THE fifth and final day of Royal Ascot is upon us. On the back of what has been a Royal Ascot to remember both on and off the track, day five shows no sign of bucking the trend.
Today, we see more international runners take to the Royal Ascot turf, with contenders from Japan, Australia, and the USA all taking their chances.
For the final time this year, let’s take a deeper look into the final day of Royal Ascot 2026.
🏇 Royal Ascot day five tips
*Odds are subject to change
Horse play
Best horse racing betting sites in the UK (2026)
TOP ODDS
Best odds guaranteed betting sites in the UK (June 2026)
Royal Ascot 2:30 – Group 2 Norfolk Stakes (Class 1) (2yo) – 5f
Aidan O’Brien took last season’s running of this with Charles Darwin, and this season he looks to have just as strong a contender in the shape of CARRY THE FLAG.
This No Nay Never colt made hard work of breaking his duck at the second time of asking at Naas last month, but that form looks a fair standard in hindsight through the runner-up, Jattvibe Goddess.
Furthermore, his runner-up finish on his next start received a massive boost when the winner, Great Barrier Reef (who has since won the Coventry Stakes here on Tuesday), only got the better of him in the dying strides.
That form is the best on show, and with the drop back to a stiff five furlongs looking sure to suit, Carry The Flag can make it back-to-back wins for his record-breaking trainer. Of the rest, Where Is The Love, Social Symbol, and Flight Signal are all worth noting.
Selection: Carry The Flag (9/4)
Danger: Flight Signal (6/1)
➡️ Bet on CARRY THE FLAG for the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at 9/4 with bet365
Royal Ascot 3:05 – Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes (Class 1) (4yo+) – 1m4f
The classy Kalpana looks the one to beat here on recent form. She chased home Calandagan in last season’s King George, where Jan Brueghel was back in fourth. She followed a series of top-level runs with a second successive win in the Group 1 Fillies & Mares Stakes over course and distance in October.
Having warmed up for this with a cosy win at Newbury last month, this Andrew Balding-trained mare could prove hard to beat.
However, somewhat of a forgotten horse has started to show signs of the form that saw him bolt up in the 2024 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and that’s French raider GOLIATH. The form of his win couldn’t look any better, as he easily saw off future Arc winner Bluestocking and Rebel’s Romance.
The French maestro Francis-Henri Graffard, who has already tasted Royal Ascot success this week, has primed his charge for this race with an easy win at Group 2 level at Chantilly last month.
Goliath arrives at a track where he has already twice shown that he thrives. If he can get back to his 2024 form, there is every reason to believe he will be too good for his opposition today.
At bigger odds, Ethical Diamond, who won the Duke Of Edinburgh over course and distance last year as well as the Breeders’ Cup Turf, cannot be ruled out of a big run for Willie Mullins.
Selection: Goliath (6/1)
Danger: Kalpana (9/4)
➡️ Bet on GOLIATH for the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at 6/1 with Betway
Royal Ascot 3:40 – Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (Class 1) (4yo+) – 6f
All eyes will be on Australian sprinter Joliestar and Japanese speedster SATONO REVE, who ran a cracker in this race last year to finish second. The latter comes in here in search of a four-timer. He has form on all sorts of ground conditions, so the underfoot state will hold no fear for this rapid sprinter.
However, as we saw with Black Caviar, Ascot is nothing like what Joliestar will have encountered back in Australia. With that said, the Aussie raider is given the utmost respect, but given her current skinny odds, the Japanese runner looks far better value.
The Noriyuki Hori-trained seven-year-old has been chasing home sprint superstar Ka Ying Rising in his home country, and he is sure to find this a lot easier than trying to get the better of the best sprinter on earth.
With proven course form already under his belt and Ryan Moore taking over in the saddle, Satono Reve has everything in the locker to go one place better than he did last season.
If you are looking for an each-way alternative, Lake Forest and Flora Of Bermuda can run into a place.
Selection: Satono Reve (4/1)
Danger: Joliestar (15/8)
➡️ Bet on SATONO REVE for the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at 4/1 with bet365
Royal Ascot 4:20 – Group 3 Jersey Stakes (Class 1) (3yo) – 7f
In a field where most have already shown their hand, it can pay to look at the top of the market here with the unbeaten SABER STRIKE.
Having won his only start as a two-year-old, Saber Strike was thrown into Listed level for his first start as a three-year-old.
Despite the horse being slow away and last of the six runners, Tom Marquand didn’t panic; he let his mount find his feet and then made his move one furlong out. He took the lead inside the final furlong and put daylight between himself and his rivals in the style of a colt going places.
By Night Of Thunder, Saber Strike won’t mind if this turns into a stamina test, and with continued progress, this exciting colt could take all the beating. The Prettiest Star and Catullus, who was an impressive winner of a handicap last time out, could prove to be the main dangers.
Selection: Saber Strike (2/1)
Danger: Catullus (12/1)
➡️ Bet on SABER STRIKE for the Group 3 Jersey Stakes at 2/1 with BetMGM
Royal Ascot 5:00 – Wokingham Stakes (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (3yo+ 0-110) – 6f
Another fiercely competitive Royal Ascot handicap to solve, and given the clear draw bias over the week, double-figure draws are the wise place to start.
Binhareer was raised 10 lbs for his impressive Sprint Trophy win at York last season and returned to the scene of his biggest win last month with another improved performance to finish runner-up.
He has been hit with another 5 lbs rise for that run, but given how progressive he is, it may not be enough to keep him out of the frame today. But in a maximum field of 28 lining up, I’m going to look elsewhere.
Sondad would be of interest if he weren’t drawn on the wrong side, but if for some reason low numbers suddenly become the place to be, then this course-and-distance winner has a role to play in the finish. However, the draw bias has been massive this week, and drawn in stall 13, TEN POUNDS looks set to have the ideal setup.
Having finished third in last year’s renewal of this race, Ten Pounds has since moved stables and is now in the care of Joey Ramsden.
Even though he has failed to get off the mark for his new stable, this son of Ten Sovereigns showed signs of a return to peak form with a near miss over five furlongs at Carlisle last time out. Should he take another step forward from that run, Ten Pounds has every chance of going two places better off the same mark today.
Selection: Ten Pounds (11/1 e/w)
Danger: Binhareer (7/2)
➡️ Bet on TEN POUNDS for the Wokingham Stakes at 11/1 with bet365
Royal Ascot 5:35 – Golden Gates Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) (3yo 0-105) – 1m2f
The two Wathnan Racing runners may well have to fight this out between them. The pair met last time out, where Lost Boys got the better of SAHARA KING in a heads-up, heads-down finish.
Lost Boys was purchased by Wathnan Racing after getting the better of Sahara King, but now with cheekpieces on for the first time, Sahara King may be able to gain revenge today.
Evanesco had Sahara King over three lengths behind him when making all at Newmarket, but there was a huge pace bias that day. However, given the dominance of that win, the Charlie Johnston-trained colt is entitled to be bang there fighting it out in the finish.
The rapidly improving Perisher and reserve Wild Thoughts are others to consider.
Selection: Sahara King (5/1)
Danger: Lost Boys (10/3)
➡️ Bet on SAHARA KING for the Golden Gates Stakes at 5/1 with Betfred
Royal Ascot 6:10 – Queen Alexandra Stakes (Conditions Race) (GBB Plus Race) (Class 2) (4yo+) – 2m6f
The final race of Royal Ascot 2026 arrives, and it features many people’s idea of the banker of the entire meeting in the shape of LE DESTRIER.
A former Listed winner on the flat in Poland as a four-year-old before having nearly two years off, this son of Le Havre showed clear signs that he retains his ability when finishing third to now-Gold Cup winner Scandinavia on his first start for Willie Mullins.
This would have clearly been the plan for Le Destrier, and with Willie Mullins having won this race five times in the past, he clearly knows what type of horse is needed to win such a stamina-sapping race.
Should he come forward for his stable debut, it’s easy to see Le Destrier adding yet another win in this race for the master of Closutton. Illinois is the obvious danger to the selection now that he isn’t being used as a pacemaker, and A Piece Of Heaven can go well for Joseph O’Brien, who is having a Royal Ascot to remember.
Selection: Le Destrier (2/1)
Danger: A Piece Of Heaven (7/1)
➡️ Bet on Le Destrier for the Queen Alexandra Stakes at 2/1 with bet365
Read more of our 2026 World Cup betting coverage
About the author
Craig Mahood
Craig Mahood is an expert in sports betting and online casinos and has worked with the company since 2020. He joined the Betting & Gaming team at The Jattvibe in June 2022 and works closely with the leading bookmakers and online gaming companies to provide content on all areas of sports betting and gaming. He previously worked as a Digital Sports Reporter at the Scottish Jattvibe, covering Scottish football with particular focus on Celtic and Rangers, As well as football, he has covered horse racing, boxing, darts, the Olympics and tennis for the Jattvibe.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chase their losses
Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
Gamcare – gamcare.org.uk
Read our guide on responsible gambling practices.
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
