The Ascot Gold Cup remains Britain’s most iconic and prestigious race for ‘stayers’, as it’s contested over 2 miles, 3 furlongs and 210 yards and open to horses aged four years or older.
This G1 flat race will again be hosted on the third day of The Royal Ascot festival, which falls on Thursday, 20th June. A total of 16 runners are set to compete for the race’s first prize of £368,615.
Below, we’ll take a closer look at this year’s runners, riders, and trainers while analysing the trends that can help when choosing your picks from our your Ascot Gold Cup odds. Let’s get into it!
Ascot Gold Cup Runners in 2024
| Horse | Trainer | Age |
| Trueshan | Alan King | 8 |
| Enemy | Ian Williams | 7 |
| Prydwen | George Scott | 6 |
| Coltrane | Andrew Balding | 7 |
| Kyprios | Aidan O’Brien | 6 |
| Trawlerman | John & Thady Gosden | 6 |
| Absurde | W P Mullins | 6 |
| Point Lonsdale | Aidan O’Brien | 5 |
| Vauban | W P Mullins | 6 |
| Caius Chorister | David Menuisier | 5 |
| Tower Of London | Aidan O’Brien | 4 |
| Sweet William | John & Thady Gosden | 5 |
| Continuous | Aidan O’Brien | 4 |
| Sumo Sam | Paul & Oliver Cole | 4 |
| Queenstown | Aidan O’Brien | 4 |
| Gregory | John & Thady Gosden | 4 |
Race Preview
talkSPORT BET has made Aidan O’Brien’s six-year-old Kyprios the ante-post favourite for the 2024 Gold Cup at a current price of 1/1* in our Royal Ascot odds. This seasoned runner has won 10 of his 14 career flat races to date, including eight of his previous 10 since May 2021 (he placed second in his other two outings).
This sequence includes four G1 victories, including the Gold Cup 2022. He also triumphed in the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot last year, while he only lost by a neck over a similar distance in the British Champions Long Distance Cup.
However, the victor that day was John & Thady Gosden’s Trawlerman, who will also compete in the 2024 Gold Cup. This six-year-old has won three of his last four flat races and offers excellent each-way value at 10/1*.
Gregory is another John & Thady Gosden runner and potential each-way pick, particularly at a current price of 5/1*. This four-year-old colt has placed in the top three in five of his six career outings, although he has never raced over two miles before.
Trends Over the Last 10 Years
When you evaluate any horse racing odds, it’s important that you seek out context in relevant trends and statistics. So, let’s take a look at the most prevalent trend factors in the Ascot Gold Cup and how they may inform your picks.
- Back Horses 1st in the Betting Market: The trend factor with the biggest LSP since 2004 is when runners were first in the betting market. The starting favourite has prevailed in 12 of the previous 20 Gold Cup renewals, which is noticeably high when compared to similar G1 events. This trend clearly favours Aidan O’Brien’s Kyprios, who is likely to remain first in the betting market for the duration of the build-up.
- Prioritise Younger Horses: Interestingly, seven of the previous 10 Gold Cup winners have been aged four. A further two have been six years old (including Stradivarius in 2020), while he also won at the age of five the previous year. It should also be noted that no horse aged older than six has prevailed since 2009, when Yeats triumphed in the Gold Cup for the fourth successive year aged nine.
- Leopardstown Winners Fare Well at Ascot: The last 20 Gold Cup iterations have also seen four winners who ran at Leopardstown last time out (Kyprios competed here in the G3 Saval Beg Levmoss Stakes on May 17th). Sandown and Navan have also produced three winners apiece since 2004, so we’d recommend analysing each runner’s most recent form to see where they’ve enjoyed success.
Trainer Statistics
It should come as no surprise that Aidan O’Brien and John Gosden runners are heavily favoured here, as they’ve won 11 of the previous 20 race renewals between them. O’Brien’s stable is responsible for eight of these wins, including four–time winner Yeats and Kyprios in 2022.
Gosden has also recorded three victories and a further three placed finishes from a total of nine runners, while Saeed bin Suroor has recorded a total of two wins from 19 attempts.
Only five other trainers have fielded winners of the Gold Cup since 2004: including Sir Michael Stoute, D K Weld, Ed Dunlop and Michael Bell. Neither Andrew Balding or W P Mullins have won the Gold Cup in the last 20 iterations despite fielding 17 runners between them.
Jockey Statistics
Unsurprisingly, the legendary Frankie Dettori is the Gold Cup’s most successful jockey since 2004, recording six wins from just 18 rides. His successful runners include three-time winner Stradivarius and the exceptional 2023 victor Courage Mon Ami.
However, Dettori has since retired, with Ryan Moore (who’s expected to ride Kyprios this year) well-placed to assume his mantle as the king of Ascot. He’s the only jockey apart from Dettori to record multiple wins during the last 20 years, while he has three victories and seven placed finishes from 18 rides.
At the other end of the spectrum is William Buick, who has ridden the most runners apart from Dettori and Moore since 2004 (13). Despite this, however, he has yet to record a single win in the race, while he has just a single placed finish to his name during this period.
Gold Cup Day Schedule
As we’ve touched on, the Ascot Gold Cup is scheduled as usual for the third and middle day of the Royal Ascot festival. This is also known colloquially as ‘Ladies Day’ and remains the most popular among fans, while it will feature a total of seven races in 2024. Here’s a sneak peak at the Gold Cup day schedule.
| Time | Race | Last Winner | Trainer / Jockey |
| 14:30 | Norfolk Stakes | Valiant Force (USA) | Adrian Murray / Rossa Ryan |
| 15:05 | King George V Stakes | Desert Hero (GB) | William Haggas /Tom Marquand |
| 15:45 | Ribblesdale Stakes | Warm Heart (IRE) | A P O’Brien / Ryan Moore |
| 16:25 | Ascot Gold Cup | Courage Mon Ami (GB) | John & Thady Gosden /Frankie Dettori |
| 17:05 | Britannia Stakes | Docklands (GB) | Harry Eustace /Hayley Turner |
| 17:40 | Hampton Court Stakes | Waipiro (IRE) | Ed Walker /Tom Marquand |
| 18:15 | Buckingham Palace Stakes | Witch Hunter (FR) | Richard Hannon /Jamie Spencer |
If you’re planning on placing some Gold Cup bets, always remember to gamble responsibly. For further information, visit our talkSPORT BET safer gambling portal.
*Odds are correct at the time of writing and subject to change.
