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Royal Ascot, arguably the pinnacle of British horse racing, has been capturing imaginations for hundreds of years, with its blend of regal pomp and high-octane action.
Held every June at Ascot Racecourse, the five-day festival of elite horse racing draws the sport’s biggest names each year along with hordes of punters seeking excitement and fortune.
It’s the origin point for numerous horse racing legends, with events like the Gold Cup and Queen Anne Stakes among the most prestigious races in the UK racing sphere.
Below, we’ve recalled five horses that redefined what it means to be great, from relentless champions to surprise conquerors in our list of the 5 greatest Royal Ascot winners of all time.
5. Black Caviar – The Unbeaten Australian Invader (2012, Diamond Jubilee Stakes)
In a meeting that was packed with cosmopolitan flair, Black Caviar’s victory in the 2012 Diamond Jubilee Stakes is still fondly remembered in racing circles today.
Trained by Peter Moody and ridden by jockey Luke Nolen, the Australian mare was backed into a 1/6 favourite before go time, having produced an insane record of 20 wins from 20 starts for connections in the lead up.
Black Caviar exploded out of the gates in the six-furlong Group 1 sprint to establish a big lead, but relented late on, perhaps a little overconfident, before seeing off a late challenge from Moonlight Cloud.
The first Ozzie to win the race since Choisir in 2003, Black Caviar bridged the gap between hemispheres in a moment of Commonwealth cultural significance. After that heart-stopper, Black Caviar went on to retire with a 25-race unbeaten record.
4. Estimate – The Queen’s Historic Triumph (2013, Gold Cup)
Few Royal Ascot winners carry the weight of monarchy like Estimate, whose Gold Cup win in 2013 delivered a fairy-tale outcome to the watching Queen Elizabeth II.
With prolific jockey Ryan Moore in the saddle, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained chestnut filly had won the Queen’s Vase at Ascot the previous year, though the two-and-a-half-mile Gold Cup represented a step up in difficulty.
With seasoned stayers like Simenon and Elkasaal providing opposition, 7/2 favourite Estimate initially settled mid-pack before a daring late rally allowed her to beat the leading colts by a neck in a photo-finish thriller.
Donning the Queen’s colours of purple, gold and scarlet, Estimate was the first royal-owned winner in the race’s 200+ year history, permanently weaving her story into Britain’s sporting soul.
3. Stradivarius – The Modern Stayer Supreme (2018-2020, Gold Cup)
In an age of speed demons at the track, Stradivarius rewrote the book on staying power when he completed a hattrick of Gold Cup wins between 2018 and 2020.
Trained by John Godsen and piloted by Frankie Dettori, Stradivarius debuted as a four-year-old in the 2018 Gold Cup, overcoming a wide trip to see off Vazirabad by a short head at a 5/1 starting price.
A year later, he was back to triumph by a healthier two and a half lengths, before Stradivarius demolished the field by ten lengths 12 months after that in the 2020 edition of the Gold Cup.
Stradivarius showed up just as well elsewhere, winning four Goodwood Cups, two Lonsdale Cups and a Yorkshire Cup, collecting over £4.5m in earnings along the way.
His exploits in the Gold Cup are revered above all else however, and allowed him to retire to stud as a breeding powerhouse in late 2022.
2. Yeats – The Unrivaled Four-Time Champion (2006-2009, Gold Cup)
And so, to Yeats. Not the poet, although the horse’s story definitely has elements of sporting poetry. Under Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle banner, Yeats’s quartet of Gold Cup victories from 2006 to 2009 remains the gold standard for the race and earns him a spot as Royal Ascot’s ultimate stayer.
Jockeys Kieren Fallon, Mick Kinane, and Johnny Murtagh (twice) all had their turns in the saddle, with Yeats winning out by four, five and seven lengths, before a tighter three-and-a-half lengths victory in 2009.
Yeats was a Coolmore-bred monster and his legacy of 15 wins from 23 starts at Ascot was honoured by the installation of a parade-ring statue in his likeness at the track in 2011.
Beyond his ridiculous stats, Yeats captured hearts with his gentlemanly demeanour and was a fitting icon for Royal Ascot’s unbridled elegance. He retired and went out to stud after his heroics in 2009.
1. Frankel – The Undefeated Phenomenon (2012, Queen Anne Stakes)
At number one, Frankel still reigns supreme as the greatest Royal Ascot winner of all time. Why? His 2012 Queen Anne Stakes demolition job was a clinic in racing perfection.
Trained by Sir Henry Cecil and ridden by Tom Queally, this Galileo colt was already unbeaten in 10 starts, but achieved sporting transcendence when he embarked on an 11-length annihilation of rivals, including three-time Group 1 winner Excelebration.
With odds as tight as 1/10 applied to Frankel, it’s fair to say that a win was widely expected, however, his eye-catching burst down the track was more akin to a top sprinter than a miler, with the race completed in a time of 1:37.85.
Post-race, Queally’s tears spoke volumes, as Frankel’s swansong elevated him above icons like Sea The Stars. His Royal Ascot masterclass went on to influence breeding trends worldwide, with Frankel siring a string of champions since.
Frankel embodies Royal Ascot winners at their very zenith, an untouchable talent and horse racing titan. Anyone exploring horse betting sites today, will find that they are backing charges carrying Frankel’s bloodline on the regular.
Epsom Oaks winners Minnie Hauk, Soul Sister and Anapurna have all come from Frankel, as have St Leger winner Logician, Epsom Derby winner Adayar, Irish Derby champions Hurricane Lane, Westover and Gold Cup winner Courage. With many more besides and much more to come.
