Over the last few years there has been a significant increase in the number of runners at Royal Ascot. This increase has made this meeting harder to find winners. The field sizes are larger and the races more competitive and speed rating compilers find it hard to separate their top rated selections. Nonetheless we have put together some facts that will be helpful.

If the meeting is so hard for finding winners then we would not expect many favourites to win. Although favourites here only win 27% of the time they have actually made a small profit of 2%. Second favourites have done even better.

Whilst it would be impressive to find a big outside winner the chances of you picking one are remote. Outsiders account for 43% of the total number of runners, yet only 2% of them win. Also horses that are turned out quickly within 7 days do really badly at Royal Ascot races and have a strike rate of only 3%. These are ones to avoid at all costs.

In essence there is a good case for betting favourites at this meeting, but probably a stronger argument is to back second favourites. Outsiders are not generally good best; sure there will be a few but remember there will also be about 200 of them running. It is the weight of money that determines the horse racing odds but it is possible to make money betting on the favourites. If you had bet the favourite in every race over the past 8 years you would have only had three winning years but would have made a slight profit overall. The best statistic for favourite backers is to bet on three year old only races where favourites have a 46% strike rate.

Trainers to follow closely at Royal Ascot are Aiden O’Brien, Mark Johnston, Henry Cecil, Sir Michael Stoute and Saeed Bin Surror. Best jockeys of recent times have been Johnny Murtagh, Frankie Dettori, Ryan Moore and Jamie Spencer.