Royal Ascot 2026 Ladies Day Preview

One of the highlights of Ladies Day is the Chesham Stakes, one of the most intriguing juvenile contests at Royal Ascot. Among the runners hoping to make their mark is Aix La Chapelle, a colt that boasts an exceptional pedigree. He is closely related to top-class performers, including Henri Matisse, Tenebrism and Statuette, giving further encouragement that he has the talent to develop into a high-class performer.

His debut success at the Curragh in 2026 was enough to establish him as one of the leading market contenders for this race, and the step up to seven furlongs at Ascot could suit a colt whose pedigree points towards quality and stamina.

The next race that attracts much attention is the Ribblesdale Stakes, an important race on the calendar for three-year-old fillies.

Among the leading contenders for this year's Ribblesdale Stakes is Legacy Link, a standout runner with pedigree and impressive racecourse performance.

After winning a novice contest at Haydock by two and a half lengths on her second start as a two-year-old, she showed her quality in stronger company by finishing fourth in a competitive renewal of the Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket.

This season, Legacy Link has taken another significant step forward. She secured Group race success in the Musidora Stakes at York in May 2026, battling gamely to defeat Felicitas by three-quarters of a length. With a proven ability to dig deep in a finish and the promise of even more improvement to come, Legacy Link arrives at Ascot as one of the race's most compelling contenders.

Another filly expected to attract significant interest in the Ribblesdale Stakes is Gilded Prize, a Juddmonte homebred whose pedigree and early performances have marked her out as one of the more exciting middle-distance prospects in training.

Gilded Prize made an immediate impression on the racecourse, winning on debut at Chantilly over approximately nine and a half furlongs before returning to the same venue in 2026 to maintain her unbeaten record. Those victories established her as a filly of considerable promise, but what truly elevated her reputation was her step up to Group company at Saint-Cloud and extended her winning sequence to three races.

Although she suffered a surprise defeat in the Prix Saint-Alary on her most recent outing, that result may do little to diminish her standing. Instead, it adds an extra layer of intrigue heading into Royal Ascot, where she has the opportunity to reaffirm the promise she displayed earlier in the campaign.

The centrepiece of Thursday's Royal Ascot card is the Gold Cup, Britain's most prestigious staying race and one of the most historic contests in world racing. The Group 1 feature is staged over a gruelling two miles and four furlongs, and offers prize money of £650,000.

The horse attracting the most attention ahead of this year's Gold Cup is Scandinavia, the rapidly improving stayer who heads to Royal Ascot as the market favourite.

Scandinavia's rise through the ranks has been particularly impressive since the application of cheekpieces in the summer of 2025. Since then, he has remained unbeaten in four starts, beginning with victory in the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket before progressing to the highest level.

His breakthrough Group 1 success came in the Goodwood Cup, where he defeated older horses in one of Britain's premier staying contests, and later enhanced his reputation further with victory in the St Leger Stakes at Doncaster.

Now a four-year-old, Scandinavia has continued to progress. He returned this season with a decisive success in the Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan, before following up in the Saval Beg Levmoss Stakes at Leopardstown. Both races have traditionally been important stepping stones to Royal Ascot, and Scandinavia arrives at the meeting as the horse they all have to beat.

While Scandinavia heads the market, Rahiebb emerges as a serious contender in this year's Gold Cup and arrives at Royal Ascot with the profile of a horse still improving rapidly.

One of his compelling aspects is his form against the race favourite. In last season's St Leger Stakes at Doncaster, Rahiebb pushed Scandinavia all the way before being denied by just a neck.

His latest outing provided further evidence of his progress. Returning for his four-year-old campaign in the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup at York, Rahiebb produced a powerful staying performance to defeat Al Nayyir by two and a quarter lengths. Rahiebb also brings valuable Royal Ascot experience to the table, as last season he finished third in the Queen's Vase.

No discussion of this year's Gold Cup would be complete without Trawlerman, the reigning champion who returns to Royal Ascot seeking to defend the staying crown he captured in unforgettable fashion twelve months ago.

The seven-year-old gelding, bred and owned by Godolphin and trained by John and Thady Gosden, has established himself as one of the most dependable staying performers of the modern era. Trawlerman's defining performance came in the 2025 Gold Cup when he produced a dominant front-running display to defeat Aidan O'Brien's Illinois by seven lengths. Setting a relentless pace from the outset, he never looked in danger and crossed the line in a new course-record time of 4 minutes 15.02 seconds, eclipsing the previous benchmark set by Rite Of Passage in 2010.

Few horses can claim to have mastered Ascot's demanding two-and-a-half-mile test in the manner he did last year, and even fewer have done so while breaking the course record.

Importantly, several of the horses he defeated in last year's Gold Cup are set to line up again, including Illinois and Dubai Future. Having already demonstrated his superiority over many of his likely rivals, Trawlerman arrives with a form that demands the utmost respect.