Royal Ascot is one of the highlights of the summer flat season in the UK and this prestigious meeting tends to attract runners from multiple continents, with recent winners having traveled to the track from Australia, Japan, France and the USA.
The 2023 meeting was predictably dominated by Aidan O’Brien, although high-profile handlers such as John Gosden, Roger Varian, William Haggas and Ralph Beckett were also amongst the winners last summer. There were also a handful of trainers who were able to celebrate their first ever success at the track with American horseman George Weaver and Malton-based Julie Camacho amongst those who entered the winner’s enclosure for the very first time twelve months ago.
Although the larger yards are likely to dominate once again in 2024, we’ve picked out three trainers who currently have multiple entries for this year’s Royal meeting, and their stable stars simply must enter calculations when it comes to picking out the best bets of the festival.
Paddy Twomey
County Tipperary-based Paddy Twomey took out his license in April 2012 and has been slowly making a name for himself in his homeland over the last decade. With several listed winners, his career continues to go from strength-to-strength and he’ll be quietly confident of striking this summer.
Amongst his exciting batch of speedsters is One Look, who was victorious in the Goffs Millions, a hugely valuable race for two-year olds, back in September 2023. Although there was speculation that this daughter of Gleneagles was set to tackle the 1,000 Guineas this season, Twomey had a change of heart and decided to alter her path. Having been heavily defeated in the Group 3 Mutamakina Stakes at Leopardstown, she will now turn her attention to the Coronation Stakes on the final day of the five-day festival.
Although the majority of his runners are relatively big prices for success here, A Lilac Rola is just one of a handful of talented fillies who will be hoping to upset the odds at the end of June. Purple Lily was victorious as a juvenile at the Galway Festival and followed up that promise at Naas. Although she was beaten in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, she was only defeated by five lengths having been bumped by a rival earlier in the contest.
Adrian Murray
You could be forgiven for having not heard of Adrian Murray. The former cattle farmer from County Westmeath has gone from helping out his neighbour with the occasional point-to-point entrant to saddling winners in some of Ireland’s most valuable flat races.
Although Murray has a number of talented speedsters in his ranks, Bucanero Fuerte is viewed as his best chance of success at Ascot this summer. This impressive colt won the very first race of the 2023 Irish flat season and has subsequently continued to progress. With four wins in six starts, it is unsurprising to see this three-year-old being talked up as one to watch at Royal Ascot this summer.
He went off at 16/1 in the 2023 Coventry Stakes and was beaten only a length by the impressive River Tiber. Having gained track experience and having started its 2024 campaign with a victory at Naas, there will be many punters who will be tempted back this eye-catching performer in the King Charles III Stakes on the opening day, and snap up the 10/1 currently on offer with the majority of online horse racing betting sites. Bucanero Fuerte also has an entry for the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup, although the general feeling is that connections may opt to swerve this race.
Karl Burke
Karl Burke is the best-known handler on this list, yet this savvy operator still plays second fiddle to many of the bigger names. Having been in the game since 1991, Burke is a household name when it comes to flat racing and having already amassed 15 Group 1 winners, he will be confident of adding to that tally this summer.
The Spigot Lodge trainer has enjoyed a successful 2024 and at the end of May, he clinched the Group 2 German 1,000 Guineas in Dusseldorf and the Group 1 Irish 1,000 Guineas within the space of a couple of hours.
He has numerous entries for Royal Ascot including Royal Rhyme, although he may opt to divert some of his runners elsewhere depending on ground conditions. Elite Status stands a decent chance of success in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup on the final day of the festival, whereas Fallen Angel, who has now won four of his first six outings, will take his place in the Coronation Stakes and is attractively priced at around 4/1.
Burke failed to saddle a winner here last year, although he did pick up three third place finishes. He’ll be determined to put that right this summer and continue his excellent form.
