Every year, the long-awaited moment arrives. Time to break out the fluffy loungewear, boil the kettle and crack open the Tim Tams, because in the chilly depths of a winter's night there is nothing better than tuning in to all the pomp and glory of Royal Ascot!
There it lies on the other side of the world, the fabled racecourse with its undulating wide ribbon of green, upon which great horses of the present - and the future - are soon to run.
It’s fun to watch crowds of people dressed to the nines, swilling champagne and gambolling around in the English sunshine, wearing silly hats and thoroughly enjoying themselves.
It’s always entertaining to look on as the King and Queen and their guests proceed in stately fashion along the turf before the iconic Ascot grandstand, ensconced in their fairytale carriages drawn by the famous Windsor greys.
Of course it's pompous, it's hopelessly old fashioned and it's completely over the top, but that’s exactly why we love to watch the splendour of this uniquely British spectacle each year.
I particularly love that bookmakers run markets on what colour which Royal personage will be wearing each day, it's such a gloriously silly way to lose money!
But for all the fun and games, Royal Ascot is truly the Festival of the Horse!
Even before we get to admiring (and betting on) the endless parade of exquisite Thoroughbreds and marvelling at their deeds on the track, it's a chance to celebrate the Royal equines at work. The noble Windsor greys are old hands at the celebrity gig.
You can tell they thoroughly enjoy their Ascot outing, festooned to the eyeballs in gleaming hardware as they proceed majestically before the huge and buzzing crowd.
Each day about a million phones are held high to record their progress and the atmosphere crackles with excitement, but the aristocratic greys remain at all times impeccable and imperturbable.
The sight of so many good-humoured people is always heart warming. Everyone is smiling and happy and waving.
Expectation fills the air and all the woes of the world can, for a little while at least, be forgotten.
As always it's over too quickly!
In the closing stages of this five-day celebration of all things equine, we come to the great race named in honour of, and forever associated with the late Queen Elizabeth II.
First established back in 1868 and run over the straight six furlongs, the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes is the jewel in the crown on Royal Ascot's final day.
The inaugural winner of this race, for many years known as the Cork and Orrery or the All Aged Stakes, was Laneret - a chestnut stallion by the great progenitor Newminster, who had won the GB St Leger!
Laneret's female line would in time also become that of the “The Mighty Atom” - the 15.2hh American sire War Admiral, whose ancestress Woodcraft was Lanaret's half sister.
When the diminutive powerhouse War Admiral met the great American Blue Hen La Troienne, a breedshaping nick emerged!
The influential colonial sire Fisherman, a dual Ascot Gold Cup winner sent to Australia in 1860, was a contemporary and relative of Laneret.
Originally a G3 race but upgraded to a G2 in 1998 and then upgraded again in 2002 to a G1, this WFA event has become one of the world's most prestigious and glamorous sprint races.
In 2023 the race was given its present title, to honour the memory of the Queen and retain the connection with her three Jubilees (Gold, Diamond and Platinum) celebrated since 2002.
It became part of the Global Sprint Challenge series inaugurated in 2005.
The roll call of past winners boasts some great names!
There have been a number of dual winners and one triple winner (Prince Charlie in 1872/73/74)
Twice triumphant in the early years were Whitefriar, Lowlander, Hornet's Beauty and Hamlet. Lester Piggott rode Right Boy to claim dual editions of the race in 1958/59.
There followed a long, long drought until the remarkable Khaadem saluted in 2023/24 and the old boy is lining up again this year.
During the desolate war years 1915 - 1918 and 1940 - 1945 the Royal Ascot meeting was not held, and the 1964 race was abandoned due to a waterlogged track.
We see many names familiar to us in pedigrees today among the earlier winners, going all the way back to Grey Leg in 1895. He attained immortality through his daughter Barrier, the grand dam of breedshaping sire Prince Rose (sire of Princequillo)
Prince Rose survived a kidnapping attempt, only to meet a tragic end in France in 1944 when, despite all efforts to move him to safety, he refused to leave his stable which was subsequently bombed.
The great filly Diadem won the Coventry Stakes at two, the 1,000 Guineas at three and matured to become the champion sprinter of her generation. The race named in her honour is now the G1 British Champions Sprint Stakes.
Diadem's three quarter brother Diophon had a great influence down under - he sired the grand dam of the famous full brothers Todman, Noholme, Faringdon and Shifnal, by Star Kingdom and was also carried by “ the Star Kingdom of NZ,” Pakistan.
Diomedes, Royal Minstrel, Pherozshah, Honeyway, Solonaway, Bob Cherry, Matador, Tin Whistle, Royal Serenade, Welsh Saint, Thatching and Big Shuffle all made their mark at stud in both hemispheres and many of Australasia’s finest thoroughbreds have had pedigrees enriched with their blood.
Then we get to the first real king of hemisphere-hopping!
The legendary Danehill won the 1989 Cork and Orrery Stakes - little did anyone realise at the time what an indelible stamp this great horse would put on the breed, particularly down under!
This was the race first targeted by Aussie raiders to Royal Ascot, playing to our strengths!
It was a thrilling and historic moment when the hulking chestnut form of the mighty Choisir barrelled down the Ascot straight to glory in 2003.
Following him came the flying Starspangledbanner in 2010, and then in 2012 our Queen - the queen of the Australian turf, Black Caviar.
The nation's fingernails were collectively bitten off as we watched the great mare, well below her best, pulling out an extreme effort to win against the odds.
On the face of it, it was her least impressive win - but in reality it was her best and bravest.
Who will ever forget the sight of our loveable larrikin Moods as he forged through the hectic post-race congratulations to grab hold of an exhausted Nelly. The mare stood obediently as she was introduced to the admiring monarch, but in that moment they were both “the real deal.”
Merchant Navy was the last Aussie-bred galloper to fly the flag in 2018, sweet revenge after an unlucky passage the year before.
The Americans had emerged victorious in 2015 with Undrafted, who fought off our own Brazen Beau.
Godolphin’s Blue Point in 2019 became the first horse since Choisir to do the coveted Royal Ascot King's Stand / Jubilee double, and the following year the now Cambridge Stud owned Hello Youmzain rode the speed all the way to score a brilliant win.
It was the turn of France to reign supreme with Lazzat's all the way win last year, franking the Aussie Golden Eagle form. This year in the absence of Lazzat, the horse who beat him in Sydney, Lake Forest will try to prove that formline is golden once more.
The 2025 runner up, Japan’s powerhouse Satono Reve is back, and the now 7yo stallion brings the Ka Ying Rising formline. I'm not entirely convinced he is going quite as well as he was twelve months ago, but a second to the fastest horse on the planet will always be compelling.
Part of the unique appeal of Royal Ascot is the enormous fields assembled for many of the races - they create such an unforgettable sight.
If that doesn’t get your heart racing you haven’t got a pulse!
The testing course demands a horse with great reserves of courage and that inner well of stamina all the great sprinters possess.
Overpass was so bold and brave in the King Charles III, he really did us proud. While this distance rise is in his favour, the son of Vancouver has always been just a little bit suss ( by his lofty standards) when second up - and I don't know if the quick back up is going to be his thing.
I am loathe to leave him out but feel I must, would be rapt to see the big boy prove me wrong and get into the finish!
Top pick JOLIESTAR
Our girl takes on the best in Europe, and the best from Japan - and she has both the form and the pedigree to win.
By all accounts, Chris Waller's five time G1 winning supermare travelled well, has settled in beautifully and looks “in awesome condition.” Music to our ears!
On Saturday, Joliestar will attempt to become - not the third Aussie-bred, but the third Australian-trained galloper to win this great race, following in the hoofsteps of Choisir and Black Caviar.
The five year old daughter of Zoustar will be flying two flags - the Kiwis are just as invested as we are! Joliestar is owned by Sir Brendan and Lady Jo Lindsay of Cambridge Stud, who purchased her for $950,000 as an Inglis Easter yearling from the draft of Segenhoe Stud.
How fantastic it will be to see those famous gold and black checked silks flying in front of the Ascot stands, carried by many great horses to great victories - this would be one for the ages. The Lindsays will be there to savour the moment, and hopefully - the glory.
Race favourite Joliestar is unbeaten in her three starts in 2026, two of them at G1 level and is racing better than she ever has. Overpass was more than two lengths behind her when fourth in the TJ Smith ( Jimmysstar beside him) and made that formline look good with his brave front-running effort to finish a half length third in the G1 King Charles on opening day.
The family of Joliestar is littered in black type. She descends from the Kentucky Oaks placed Galaday, ancestress of the influential broodmare sire Never Say Die and dam of champion GB filly Galatea II who in turn became the ancestress of the great Aussie speedster Zeditave.
This is a North American line (Sunstep) from legendary matriarch Chelandry, and it's a family extremely prominent in Zoustar's third dam Meteor Mist, who has loads of lines to it.
Zoustar's other champion fillies Zougotcha and Sunlight were also bred from mares with strong representation of this blood, but neither of them were from the family itself, or intensively linebred to it like Joliestar's dam Jolie Bay.
The G2 winning Jolie Bay (Fastnet Rock) is a full sister to G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes / Royal Ascot Diamond Jubilee Stakes champion Merchant Navy (sire of 2023 G1 Goodwood winning mare Royal Merchant) and to the stakes producing mare Zara Bay (dam of G2 Premiere stakes winner Airman)
Joliestar is the standout progeny of her dam, who has also produced the G2 placed speedster God Of Thunder and G3 placed Emperor - all her six foals to race have won.
Jolie Bay's filly by Anamoe was purchased by the Lindsays for $470,000 from Segenhoe at this year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale.
Her latest foal is a Zoustar colt and the mare has been served by Darley's champion Dubawi son Too Darn Hot.
Jolie Bay is from the G2 Sweet Embrace winner Legally Bay (Snippets) - a Blue Hen and daughter of Decidity (Last Tycoon) who also foaled her stakes producing full sisters Bayrock and Zara Bay and half sister Maroon Bay ( Exceed And Excel).
Legally Bay was a half sister to G1 Myer Classic heroine and 4 x Group winner Bonaria, by Zoustar's damsire Redoute's Choice, and to elite producer Chatoyant ( Flying Spur) - dam of three stakes winners including G1 sprinter and young sire Paulele, and G3 winning daughter Montsegur, a multiple black type producer.
Their dam was the winning Last Tycoon daughter Decidity, a half sister to G2 winner Classy Fella and one of just three foals from Class, a daughter of the great broodmare sire Twig Moss.
This damline goes back to the stakes winner Gypsy Moss through her daughter Pirouette (Planet Kingdom) - her full siblings were G1 QLD Derby hero Our Planet, G2 sprinter Gypsy Kingdom and Queen Gypsy (dam of Rosehill Guineas / AJC Derby hero Innocent King)
Her half sister Ideal Image was dam of G1 Doomben 10,000 winning sprinter Ideal Planet.
This is also the immediate family of G1 Flight Stakes winner Unearthly (Zabeel)
Joliestar is bred
Northern Dancer 5m x 5m
Danehill 4m x 3m
Her fourth dam and Fastnet Rock's third dam are daughters of the aforementioned broodmare sire supreme, Twig Moss. She is also sex balanced to his grandsire Klairon through Encosta de Lago - and to Nijinsky, Mr Prospector, Lunchtime, Forli and Sir Ivor. Her pedigree brings together the three amigos and related sires Danzig, Bletchingly and Rockefella.
Mostly though, her whole pedigree is an exercise in linebreeding to elite mares - Natalma, Rough Shod, Selene, Chelandry and of course - Best In Show.
J Mac is among the world's greatest saddle sitters and is already a Royal Ascot winner this week. James and Jolie have drawn gate 9, not a disadvantage over this course.
Go the Aussies!
Next Best: FLORA OF BERMUDA
This beautiful grey/roan daughter of Dark Angel was third last year and is three times G1 placed.
Now five, she made her seasonal debut for trainer Andrew Balding and owners Wathnan Racing with an impressive win at Newmarket.
Balding insists the mare is “ still progressing” career-wise and I believe him because that’s what a lot of the Dark Angels do as they age
She’s got form around Kind Of Blue, Inisherin and last year’s winner Lazzat.
Flora Of Bermuda was snapped up by Wathnam Racing - who also own and race Kind Of Blue and Lazzat - just prior to last year’s Royal Ascot, and performed brilliantly.
I think she can run a mighty race at good odds again!
Flora Of Bermuda is out of Dubai Power, a daughter of the specialist sprinter, champion sire and broodmare sire Cadeaux Genereux, the best tail male source of legendary speedster Tudor Minstrel.
He is also the damsire of stallion Harry Angel who we know well in Australia - Flora is bred on the same cross as Harry.
Hers is a filly favouring family - Flora’s dam also produced stakes placed Power Of Light who foaled G1 placed, G2 winning filly Powerful Breeze to Iffraaj.
Third dam is the flying G3 winning sprinter Flowing by El Gran Senor, the full brother to Try My Best - tail male line of Dark Angel.
Flora Of Bermuda is outcrossed within five generations.
The most obvious eye catcher for pedigree nerds is her linebreeding to Best In Show via full brothers Try My Best and El Gran Senor.
Her American-bred ancestress Sylvan was a daughter of the great mare Sylvabelle and sired by Disguise.
Sylvan was mated to Sylvabelle's grandson Broomstick to provide a potent double cross of her blood on Flora's damline.
Broomstick's grandson John P Grier is the damsire of Native Dancer so prominent in Dark Angel, and to reinforce this nick Flora's damlines also duplicate Native Dancer's sire Polynesian, Mahmoud, and Blue Hen Royal Rose via her son Pennant, a half brother to the ancestress of both John P Grier and Sweep - so that's truly a turbo- nick for Native Dancer.
At time of writing Flora's jockey isn't settled - James Doyle is listed for both her and Wathnan's entrant Kind Of Blue.
The mare has drawn gate 13, again no disadvantage.
Roughie: KIND OF BLUE
Kind Of Blue was my original pick for this race last year, but was a late withdrawal and overall, had a season where not much went right.
The then four year old, was taken out in 2025 at the 48 hour declaration stage by owners Wathnan Racing, who then claimed the G1 with their French-bred Lazzat!
In autumn 2024, as a three year old, the James Fanshawe trained Kind Of Blue had announced himself as a topline sprinter when he won the G1 British Champions Sprint at Ascot.
The colt was purchased by Wathnan before his maiden G1, having finished runner up in the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup at his previous start.
He made his seasonal debut at York with a good second, the winner of the race isn't here - but quite a few of his QEII Jubilee Stakes rivals were behind him.
Here's why I like this five year old entire - he comes from a late maturing family and they also happen to be Ascot specialists!
His sire Blue Point also peaked as an older horse, winning his first G1 in the old King's Stand Stakes at four and repeating the dose the following year before becoming the first horse since Choisir to take the King's Stand / QE II Jubilee Stakes ( he won the Diamond edition by a head) Two days later the son of Shamardal was retired to stud, as the only horse in history to win three G1 Royal Ascot sprints.
As a Darley shuttle sire Blue Point has met with more success in the NH than down under, with two of his three G1 winners coming at Ascot and the other in the USA ( but 4 x a stakes winner in GB)
He has not sired a G1 winner in Australia, though his best Bosustow, is G1 placed in Australia and NZ and has earned more than $2.3 million to date.
The stallion has sired numerous very good stakes gallopers in Oz but that big horse to put his name in lights has - so far at least - eluded him.
Blue Point's speedy daughter Rayevka ran second in the G1 King Charles III on Royal Ascot opening day 2026.
Notably, Kind Of Blue did not race at two years. His unraced dam Blues Sister by the great speedsire Compton Place is a grand daughter of the fine producer Persario ( Bishop Of Cashel) - dam of champion sprinter The Tin Man by Equiano ( won the G1 British Champions Sprint at four, won this race at five and was still placing in G1 races at seven); Deacon Blues ( full sister to Persario, also won the G1 British Champions Sprint and was a multiple G2/3 winner including at Royal Ascot) plus a daughter who won her first stakes races at five years of age.
All the above were bred and raced by Kind Of Blue's breeders and original owners Michelle Morris and Jan and Peter Hopper, and were trained by James Fanshawe.
Persario was a half sister to the talented G1 placed sprinter Warningford and their grand dam was the Irish Cornelscourt Stakes placegetter Grace Poole by Sallust.
This family has an Aussie connection! It is a branch of 5-j descending from the Irish Oaks placed, Marcel Boussac bred Marsyaka who arrived in Australia in 1967. This regally bred mare was out of Nokka, a full sister to the immortal Djebel and the only filly from her dam Loika.
Marsyaka became ancestress of the good sire Gulf Pearl. Her Australian bred daughter La Savona ( Orgoglio) founded a family which is still producing winners, mostly in Western Australia.
Kind Of Blue is outcrossed within five generations
He is linebred to Blue Hen Bleebok through Roberto ( twice) and Delta Judge by Traffic Judge - his son Swing Easy is the damsire of Indian Ridge.
Traffic Judge is sex balanced by his Blue Hen Best In Show.
Blue Point descends from a daughter of Colombo and his fifth dam Blue Nose is bred 5f x 4f to that 2,000 Guineas winner - as well as being sex balanced 4f x 3m to Bull Dog son Bull Lea, the male line coming via Hill Gail.
Hill Gail is the second damsire of Ballad Rock giving Blue Point a sex balance of this sire.
Blue Nose is a daughter of Windjammer, whose second damsire is Colombo's influential grandson Endeavour by British Empire.
This nicks beautifully with both Kind Of Blue's damsire Compton Place - tail male to Ahonoora who carries the Hill Gail son Martial, and Bishop Of Cashel - he sex balances British Empire, who sired his third dam.
Bull Lea's son Bull Page appears in Storm Bird, Kind Of Blue's tail male line.
Kind Of Blue is linebred to the War Relic son Intent ( sex balanced), Hail To Reason, Red God, Never Bend / Bold Reason and their relative Wolver Hollow, and more.
Blue and top jockey William Buick will go for glory from gate 5!
Blowout: SAYIDAH DARIYAN
I love the pedigree of this four year old mare, who was fourth in the G1 Commonwealth Cup last year. Just in front of her that day was Rayevka who came out and ran a great race in the King Charles III on opening day.
The following start Sayidah Dariyan easily beat Nighteyes at York in the G3 Summer Stakes - that filly had just run fourth at odds of 100-1 in the G1zQE Jubilee Stakes.
Owned by Jaber Abdullah and trained by Richard Hughes, Sayidah Dariyan is a daughter of the Aga Khan's G1 Prix Ganay winning Shamardal son Dariyan. The royally bred stallion was out of G1 winner Daryakana (winner of the Hong Kong Vase, in which her son placed third), herself daughter of G1 winning filly Daryaba.
Dariyan, who died in 2024, was a modest stud success and this mare is his best performer. But with the performance and pedigree that he owned, no surprise if / when he gets his G1 winner. It's interesting also that Dariyan is from the female line of Street Boss and his sire is so closely related to Street Cry.
Sayidah Dariyan is bred
Night Shift 4f x 4m sex balanced
Love this duplication of the great speedsire Night Shift, a close relation of Encosta De Lago, Flying Spur etc and a perennial presence in top sprinting pedigrees!
Sayidah Dariyan’s winning dam Tencaratrubieslace is a daughter of the mighty Pivotal son Siyouni and a full sister to the excellent French sprinter Finsbury Square, a multiple G2/G3 winner who ran fourth here in the G1 King's Stand aged six.
Siyouni's champion St Mark's Basilica already has his first Royal Ascot winner!
As Siyouni is out of a Danehill mare this bodes well for a filly sired by a son of Shamardal.
Siyouni is from family A15 ( Miss Bell) imported into Virginia in 1753, this family is very strong in the further removes of Almahmoud's pedigree again making Shamardal a great match.
Dariyan's damsire the champion Selkirk, brings Nebbiolo by Yellow God, a very good stallion who died young
The greatest son of his grandsire Red God, Blushing Groom, is carried by Shamardal - and Sayidah Dariyan's dam contributes a line of his son Green God ( distantly related to Blushing Groom)
She also carries the sire Holst - who like Storm Cat descends from a daughter of Crimson Satan, and is sex balanced to his sire Spy Song.
Holst also contributes a daughter of Never Bend, sex balancing son Riverman.
Sayidah and Billy Loughnane have drawn gate 19.
