Royal Ascot’s Gold Cup Can Fall to a French Fancy
The Gold Cup headlines Day 3 of Royal Ascot, where history suggests punters should follow the four-year-olds.
Who will cross Royal Ascot’s line ahead in the famous Gold Cup at 4.20 pm? © Getty Images
Key Facts:
- Royal Ascot’s showstopping Gold Cup takes place today.
- Gosden and O’Brien seek to improve their exceptional record in the famous marathon.
- French challenger and Group 1 winner Candelari can grab gold.
The two-mile four-furlong Group 1 Gold Cup headlines day 3 of Royal Ascot. The Gosden and O’Brien stables have claimed this prize in seven of the past nine seasons. This year, they are responsible for Trawlerman and Illinois, horses that occupy the top two places in the betting.
A pair of Group 2s and a Group 3 contest are also on Thursday’s card. Three bookies’ benevolent races – better known as big-field handicaps – pepper proceedings and will surely give Placepot backers some added headaches.
The Placepot on Day 1 of the Royal Ascot meeting paid a whopping £2,767. It was a remarkable dividend, considering four favourites were placed among the nominated six races. One hundred runners across Thursday’s first six races mean there is potential for an even bigger return.
First Legion Can Battle to Norfolk Victory
A lacklustre performance from Charles Darwin in the opening five-furlong Norfolk Stakes will serve to decimate the Placepot pool at the first flight. This Aidan O’Brien-trained youngster has made all the running in his last two starts. It is a tactic he may struggle to replicate in this 16-runner contest.
With a winner on Monday and a winner and second on Royal Ascot’s opening day, the Richard Hannon stable is clearly in fine fettle. Consequently, despite the dismissive 14 /1 odds offered by the UK’s best betting sites, the trainer’s First Legion is fancied to run a big race in the 2.30 pm contest.
This youngster won well on his York debut and then finished runner-up in the National Stakes at Sandown. Several horses may have potential, but First Legion’s proven form is amongst the best on display.
French Fancy in Gold Cup
The fabled Gold Cup (4.20 pm) regularly produces repeat and back-to-back winners. In the early 2000s, Yeats won the contest four times. Stradivarius landed the marathon race in 2018, 2019 and 2020, and the reigning champion, Kyprios, also took the title in 2022. His recent retirement means there will be a new winner on Thursday.
Historical results show that when repeat winners are taken out of the equation, all but one winner since 2011 was aged four. Big race favourite Illinois is a four-year-old, as is the lightly-raced French challenger, Candelari.
The remainder of the field is five or older.
Candelari wins a first Group One in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier! 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/uyGWhr0mCj
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 25, 2025
Between the two, as a Group 1 winner on his most recent start – when drawing clear of his rivals in the closing stages of a two-mile contest – Candelari appears the better bet at a bigger price. French challengers always perform well at Royal Ascot, meaning the 7/2 offered by online gambling sites represents a fair bet.
Detain Can Capture the Hampton Court
The betting order in the 5.35 pm, the Hampton Court Stakes, is confusing. Trinity College (the horse not the famous Dublin landmark!) is the marginal favourite on 3/1 odds. Detain, trained by the in-form Gosden stable, is offered on 7/2 odds.
When these horses met in the French Derby, Detain (6.6/1 on the French tote) fared best by finishing third. Trinity College was one place behind, outperforming his 24/1 odds.
With fewer miles on his clock – six previous starts as opposed to eight – Detain has the potential for the most improvement, and unlike Trinity College, he also has previous form at Group 1 level. This suggests his father/son trainers have always held him in high regard.
Of course, there are 14 other runners in the contest to consider. However, on official ratings, this duo is head and shoulders above their rivals, taking almost fifty per cent of the bookmakers’ books.
Recommended Bets
- First Legion (2.35 pm)
- Candelari (4.20 pm)
- Detain (5.35 pm)
