GG Copybet Takeover 728x90

    Home / Ascot Tips 2025 / Royal Ascot Day 3 Tips

    Royal Ascot Day 3 Tips

    Tom Aldridge

    Royal Ascot 2025 day 3 takes place on Thursday 19th June and there are seven superb races, with the feature race of the day being the Group 1 Gold Cup. Here at GG we look to try and find some winners for Thursday’s action and we will have selections and picks for each race on day three of the meeting.

    Royal Ascot Day 3 Races & Tips

    2.30pm Norfolk Stakes

    Day 3 of Royal Ascot begins with the Norfolk Stakes. Promoted to Group 2 status in 2006, the Norfolk Stakes is run over 5f and open to horses aged two years old. The race acts as a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint run at the backend of the year. Lester Piggott’s nine Norfolk Stakes wins make him the most successful jockey in the race’s history.

    3.05pm King George V Stakes

    The King George V Stakes is a 1m4f handicap that is open to three-year-old horses. A regular fixture at the Royal Meeting since its inception back in 1984, trainer Mark Johnston has a particularly strong record in the race having won six renewals, although the most recent of those came five years ago with Baghdad in 2018.

    3.45pm Ribblesdale Stakes

    The Ribblesdale Stakes has Group 2 classification and is available solely to fillies, with three-year-olds able to contest the race. Run over a distance of 1m4f the Ribblesdale Stakes often sees entrants that have contested the Epsom Oaks. Frankie Dettori claimed an incredible eight Ribblesdale wins before his move to America at the end of last year.

    4:25pm Gold Cup

    The feature race on Day 3 of Royal Ascot 2025 is the Gold Cup. One of the most prestigious races in the entire racing calendar, the Gold Cup is available for horses aged four and over and is a Group 1 run over 2m4f. Records suggest that the Gold Cup was established back in 1807, and the most successful jockey in the race’s history is currently Lester Piggott – who took the prize on no fewer than 11 occasions. The most successful horse in the history of the Gold Cup is currently the mighty Yeats, who won four straight renewals from 2006 to 2009. Even more recently Stradivarius won the Gold Cup three years in a row.

    5.05pm Britannia Stakes

    The Britannia Stakes is a notoriously difficult handicap. The race is run over a distance of a mile – the same distance as the Royal Hunt Cup – yet the Britannia Stakes is only available for three-year-old colts and geldings. Run in its current guise since 1988, 1997 winner Fly to the Stars went on to become a Group 1 operator, landing the 1999 Lockinge Stakes. Trainer John Gosden took four renewals of the Britannia Stakes from 1996 to 2001, yet he has been winless in the race since.

    5.40pm Hampton Court Stakes

    The penultimate race on Day Three is the Hampton Court Stakes.  The Hampton Court Stakes is a Group 3 for three-year-olds which is run over a distance of 1m2f. The most successful jockey in the race’s history is Ryan Moore (4 wins), whilst Aidan O’Brien is the most successful trainer (4 wins). The duo have teamed up to land the Hampton Court Stakes on two occasions, with Hunting Horn in 2018 and Russian Emperor in 2020.

    6.15pm Buckingham Palace Stakes

    The Buckingham Palace Stakes is run over a straight 7f and was won last year by Inver Park, who was trained by George Boughey and ridden to victory by Ben Curtis. 2020 saw the Buckingham Palace Stakes return to the Royal Ascot race list after a five-year hiatus – with the race not being run between 2015 and 2019. Its return proved so popular that Royal Ascot organisers kept the race for 2021, moving it to Thursday’s card – where it remains in 2025. 

    Royal Ascot Day 3 Betting Tips – Factors To Consider Before Placing a Bet

    If the rain comes, day three at Royal Ascot can ride softer, but ultimately, if the weather remains calm, Thursday’s racing is only going to be conducted on faster ground than the previous two days, with the round course running officially at good to firm for the last three years on day three.

    Favourite backers have rejoiced in recent years during the Gold Cup, the feature race on day three. Six of the last ten Gold Cups have gone to the SP favourite, with them often being very well supported in the market. No winner has gone off at bigger than 12/1, so keeping your focus towards the principals is a wise betting strategy in the feature.

    Our recommended bookmaker for Day Three of Royal Ascot is SkyBet, who are offering £30 in FREE BETS when you place a 5p bet!

    Expected Ground Conditions for Day 3

    Rain is not in Ascot’s forecast in the build-up to the meeting. While there could be some in the air throughout the week, it does not look like changing the ground conditions substantially Expect good ground or quicker.

    Other Days of Royal Ascot 2025

    Day 3 of Royal Ascot is a show-stopping affair, but the action is far from over, with two more days of top-class action scheduled at the Royal meeting for punters to feast upon – check out our dedicated daily tips pages below.