The busiest, most important, and simply the best race meeting on the calendar is back. Royal Ascot 2026 is staged over five days, hosting 35 races including eight Group 1’s. Day one gets off with a bang, as the best turf milers in the world do battle in the Queen Anne. My Royal Ascot preview includes four value single bets, and a huge multiple.
Royal Ascot Tuesday Tips: Opera to Hit the High Notes
| Bet Type | Horse/Race | Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Bet | Opera Ballo (2:30) | 7/2 | Betfred |
| Next Best | Nahraan (5:35) | 6/1 | 10bet |
| Value Bet | Night Raider (3:40) | 7/1 | Betfred |
| Value Bet | Talk Of New York (4:20) | 5/1 | William Hill |
Odds correct at 14:00 BST on 15/06/26. Odds subject to change.
As of Monday, we’ve got good ground at Ascot on the downhill run towards Swinley Bottom, and for the first three furlongs of the straight course from the mile marker. It’s good to firm everywhere else, and with the weather set fair, we can expect some fast times and for the nearside horses to hold sway on the straight track.
All that and more was taken into consideration during my Royal Ascot betting analysis. I’m pretty sweet on these four, with prices provided by some of the best horse racing bookmakers, 10bet, Betfred, and William Hill. Back them now with these sites, but read my full preview for more detail – oh, and I have a major multiple bet with Betfred to share later on.
My Royal Ascot Best Bet
Opera Ballo – 2:30 (Queen Anne Stakes)
A massive one-mile Group 1 race worth £800,000, the Queen Anne gets us off to a brilliant start. Lockinge Stakes winner Notable Speech is the favourite for Charlie Appleby, and jockey William Buick has chosen to ride him over Opera Ballo.
That’s Buick playing it safe, and I can’t blame him. If he gets off the Lockinge winner now and he wins, the rider looks daft. Notable Speech was peaking for the occasion at Newbury and produced a career high. We’ll see the best version of him again at the Breeders’ Cup, but he won’t necessarily improve any more now.
Opera Ballo has reached the same rating, but has got there a wee bit quicker. He improved from 106 to 119 last season, reached 125 when dominating the Sandown Mile in April, and had more in the tank. There’s nothing to show that his improvement should suddenly stop.
This horse is also the pace angle. Aside from his raw ability (I think he’s capable of reaching 128 here), Opera Ballo could also dictate things. If he bounces out of the stalls like he did at Sandown, and just as his daddy Ghaiyyath often did, they’ll have to dance to his tune. He’s my Royal Ascot nap for Tuesday.
Damysus can improve and get closer than he did at Newbury, while yardstick Zeus Olimpios can do better, but was beaten 2¾ lengths by Notable Speech and, importantly, 3¾ lengths by Opera Ballo at Sandown when in receipt of 2lbs. This could be another huge win for young jockey Billy Loughnane.
Why I’m Backing Opera Ballo:
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Already put up joint-highest rating and getting better
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Can dictate matters from the front
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Represents top sire, owner, trainer, and jockey
My Next Best Bet
Nahraan – 5:35 (Wolferton Stakes)
The Wolferton is a Listed race over a mile and a quarter. In it, I reckon there’s a bunch of horses capable of running to the 112-114 level. If they were any better, their trainers would be thinking about the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes over the same trip instead.
What I looked for in that case was that one horse that could be better than Listed level. The obvious one to me is John & Thady Gosden’s Nahraan.
The four-year-old won nicely on debut last year and went on a three-race winning streak. After that, he kept particularly good company in France when not beaten far on unfavourable soft ground behind two Arc contenders, one of which was Daryz, who is favourite for the Prince of Wales’s.
He can run up to a mark of at least 117 if fit enough after a long break, something I don’t worry about with horses coming from John Gosden’s yard.
Why I’m Backing Nahraan:
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Only horse with potential to be above this level
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Top stable with a great Ascot record
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Excellent form last season and still improving
My First Royal Ascot Value Bet
Night Raider – 3:40 (King Charles III Stakes)
Royal Ascot predictions don’t come much harder than in the King Charles III, formerly the King’s Stand Stakes. This is a five-furlong Group 1, but the market reads more like a large-field handicap.
There are 26 runners in this race, and it has an international feel. Australian Overpass heads the market, while French raider Rayevka can also have a say.
Last year’s winner American Affair (Jim Goldie) has been primed, but this looks a stronger renewal to me. Henri Graffard’s Rayevka is dangerous with the fillies’ allowance, and while I respect Bjorn Baker’s Overpass, I’m not running scared of Aussie sprinters at Royal Ascot unless they are truly exceptional.
The value is with Karl Burke’s Night Raider, representing the powerful Wathnan Racing. I’ve got a slight doubt about his draw, but I reckon Overpass will go big early on and tire out. This horse, on a two-race winning streak and about to reach a new career high, can be the one to take advantage under James Doyle.
Why I’m Backing Night Raider:
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In the form of his life right now
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Handles a stiff five furlongs and fast ground
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Race could be set up nicely for him
No Expiry Date
My Next Royal Ascot Value Bet
Talk Of New York – 4:20 (St James’s Palace Stakes)
There’s plenty of World Cup action to look forward to in the football, but before that, matters on the track continue to ramp up as we reach the St James’s Palace Stakes. It’s a shame French Guineas winner Rayif couldn’t come – he’s spiked a fever – but this is a cracker of a race anyway.
This one-mile race for the three-year-old colts is essentially Ascot’s Guineas. In fact, it’s stronger, as we have Guineas winners Bow Echo and Gstaad here, as well as one major improver. On the round course, runners need a bit of speed, but low draws for a hold-up horse can be tricky as they get boxed in at the wrong time.
Expect Aidan O’Brien’s Puerto Rico to go forward and make it a real test, setting things up for Gstaad. Bow Echo, the joint-best Guineas winner since Frankel, is still unbeaten, but his sire Night Of Thunder peaked in the Newmarket Classic. I reckon this horse was trained to the max for HQ, and won’t necessarily improve again, as good as he already is.
Talk Of New York, trained by Charlie Appleby, is the value bet here. Known to be the best juvenile at Moulton Paddocks last year, even though he peaked late, he was well backed for the Guineas but missed that engagement. He came back with a stunning success in the Heron Stakes last month in preparation for this, and I think William Buick can stalk Gstaad and Bow Echo from stalls one and two before striking late.
Why I’m Backing Talk Of New York:
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Peaking later than established Guineas runners
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Always highly thought of at top stable
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Bounded away up the hill at Sandown, will appreciate Ascot
Grab the Big Value with a Lucky 63 At Betfred
Betfred have some great Royal Ascot offers for multiples. Back your six selections in a Lucky 63, and if only one leg wins, you are paid out at 5x the odds.
To add to my four bets above, I’ve also thrown in horses in the Coventry Stakes and the Ascot Stakes. In the former, the key horse is Ruler’s Pride (Wathnan Racing). He made a very pleasing debut (form boosted since), and could go right to the top. Despite that, James Doyle has chosen to ride Royal Heritage who only made his debut six days before this race, and also looked imperious.
The Ascot Stakes is a two-and-a-half-mile handicap, and jumps trainer Willie Mullins can farm these races. He’s got the King’s horse Reaching High right where he wants him, and he’s booked Ryan Moore for the job.
Remember to keep your unit stake in check. Whatever stake you enter will be multiplied by 63 for a Lucky 63 bet, but you’re backing singles, doubles, trebles, four-folds, five-folds, and a six-fold acca. Here are my selections:
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Opera Ballo, 2:30
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Royal Heritage, 3:05
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Night Raider, 3:40
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Talk Of New York, 4:20
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Reaching High, 5:00
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Nahraan, 5:35
