Founder & Editor · Last reviewed 2026-05-31
The 2026 edition has been run. Next: Royal Ascot 2027, Tuesday 15 to Saturday 19 June 2027.
Royal AscotThis has been run. See the Royal Ascot 2026 results for the finishing order and starting prices. What follows is kept as it was written beforehand.
Saturday 20 June 2026, closing day of Royal Ascot, "Diamond Jubilee Day". First race 2:30pm, last race 5:35pm. Seven-race card on ITV1 / ITVX from approximately 1:00pm (earlier start than the other days for the Diamond Jubilee finale).
The closing day centres on two showcase races:
- Diamond Jubilee Stakes (G1, 6f, 4:20pm): older sprinters, the 6f sprint championship of the British season; the natural follow-up to Tuesday's 5f King Charles III and Friday's 3yo Commonwealth Cup
- Wokingham Stakes (Heritage Handicap, 6f, 3:40pm): 30-runner sprint cavalry charge, draw bias is real, the year's highest-stakes betting handicap
The 2026 Diamond Jubilee story is the defending French operator. Lazzat (Jerome Reynier / James Doyle, 9/2) won the 2025 race, France's first Diamond Jubilee winner since before the Second World War, under Wathnan Racing ownership. He is the natural defending favourite. Kind Of Blue (Fanshawe / Doyle) at 6/1-7/1 each-way is the structural value pick after his Minster 2nd on 13 May. (Asfoora won the 2024 King Charles III Stakes, not this race.)
The closing race is the Queen Alexandra Stakes (5:35pm), at 2 miles 5 furlongs 158 yards, the longest race in British flat racing, six furlongs longer than the Gold Cup, the festival's traditional closer.
This piece covers the race-by-race breakdown of Saturday's card, the betting angles for the Wokingham + Diamond Jubilee, and where to bet.
For the complete Royal Ascot 2026 overview see our Royal Ascot 2026 Preview, the TV Guide, and our daily Royal Ascot 2026 Tips piece.
For the rest of the week:
Saturday's seven-race card
| Off-time | Race | Distance | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2:30pm | Chesham Stakes | 7f | Listed (juveniles) |
| 3:05pm | Jersey Stakes | 7f | G3 (3yo) |
| 3:40pm | Wokingham Stakes | 6f | Heritage Handicap |
| 4:20pm | Diamond Jubilee Stakes | 6f | G1 (sprint championship) |
| 5:00pm | Golden Gates Stakes | 1m | Handicap (3yo) |
| 5:35pm | Queen Alexandra Stakes | 2m5f158y | Conditions (closing tradition) |
| -- | -- | -- | -- |
Chesham Stakes (Listed, 2:30pm): late-developing juveniles
7 furlongs Listed for late-developing 2yos. A Future Champions Series pointer, many recent winners have gone on to autumn Group form. Charlie Appleby and Aidan O'Brien typically run targeted entries.
Jersey Stakes (G3, 3:05pm): 3yo milers' Royal Ascot test
Group 3 over 7 furlongs for 3yos: often a French Group 1 pointer (Prix de la Foret, Prix Jacques le Marois). The form line carrier from the Newmarket Craven Stakes and the Sandown Brigadier Gerard often runs here.
Wokingham Stakes (Heritage Handicap, 3:40pm): sprint cavalry charge
The year's highest-stakes betting handicap sprint. 30 runners typically, 6 furlongs, the Heritage Handicap version of the King Charles III Stakes.
Draw bias: the 6f draw at Ascot favours middle draws (gates 8-15), neither the rail nor the wide outside is ideal. The Wokingham splits into two groups (high/low) and the side that gets the better pace usually wins.
Trends: 5/6/7yos dominate, established sprint handicappers, OR 95-100, course-and-distance form is highly valuable. Big-yard runners (Karl Burke, William Haggas, Charlie Appleby) routinely place but rarely win, the Wokingham is a value-pick race.
Diamond Jubilee Stakes (G1, 4:20pm): sprint championship
The festival's closing Group 1. 6 furlongs, older sprinters, the 6f championship of the British season. Now officially the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (renamed in 2022 to honour the late Queen, though still commonly referred to as the Diamond Jubilee). 2025 winner: Lazzat (Jerome Reynier / James Doyle, 9/2), France's first winner of this Group 1 since before the Second World War, holding off Satono Reve by half a length. Wathnan Racing bought Lazzat in the lead-up to Royal Ascot.
The 2026 storyline:
- Lazzat if returning, defending under Wathnan; the Minster preview noted he's being freshened for direct Royal Ascot route
- Elmonjed (Haggas / Buick), won the 2026 Minster but Haggas has confirmed the Prix Maurice de Gheest target instead, NOT the Jubilee
- Kind Of Blue (James Fanshawe / James Doyle): 2024 QIPCO British Champions Sprint G1 winner, runner-up to Elmonjed in the 2026 Minster (13 May) at York. The most natural Royal Ascot Diamond Jubilee profile at 6/1-7/1 each-way
- Big Mojo (Mick Appleby, 2025 G1 Haydock Sprint Cup winner), Minster 7th was disappointing; King Charles III Tuesday more likely
Trends: 9/10 winners came from a Group 1 or Group 2 prep within 6 weeks. 6/10 aged 5+, the older sprint specialist dominates.
Golden Gates Stakes (Handicap, 5:00pm): 3yo milers
3yo handicap mile: often a value-pick race for the closing day. William Haggas + John Gosden dominate.
Queen Alexandra Stakes (Conditions, 5:35pm): the longest race in British flat racing
2 miles 5 furlongs 158 yards: the longest flat race in the British calendar, 6 furlongs longer than the Gold Cup. A conditions race (not a handicap or a Group race), traditionally Royal Ascot's closing race.
The form line is rarely meaningful for the betting public: the field tends to be a mix of dual-purpose horses, retired flat-handicap stayers, and chase-distance experiments. Joseph O'Brien, Willie Mullins and AJ Martin routinely run here.
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Saturday's betting angles
The Diamond Jubilee: Group 1 form line is gold
9/10 winners came from a Group 1 or Group 2 prep within 6 weeks. The 2026 form lines for the race will only crystallise after:
- Sandown Sandy Lane Stakes (G3, 23 May): the 3yo sprint trial; some 4yos run too
- Newmarket Palace House Stakes (G3, 2 May): the early-season older sprinters' trial
- Haydock Temple Stakes (G2, 22 May): 5f older sprinters' trial
- The Minster Stakes (renamed from Duke of York, York, 13 May): the headline early-season older sprint Group 2
Wait for the late-May Group 2 trial results before committing your Diamond Jubilee bet.
The Wokingham: middle draws + course-and-distance form
6f draw bias at Ascot favours middle draws (gates 8-15): neither the rail nor the wide outside. Course-and-distance form is the most valuable factor for a Wokingham bet.
Wait for the Wokingham draw, placed Friday morning the day before the race, before committing your stake. Most major firms run 5+ extra places at 1/5 odds on the Wokingham given the 30-runner field.
The Jersey Stakes: French Group 1 pipeline
3yo Group 3 over 7 furlongs: often produces a French Group 1 winner later in the season (Prix de la Foret, Prix Jacques le Marois). Aidan O'Brien + Charlie Appleby dominate.
The Queen Alexandra: Joseph O'Brien angle
Joseph O'Brien is the most-followed trainer in this race historically, dual-purpose stayers + ex-handicap-graduates often run from his Owning Hill yard. Willie Mullins is the second-most-followed.
The Queen Alexandra is essentially a fun race: bet small, enjoy the closer, and don't chase your last bet of the meeting.
Race-specific previews
For the full race-by-race trends + tips see the Diamond Jubilee Stakes 2026 preview.
Where to bet
For Diamond Jubilee Stakes specific offers: most major firms run Best Odds Guaranteed + Non-Runner-No-Bet + 3-5 places at 1/4 odds from the 5-day declaration stage. Star Sports withdrew BOG in December 2024; value at the firm now comes through curated Star Boosts + the on-course presence.
For Wokingham specific offers: 5+ extra places at 1/5 odds is standard, given the 30-runner field. Money-back specials on second-by-a-head/short-head are also common from the bigger firms.
For the cross-bookmaker view of Royal Ascot offers from William Hill, Betfred and Star Sports, see our Royal Ascot 2026 offers page for the cross-bookmaker grid.
Specialist racing operator: Star Sports has racecourse pitches at every UK Group 1 fixture including the Diamond Jubilee. See our Star Sports review and the Star Sports Royal Ascot 2026 offers piece.
Responsible note
Saturday is the closing day of the meeting, five days of high-quality racing where the cumulative betting pressure peaks. Resist chasing losses on the final day. Bet only money you can afford to lose, set deposit limits. BeGambleAware.org.
For our broader take on data-driven racing analysis, see we built an AI horse racing model.
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