Ascot Racecourse Tips & Stats Guide

With a global reputation for high-quality flat and jump racing, Ascot is one of the most acclaimed racecourses in the UK, and rightly so.

Most famous as the home of Royal Ascot, the track also hosts several other top-class race meetings throughout the year, with over 25 days of racing on offer, including Champions Day.

Currently hosting 13 Group 1 flat races and four Grade 1 jump races, Ascot is a racecourse loved by punters who enjoy the thrill of a bet on the highest quality of horse racing and owners and trainers who have the chance to land a share of the generous prize money on offer.

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Ascot Racing Tips for Today

Saturday sees an exciting seven-race card at Ascot that includes two Grade 2 races - The 1965 Chase and the Ascot Hurdle.

Our tipping experts, Alan Kelly and Charlie McCann, have tips for the Saturday action, including selections at 6/1 and 11/2 - click on the links below for full details.

Tom Bellamy’s Ascot Blog

On Saturday afternoon I head to Ascot, just for one ride, but a really good one, as I sit on Sceau Royal in the Grade Two Ascot Hurdle at 2:05pm.

It’s a nice ride to pick up with Daryl up at Haydock, and the horse owes nobody with what he’s done. He’s obviously in the twilight of his career now, but this is not the strongest renewal of the race.

He’s got a place chance, fingers crossed, with the drying conditions helping him, too.

Staying at Ascot, in the race before that, the 1965 Chase at 1:30pm, and I think Shishkin is the winner here.

He’s the better horse on everything we’ve seen on the course, and I can’t fault anything. The only concern I have would be why Harry Cobden is going to Ascot and not going up to Haydock for Bravemansgame, there’s obviously a reason for it.

But for me, Shishkin is the winner, and if I was riding him, I’d be happy and confident going into the race.

Check out Tom’s exclusive Freebets blog, where he gives us his thoughts on the weekend racing action.

Below, we’ve also highlighted two betting angles to remember when selecting your Ascot bets.

Don’t leave it late

The run-in at Ascot from the final bend is relatively short, and it’s challenging for horses to come from off the pace on the round course.

Look for horses that like to be ridden prominently, as the last thing you want is to be on the best horse but are unable to reel in the leaders.

Jumping is the name of the game

The fences at Ascot can be challenging for horses, particularly novices, so look for horses that are sound jumpers and that can freewheel on the downhill section.

It can also be a front runners course in small-field novice races where economical jumping can see a horse get away from the field off the front.

Top Ascot Jockeys

Flat racing fans should keep a close eye out for husband and wife Hollie Doyle and Tom Marquand at Ascot - they both are profitable to level stakes over the last three seasons, with Doyle showing over £30 profit to a £1 stake.

Over obstacles, Nico de Boinville is a jockey to keep onside, boasting a 28% strike rate over fences and hurdles, while Aidan Coleman and Harry Skelton are each operating at around the 30% mark over hurdles.

Top Ascot Trainers

Punters may feel it must pay to follow trainers such as Aidan O’Brien and John and Thady Gosden at Ascot, but the two standout trainers over the last three seasons at the Berkshire track have been Charlie Hills and Richard Hannon - Hills shows a £73 profit to £1 level stakes, and Hannon has a healthy £43 profit.

Over hurdles, Paul Nicholls shows over a £30 profit, while punters should also keep an eye out for Kim Bailey’s runners over fences - five of his last 15 runners at the track have won, with another five placing.

Ascot Racing Free Bets & Betting Offers

As one of the showpiece racecourses in the UK, racing at Ascot always sees excellent promotions and betting offers from the top bookmakers for punters to enjoy.

Royal Ascot and Champions Day consistently see enhanced odds offers, free bets, and extra place races from bookmakers such as BetGoodwin.

While these popular meetings also see huge Tote pools, including on the Placepot and Jackpot - sign up to The Tote today to enjoy a generous welcome bonus.

Ascot Racecourse Layout & Info

Home to flat and jump racing, Ascot went under a £185 million redevelopment in 2004 that saw it closed for two years as it transformed itself into one of the premier racecourses in the UK.

Internationally renowned due to its Royal meeting in June, Ascot attracts horses from around the globe, battling it out for the prestige and prize money of being a Royal Ascot winner.

Flat Racing

With a round course and a straight mile, Ascot is ideally set up to host racing over various distances, ranging from the 5 furlongs of the King’s Stand to the Queen Alexandria Stakes, which is run over 2 miles 6 furlongs.

Over the straight course, following the pace is more advantageous than the draw - with the right pace, a horse can win from any stall.

Jump Racing

Ascot provides a serious jumping challenge with tricky fences, especially for novices to deal with.

Being ridden prominently is a big advantage, so like on the flat, look for horses that like to race up with the pace.

And you have to be in contention coming off the final bend - rarely does anything win from too far back.

Ascot Racecourse Top Featured Races

Ascot is synonymous with the Royal Ascot meeting, but there is top-quality action at the track throughout the year, including Champions Day, the traditional finale to the UK flat racing season, and the Clarence House Chase, a key Cheltenham trial race.

Here are the key dates in the Ascot racing calendar:

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