Royal Ascot Day 1 Tips Tuesday 16 June 2026

Brian’s seven selections for the opening day of Royal Ascot 2026. NAP is Bow Echo in the 16:20 St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1). NB is Night in Vegas in the 15:05 Coventry Stakes (Group 2). EW plays are Galileo Dame in the 17:00 Ascot Stakes and Daquiri Bay in the 18:10 Copper Horse.

Two Group 1 races dominate the card (Queen Anne Stakes and King Charles III Stakes) with full ITV coverage across the day.

Time	Race	Selection	Bet Type
14:30	Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1)	More Thunder	Win
15:05	Coventry Stakes (Group 2)	Night in Vegas	NB
15:40	King Charles III Stakes (Group 1)	American Affair	Win
16:20	St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1)	Bow Echo	NAP
17:00	Ascot Stakes (Heritage Handicap)	Galileo Dame	EW
17:35	Wolferton Stakes (Listed)	Persica	Win
18:10	Copper Horse Stakes (Handicap)	Daquiri Bay	EW

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Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG) is available on all UK and Irish horse racing at the major bookmakers — if you take a price and the SP drifts to a bigger one, you’ll be paid out at the bigger price. Royal Ascot is the meeting where BOG delivers the most cumulative value across the week. Read our full Best Odds Guaranteed guide for the bookmakers offering BOG.

For ante-post bettors backing horses ahead of declaration day, the Non-Runner No Bet guide explains how NRNB protects your stakes if your selection doesn’t run.

Royal Ascot Day 1 Preview

Day one of one of the biggest flat racing fixtures in the calendar gets underway on Tuesday at Royal Ascot. The top-tier fixture attracts interest from around the world and two Group One races dominate the first day racecard. Armchair punters can catch all the action on ITV Racing, who are showing the entire racecard.

14:30 Ascot — Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) Cl1 (4yo+) 1m

MORE THUNDER (4/1) may be able to overturn recent Lockinge form with reopposing Notable Speech now he’s had the benefit of a run.

William Haggas’ charge was conceding fitness to the Godolphin runner when finishing second at Newbury last month, but he caught he eye staying on strongly from the rear to snatch the silver medal late on.

It is possible he conceded first run there, but his conqueror that day did have the benefit of a prior run and the effort can be marked up given he can race lazily early on in his races. He’ll strip fitter for that reappearance and he has course form already in the book; while quicker ground won’t present an issue.

Likely to improve, he can gain revenge here.

Selection: More Thunder to win

15:05 Ascot — Coventry Stakes (Group 2) Cl1 (2yo) 6f — NB

NIGHT IN VEGAS (10/1) has looked a potentially smart sort in winning back-to-back here and at Ascot, and while this represents a significant step up in class the Lucky Vega colt can continue his progress to land the hat-trick.

Eve Johnson-Houghton’s charge was a cosy winner of a three-runner race latest, value for more than the official winning margin over Love Is at Goodwood last month. He had won a valuable novices’ race over C&D on his debut previously, which looks fair form and he’s entitled to continue improving.

This is tougher, but he could prove equal to the task, and he can make it 3-3.

Selection: Night in Vegas — Next Best

15:40 Ascot — King Charles III Stakes (Group 1) Cl1 (3yo+) 5f

AMERICAN AFFAIR (9/1) won this twelve months ago, and while Jim Goldie’s charge is still awaiting a first win in the current campaign, the Washington DC gelding can successfully defend.

He progressed markedly last term, winning three from four having started the campaign in a handicap at Musselburgh, and he was entitled to have needed his first run of the season at York in May when down the field behind Elmonjed. That was over six furlongs though, and he’s a much better beast over this minimum trip as he showed when just beaten one length behind reopposing Night Ranger.

Softer ground on that occasion might not have been entirely ideal, but he’ll relish this quicker ground and another big run could be on the card if he can build further on that latest run.

Selection: American Affair to win

16:20 Ascot — St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1) (Colts) Cl1 (3yo) 1m — NAP

BOW ECHO (5/6) is undefeated thus far in his career, latterly taking the scalp of reopposing Gstaad in the 2000 Guineas last month and George Boughey’s star can continue his ascent to the top here.

The Night Of Thunder colt improved with each start last term, culminating in a Group Two win at Newmarket and he showed remarkable improvement from two years to three years to turn in a dominant performance back at Newmarket latest when running out a three-lengths victor of the first colts’ Classic of the season.

That race was run at a pretty strong pace which certainly helped, but he’s not certain to get quite the same pace here. However, he was very much the best horse on the day at Newmarket last month, and he can confirm the form here.

Selection: Bow Echo — NAP

17:00 Ascot — Ascot Stakes (Heritage Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) Cl2 (4yo+ 0-100) 2m4f — EW

GALILEO DAME (EW) 14/1 is only 1lb higher here than when finishing fourth in the Chester Cup last month, and Joseph O’Brien’s charge is given another chance.

The Galileo Gold mare had been beate bu reopposing Mordor at Navan the time before in heavy ground, but she can turn the tables with that one now on this better ground and with a pull at the weights.

She had won over hurdles at Navan back in February, and she could still prove well handicapped on her hurdles form despite the handicapper pushing her up 1lb. Plus, she’s unexposed over extreme trips on the flat, and she could post a big run here in what is a hugely competitive handicap.

Selection: Galileo Dame — Each-Way

17:35 Ascot — Wolferton Stakes (Listed Race) Cl1 (4yo+) 1m2f

PERSICA (20/1) is quickly turned out eleven days on from his exploits at Epsom in the Group Three Diomed Stakes where Richard Hannon’s charge lost out on the nod; but dropping into Listed company could see the New Bay gelding go one better assuming this doesn’t come too soon.

He had finished fourth at Newmarket the time before in the Earl Of Sefton and although most of his recent runs have been at around one mile-nine furlongs, he does have a decent winning record over this longer trip.

Softer ground would help his cause as most of his winning form has come on slower conditions than this, but he is a largely consistent sort who should remain competitive if the quick turnaround from his last race doesn’t catch him out.

Selection: Persica to win

18:10 Ascot — Copper Horse Stakes (Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) Cl2 (4yo+ 0-100) 1m6f — EW

DAQUIRI BAY (EW) 7/1 has proven himself versatile over trip, winning last term over ten furlongs and producing a string of efforts in the frame, including over this distance at York; he rounded off last campaign with a close third over twelve furlongs at Newmarket behind Yabher.

Alan King’s charge made a winning reappearance back at Newmarket latest, beating reopposing Gamrai by one length, and there could be better still to come given he should come on considerably for that debut.

He has been pushed up 4lbs for the victory, meaning he has to concede weight this time to the Gosden rival, although he did appear to win with something in hand and the New Bay gelding can confirm that form here.

Selection: Daquiri Bay — Each-Way

Royal Ascot Day 1 Selections Summary

Time	Race	Selection	Bet Type	Trainer
14:30	Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1)	More Thunder	Win	William Haggas
15:05	Coventry Stakes (Group 2)	Night in Vegas	NB	Eve Johnson-Houghton
15:40	King Charles III Stakes (Group 1)	American Affair	Win	Jim Goldie
16:20	St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1)	Bow Echo	NAP	George Boughey
17:00	Ascot Stakes (Heritage Handicap)	Galileo Dame	EW	Joseph O’Brien
17:35	Wolferton Stakes (Listed)	Persica	Win	Richard Hannon
18:10	Copper Horse Stakes (Handicap)	Daquiri Bay	EW	Alan King

Royal Ascot Day 1 ITV Schedule — Tuesday 16 June 2026

ITV Racing covers the entire seven-race Day 1 card from approximately 1:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX. Royal Ascot draws international viewership and the BBC Radio 5 Live commentary team is also broadcasting from the course throughout the meeting.

Tuesday 16 June 2026 — full Royal Ascot Day 1 card on ITV:

14:30 — Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1, 1m, 4yo+)
15:05 — Coventry Stakes (Group 2, 6f, 2yo)
15:40 — King Charles III Stakes (Group 1, 5f, 3yo+)
16:20 — St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1, 1m, 3yo Colts)
17:00 — Ascot Stakes (Heritage Handicap, 2m4f, 4yo+)
17:35 — Wolferton Stakes (Listed, 1m2f, 4yo+)
18:10 — Copper Horse Stakes (Handicap, 1m6f, 4yo+)

Best Odds Guaranteed for Royal Ascot

Royal Ascot is the single most important week of the year to have an account with a bookmaker offering Best Odds Guaranteed. With seven races a day across five days, taking morning prices can deliver meaningful additional returns when SPs drift through the day.

If you take a price on any of Henry’s selections this morning and the starting price drifts to a bigger one, BOG bookmakers pay you out at the bigger price. Across 35 Royal Ascot races and seven Henry selections today alone, that adds up significantly.

For the full list of bookmakers offering BOG and how the promotion works at Royal Ascot specifically, see our Best Odds Guaranteed guide.

Royal Ascot Day 1 Non-Runner No Bet

Non-Runner No Bet (NRNB) is available on Royal Ascot races at most major UK bookmakers, particularly on the Group races where ante-post markets opened weeks ago. If you backed a horse ante-post and it doesn’t make the final declarations, NRNB protects your stake.

For Royal Ascot specifically, NRNB typically applies to selected Group 1 and Group 2 races with the heaviest ante-post action — the Queen Anne, King Charles III, and St James’s Palace Stakes on Day 1 all qualify at most bookmakers. Read our Non-Runner No Bet guide for full details on which bookmakers offer NRNB on which races.