Royal Ascot: Prize money, pageantry, races and how to watch on TV in the UAE

Strong UAE contingent at royal meet, with horses representing Godolphin and Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid prominent throughout five days

A racegoer poses for a photograph on day one of the Royal Ascot horse racing meet, in Ascot, west of London, on June 19, 2018.  The five-day meeting is one of the highlights of the horse racing calendar. Horse racing has been held at the famous Berkshire course since 1711 and tradition is a hallmark of the meeting. Top hats and tails remain compulsory in parts of the course while a daily procession of horse-drawn carriages brings the Queen to the course.  / AFP / Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS
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Royal Ascot is Britain’s most valuable horse race meeting, attended by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family. It attracts some of the finest equine luminaries interspersed with fashion amidst a backdrop of history and pageantry.

Queen Elizabeth and other members of the royal family arrive each day in a horse-drawn carriage with the Royal procession taking place at the start of each race day at 5pm UAE time.

There is a strong UAE contingent at the royal meet, with horses representing Godolphin and Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid prominent throughout the five-day meet.

When is Royal Ascot?

June 18 to 22 (Tuesday to Saturday)

Where is Royal Ascot?

Ascot racecourse is in Berkshire, England.

Total Royal Ascot prize fund

£7.33 million (almost Dh34m).

The feature races:

Tuesday: There are three Group 1 races: Queen Ann Stakes, King's Stand Stakes and St James's Palace Stakes

Wednesday: Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes

Thursday: Group 1 Gold Cup

Friday: Group 1 Commonwealth Cup and Coronation Stakes

Saturday: Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes

Which horses have Godolphin entered?

Godolphin horses are contesting six of the eight Group 1 races across the five days. Their best chance of success lies with Barney Roy in the Queen Ann Stakes and Blue Point in the King’s Stand Stakes.

Both are trained by Charlie Appleby with Blue Point looking to replicate his success in the race 12 months ago.

He returns to the track having notched up a hat-trick of victories at Meydan in Dubai over the winter. Blue Point meets the Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid-owned Battaash and Mabs Cross in a re-match.

Saeed bin Suroor sends out Royal Marine in the St James’s Palace Strakes to complete Godolphin’s campaign in the Group 1 races on Day 1.

On Thursday, Cross Counter is on course for a treble when he takes on Stradivarius in the Group 1 Gold Cup. The Godolphin runner was earlier successful in the Melbourne Cup and Dubai Gold Cup.

Castle Lady carries the hopes of the royal blues in the Coronation Stakes on Friday. The French 1000 Guineas winner trained by Henri-Alex Pantall in France is undefeated in three starts.

On Saturday, Inns Of Court carries Godolphin’s hopes in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes. Trained by Andre Fabre in France, the five-year-old arrives in England on the back of two victories this season.

Are there any other UAE connections?

Battaash in the silks of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid could challenge Godolphin’s Blue Point in the re-match in the King’s Stand Stakes on Tuesday.

With two Group 3 prizes under his belt, Dee Ex Bee, in the colours of the Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, is one to watch in Thursday's Gold Cup.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid is double handed with Jash and Khaadem in Friday’s Commonwealth Cup.

Saturday’s Diamond Jubilee Stakes appears to be a wide open race with Dubai-owned runners Invincible Army, Dreams Of Dream, Sands Of Mali, Yafta and Emblazoned challenging for the prize.

Other horses to keep an eye out for

A re-match of the first two in the Irish 2000 Guineas winner - Phoenix Of Spain and runner-up Too Darn Hot - recommences in the St James’s Palace Stakes on Tuesday.

The Prince of Wales’s Stakes on Wednesday should provide an absorbing contest between Magical, Crystal Ocean and Sea Of Class.

Another battle could be on the cards when Godolphin’s French 1000 Guineas winner takes on Aidan O’Brien’s dual English and Irish 1000 Guineas champion Hermosa in the Coronation Stakes on Friday.

How to watch on TV in the UAE

You can watch all the races daily from 5pm on Dubai Racing Channel .