Published Jun 11, 6:37am ET by
Alex Dudley - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Jun 11, 6:37am ET
Credit: Shutterstock
Updated Jun 11, 6:37am ET
One of the world’s most prestigious sporting events gets underway on June 16, 2026, as Day One of Royal Ascot features three Group One races.
The action on NBC gets underway with the Royal Procession, before the racing on track kicks off with a vintage renewal of the Queen Anne Stakes. You can find our Royal Ascot Day 1 picks for the significant races here.
The action on Day 1 at Royal Ascot gets underway with the G1 Queen Anne Stakes. Last year’s winner Docklands is back to defend his crown, but the betting will be headlined by Charlie Appleby’s pair of runners, Opera Ballo and Notable Speech.
However, More Thunder could be the improving contender capable of making an impression at this level. The William Haggas runner wasn’t beaten far by Notable Speech in the G1 Lockinge on his long-awaited return to the track.
He was excellent over seven furlongs throughout last season, winning a pair of races in impressive fashion on rattling quick ground at Newmarket and Newbury. Likely to be more to come, and a value play.
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Pick
More Thunder
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The first big sprint at Royal Ascot this year is due off at 10:40 AM ET, with the Group One King Charles III Stakes likely to involve runners from around the world.
Australian-trained runners such as Overpass and Asfoora are interesting. However, it could be French raider Rayevka that could take a lot of beating. The Francis Graffard runner was excellent on his return to the track, and connections quickly ear-marked this Group One as their target for the season.
Sired by Blue Point, which is an obvious green flag, as he won this exact race back in 2018.
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Pick
Rayevka
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In my opinion, the best race of the entire week is due off at 11:20 on Day 1, as a high-quality crop go to post for the Group One St. James’s Palace Stakes.
The first two from the 2,000 Guineas are involved, and Bow Echo should be seriously respected after his win at Newmarket. However, the improving Talk Of New York bypassed the Classic and could be a serious contender to produce a statement performance.
The Charlie Appleby runner has been excellent on back-to-back starts since finishing third at Meydan, and he was strikingly impressive when landing the Heron Stakes on his first attempt over a mile on British turf at Sandown last month.
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Pick
Talk of New York
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| Race | Pick |
|---|---|
| Group Two Coventry Stakes (10:05 AM ET) | Night In Vegas |
| Ascot Stakes (1:00 PM ET) | Reaching High |
| Wolferton Stakes (1:35 PM ET) | Ghostwriter |
| Copper Horse Stakes (2:10 PM ET) | Galileo Dame |
