The Gold Cup

Day three of Royal Ascot is also known as “Ladies Day” where the focus is shared with fashion, in particular, hats (don’t ask why, it just is). The Gold Cup is the highlight of the day’s racing and as an additional bonus for the winner, traditionally, the trophy is presented by the Queen herself.

At 2 ½ miles, the Gold Cup is one of the longest races of the meeting, as well as being one of the most prestigious races in Royal Ascot’s schedule. The Gold Cup is also one of the older races, having been founded in 1807.

The long distance means that only certain types of horses are suited to this race. In fact, over the past 4 years, one horse, Yeats, has won every time! If you look back further, you can see that there are multiple occasions where a horse has won the race more than once – a much rarer feat on the shorter distance races.