Royal Ascot 2024: When is it, how to watch on TV and the full racing schedule

Royal Ascot is a meeting unlike any other. Photo: PA/David Davies

Royal Ascot is the jewel in the British racing crown. , with five days of racing combined with the glitz, glamor and royal patronage that other meetings can only dream of.

In recognition of the King's ongoing support of horse racing and this meeting in particular, King's Stand The Stakes (held on the first day of the meeting) were renamed the King Charles III Stakes. 

Last year, the king attended every day of the meeting and is likely to do so again this year, leading the Royal Procession, the traditional opening ceremony of each day of the meeting.

This year's meeting will feature a total prize fund exceeding £10 million for the first time, with all eight Group 1 races worth a minimum of £650,000. 

The schedule for some races at Ascot has been changed to accommodate high-profile Euro 2024 football matches. 

When will Royal Ascot be held?

This year's meeting will take place over five days from 18 to 22 June at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire. The first race of each meeting day will take place at 14:30, and the last race at 18:15.

How to watch it in the UK?

Every race of the meeting will be broadcast live on ITV1, as well as on Sky Sports Racing for subscribers.

How to watch it in the US?

With the help of experienced racing presenter Nick Luck, NBC's Peacock streaming service will provide full coverage of the meeting, as will the betting-focused channel FanDuelTV.

Which of the King's Horses are Running?

The King and Queen currently have three. the horses entered through the meeting. Treasure (Ribblesdale Stakes), High Order (King Edward VII Stakes) and Hero of the Desert (Hardwick Stakes) are in the running to take their place at the meeting. This number could increase further once entries for the disabled competition are confirmed.

Last year at the King and Queen meet there was a memorable winner when the aforementioned Hero of the Desert raced home to win King George V's stakes.

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Ascot has changed its race times and running order to accommodate television coverage of the European Football Championship.

The Royal Meeting begins a week later on Tuesday and coverage will switch between ITV1 and ITV4, although all Group One races will be shown on the main channel and the fourth race will be on the card, which will be moved up five minutes to 4:25 p.m. from 4:20 p.m. the next five races. -minute play for races five, six and seven.

For example, on Thursday 20 June ITV1 will show Slovenia v Serbia from 2pm, followed later in the evening by Spain v Italy at 8pm. It will broadcast the Gold Cup on ITV 1 at 4.25pm ​​before England kick off their group stage match with Denmark in Frankfurt at 5pm (a game shown on BBC1).

‌Friday's Coronation Stakes and B Saturday's Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes will be run as the third race rather than the fourth.

An Ascot spokesman said: «We have worked with our broadcast partners to make several changes to the running order and timing to maximize attention for our Group 1 racing, with the European Championships also taking place in June.

«We We will show all the games on screens around the territory in all enclosures, which we hope will add interest to all those present.”

In 2019, with six races a day at Royal Ascot, ITV covered all six races on one channel or another. When the number of races increased to seven on a 'temporary' basis to make up for lost opportunities to race during Covid in 2020, ITV still only covered six races, but in 2021, with an extra race each day becoming a permanent addition, ITV began covering all seven races a year. day, making them available on terrestrial television.

This is not the first time that racing has changed the timing of football races. Last year the Derby was run early, at 1.30pm, to avoid a clash with the FA Cup.

Royal Ascot Race Schedule, Tuesday 18 June

• Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) – 2.30pm< /strong>
• Coventry Stakes (Group 2) – 3.05pm
• King Charles III Stakes (Group 1) – 3.45pm< /strong>
• St James's Palace Stakes (Group 1) – 4.25pm
• Ascot Stakes (Handicap) – 5.05pm >
• Wolferton Stakes (Listed) – 5.40pm
• Copper Horse Stakes (Handicap) — 6.15pm