokesperson for BoyleSports, said:
“Hats off to our Galway customer who is galloping all the way to the bank after turning their savvy Ascot selections into such a handsome windfall. We hope they have a right royal celebration and enjoy the rest of the week knowing they conquered one of the crown jewels of the racing calendar.”
The horse racing action isn’t the only route to riches for punters at Ascot this week as the fashionistas have also been having their say in the style stakes, with many predicting the colour of Queen Camilla’s hat.
BoyleSports is tipping pink to be the winning colour on Wednesday, while the odds also point to a Royal winner on the second day of the festival as the King and Queen own the favourite in the 5.35 Kensington Palace Stakes - 10/3 shot Rainbows Edge.
Colour of Queen Camilla’s hat on Wednesday
2/1 Pink/Peach
4/1 Yellow
4/1 Blue/Navy
11/2 Green
8/1 Orange
8/1 Brown
12/1 Purple
14/1 Red
14/1 Orange
16/1 Grey
20/1 Black
*Odds are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Bet on Horse Racing Odds at BoyleSports
*Prices are subject to fluctuation.
Remember, Always Gamble Responsibly.
