Focus On The Flat: Royal Ascot 2025 – Every Group 1 Previewed

Resident racing expert Adam Smith (@Smido11) is back with a very special edition of his Focus On The Flat column, previewing all eight of the Group 1 races from this week's 2025 Royal Ascot meeting.

Flat racing insight – Royal Ascot 2025 Group 1 previews

Royal Ascot is my favourite week of the year and Royal Ascot Tuesday is my favourite individual day of the year.

A fantastic week where there is something for everyone, from five furlong handicaps to 2m4f Group One. All horses who are good enough for Class Two races and above are catered for in Berkshire in mid June.

Our YouTube channel will of course have all the top racers covered as usual. But in this column, I’m hoping to provide a reasonably quick summary of the eight fantastic Group One affairs to take in place across the week.

Queen Anne Stakes - Tuesday, 2.30pm

I have spent much time talking about the Queen Anne, the opening race of 35 at the Royal meeting.

At first my initial unfulfilled and slightly disappointed feeling after the Lockinge admittedly clouded my ante post punting judgement as I looked elsewhere for a Queen Anne wager – but there is absolutely no doubt that the winner of Royal Ascot curtain raiser is likely to come from the Lockinge. You don’t need me to tell you that.

Yes, Rosallion and Notable Speech may well come on for their run in the Lockinge but they have a fair bit to make up, given that they were two and a half lengths behind the second at Newbury and ultimately their form from last year might not actually be that good. Remember Henry Longfellow? Thought not.

Dancing Gemini has been in career best form so far this year in three starts and may well have hit the front too early at Newbury but I thought that Lead Artist was in command at the line and actually going away.

The stiff mile and quick ground at ascot is sure to play into Lead Artist’s strengths even more and I think he is the best value available out of the top four in the market – some may be inclined to call it each way value.

As viewers of Races Now will know, I have also tipped Diego Velazquez and Sardinian Warrior ante post. The former having not had a prep run ahead of this race is a clear concern. So, if I was having a clean slate now on the Queen Anne, I certainly wouldn’t put you off placing your hard earned on Sardinian Warrior.

He is the new kid on the block in this division, won an official course and distance trial for this race in April and stepped up significantly on that in a Group One in France over a trip that was probably too far last time out.

King Charles III Stakes - Tuesday, 3.40pm

The King Charles III Stakes is the second of a trio of Group Ones on Tuesday and as usual for a big field sprint, it’s pretty wide open.

Asfoora returns from Down Under to defend her crown and Believing, who was forth in this race last year, opposes once again. Believing was my long-term fancy for this race having been incredibly consistent and hitting the bar in four Group Ones last season but a draw in stall one is not ideal and requires Ryan Moore to be at his incredible best.

Believing may still win, but with that draw, she may drift beforehand. Good luck to her.

I’ll be backing Clive Cox’s Jasour each way. Third in the Commonwealth Cup at this meeting last year, unable to get his favoured fast ground in three subsequent starts in 2024, and now expected to improve on his effort at Haydock last time, where a bruised foot hindered his preparation for his seasonal reappearance.

I’ll be tipping him on my Races Now daily tips for sure – check us out on X and YouTube Shorts for those.

St James's Palace Stakes - Tuesday, 4.20pm

A triumphant of 2,000 Guineas winners clash in what could be the race of the opening day the St James’s Palace Stakes.

Ruling Court from Newmarket, Henri Matisse from Longchamp and Field Of Gold from the Curragh. I thought Ruling Court beat Field Of Gold fair and square at Newmarket, while also admitting that Field Of Gold was the recipient of a sub optimal ride.

Field Of Gold was pretty spectacular the next time we saw him in Ireland under a new jockey but part of me does feel that that race somewhat fell in his lap given the lack of pace early which helped him slot in from what looked a tricky draw in stall nine of nine. Plus, a fair few of his rivals either underperformed or proved themselves not as good as we thought they were – see Scorthy Champ, Officer, Expanded.

But there is absolutely no doubt that visually the Juddmonte grey was very good in Ireland and could well be a superstar in the making. He currently shows up as the 5/6 market leader, although bigger on the exchange at time of writing, and if I were a bookmaker, I would happily lay that 5/6 for a few pennies and have Ruling Court and Henri Matisse running for me.

But it won’t be a big wagering race for me as there is that caveat in my mind that we are overanalysing Field Of Gold. He could just simply be the best three year-old miler in Europe.

Prince Of Wales's Stakes - Wednesday, 4.20pm

Wednesday’s feature the Prince of Wales’s Stakes is looking like a fantastic renewal.

All the main protagonists from the Tattersalls Gold Cup in Ireland return for a rematch. Anmmat has been the market mover in recent days and purely on visual evidence of what he did in Ireland on his first start of the season, you can see why.

It’s not often you will see a horse travel into genuine Group One race like he did and you can forgive him for emptying out late on given it was his first run of a potentially long season – even though I certainly do not appreciate horses using Group One races as warm ups for other Group One races.

The worry with Anmaat is that Owen Burrows has concerns over rattling quick ground for his stable star and the weather forecast looks to be very warm all week on the outskirts of London.

Los Angeles has quickly become the stable star at Ballydoyle, and that does take some doing given the talent that resides there. I do think this is a harder race for Los Angeles than the one that he won at the Curragh and I have a slight niggle that he could be found out for raw speed up the short Ascot straight, particularly if Anmaat gets a clear run into his top gear.

One thing is for certain, Los Angeles is a hardy horse that will battle as and when the chips are down. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if a rival was to come centre track to avoid a battle with Ryan Moore’s mount.

We should definitely consider Map Of Stars, who comes over from France in the Wathnan colours. This one also has form behind the Sosie (as does Sardinian Warrior) and connections are confident of a big run.

Another one to note is See The Fire, who was in blistering form at York on her first run of the season and has been supplemented to this race for £70,000. She’s ran well in big races at Ascot before and could be one slightly under the radar against the boys at the top of the market.

Is there a confident selection from me in this race? Not currently.

Ascot Gold Cup – Thursday, 4.20pm

Onto Thursday where the stayers take centre stage and it’s all change as reigning champion Kyprios was retired a few weeks ago.

As usual, the Ballydoyle boys quickly found a substitute runner in Illinois. His form is more than good – 12211 on his last six starts – with the twos in that list coming at the hands of Sosie, Los Angeles and Jan Breughel. Not bad is it?

The question is, can he stay the Gold Cup trip? Given he won his first ever start over one mile one furlong as a two-year-old, bagged a one mile six furlong Group Two at the Royal meeting twelve months ago, was a neck second in last year’s St Leger and won a one mile seven furlong Group Two as a three-year-old, I would think the answer is yes.

And let us not forget, Jan Brueghel would surely have been an option for the Kyprios substitute role, yet connections chose Illinois instead. Even on his first try at the trip, he’s the one to beat.

Away from Illioniois This doesn’t look a great renewal of the Gold Cup with some of the runners already proven that they are not up to winning the division's blue ribbon event and are now approaching old age. The likes of Sweet William (six) Coltrane (eight), Dubai Future (nine) and even Truhan (nine) who is still entered have been round the block more than a few times.

Trawlerman might not have a sexy profile but is the one horse that pushed Kyprios hardest in his career and actually beat him once. Now, Trawlerman might be getting on a bit but as I say has form behind Kyprios, who might may well be the best stayer we’ve seen Yates, including when a length second in this race last year.

His warm up for this was right up with the best form we’ve seen from him.  I think Trawlerman represents very good each-way value here with question marks over the first two in the market staying the trip. Definitely one for each way multiples across the week.

Commonwealth Cup – Friday, 3.05pm

Two Group Ones on Friday – one of which excites me more than the other.

I thought Shadow Of Light ran a fantastic race in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket despite being a questionable stayer at that trip and all roads since that first Saturday in May have pointed to the six furlong race. He’s a pretty short price now but does lend himself to what some might consider banker material.

At much much bigger prices in the Commonwealth Cup, I have my eye on Diablo Rojo for the Amo Racing outfit.

This horse does have the option of running in the Jersey Stakes on Saturday over seven furlongs, so I am waiting for final decs before pulling the puting trigger. Diablo Rojo went into my notebook after his run over course and distance in April which I fell which I felt was a pretty eye-catching second behind proven quality Big Mojo.

He didn’t get the clearest of runs and had to steer around rivals at a key point of the race. That looked the perfect preparation with this race in mind and he’s available at around 33/1 – we’ll find out at final decs on Wednesday.

Coronation Stakes – Friday, 4.20pm

I can’t see a betting angle in the Coronation Stakes on Friday although I will probably end up taking on Zarigana who is currently a short price favourite coming over from France.

At the moment, I’ve got no idea what I’m going to be taking her on with. She’s clearly pretty talented but somewhat of a headcase and doesn’t like to hit the front too soon – plus what about the fast ground?

Jubilee Stakes – Saturday, 3.40pm

The fifth and final day is always my least favourite Group One of the week in the Jubilee Stakes over six furlongs. That’s not to say it won’t be a very good race in prospect but it is a race that often brings in international contenders who’s form of which I’m no expert.

This year that rings true more than ever with Japan’s second best sprinter taking on France’s best sprinter, taking on England’s best sprinter and you can throw into the mix potentially Ireland’s best sprinter (although he’s recently come from Australia).

One thing I will say is last year’s Commonwealth Cup winner Inisherin, who didn’t actually win another race last season away from this meeting, was the winner of one of the strangest races I’ve ever witnessed at York last time, where he looked in trouble on more than one occasion yet ended up winning quite impressively at the line.

That York win may well have been against horses like Knight Raider who didn’t stay the trip. A really strange race to watch and I advise you to watch the replay if you haven’t already.

Adam Smith's best Group 1 bets for Royal Ascot 2025

My NAP of the week? Shadow Of Light but he is a pretty short price.

Best value bet of the week? Trawlerman in the Gold Cup, each way three places.

As usual, we will have it all covered on Races Now with daily tips from SD and myself and a big live YouTube preview show on Monday night at 8pm. See you there!