Royal Ascot Day 3 best bets, top odds & preview | June 20, 2024
| What | Royal Ascot 2024 – Day 3 |
| Where | Ascot Racecourse – High St, Ascot SL5 7JX, United Kingdom |
| When | Thursday, June 20, 2024 |
| First Race | 2:30pm BST (11:30pm AEST) |
The time-honoured Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup (4000m) headlines the action on the third day of Royal Ascot, with 10 of the world’s best stayers set to line up. The undercard is stacked with quality as well, including the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes (2000m) reserved for the three-year-old fillies. The track should continue to maintain its Good 4 rating, with the first of seven races scheduled to get underway at 2:30pm local time.
Ascot Gold Cup Tip: Trawlerman
Trawlerman looks a big price with online bookmakers in the stayer feature after a terrific performance in the Group 1 Dubai Gold Cup (3200m) at Meydan on March 31. The son of Golden Horn ran to his usual pattern, taking his time to clear the leaders in the middle stages, doing plenty of work in the process. He did well to hold a spot in the minor money, and with some outstanding performances at Group 1 level on the resume prior to that effort, Trawlerman warrants plenty of respect at the each-way price.
Ascot Gold Cup
Race 4 – 
#6 Trawlerman (3)
6yo Gelding | T: John & Thady Gosden | J: William Buick (58kg)
Ribblesdale Stakes: Diamond Rain
Diamond Rain is searching for a hat-trick of wins heading into the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes (2400m). The daughter of Shamardal edged clear to score by 2.2-lengths at Newbury on May 18, suggesting she could be a stayer on the rise, relishing the 2000m with a blistering turn-of-foot. She gets out to 2400m for the first time in this, and with William Buick likely to give her a soft run from the inside draw (2), Diamond Rain should get every chance to continue winning ways.
Ribblesdale Stakes
Race 3 – #2 Diamond Rain (2)
3yo Filly | T: Charlie Appleby | J: William Buick (58kg)
Best Bet at Royal Ascot: Whistlejacket
Whistlejacket put together an impressive 3.8-length win at Curragh on May 6 and looks to have plenty of ability. The two-year-old colt made-all on that occasion, bolting clear of his rivals over the five furlongs. The Group 2 Norfolk Stakes (1000m) has more depth than what he faced second-up, but with Ryan Moore drawn ideal in gate 11, watch for Whistlejacket to ping the lids and make every post a winner on the near side.
Best Bet
Race 1 – 
#13 Whistlejacket (11)
2yo Colt | T: Aiden O’Brien | J: Ryan Moore (58.5kg)
Next Best at Royal Ascot: King’s Gambit
The Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes (2000m) is for the three-year-olds, where the Harry & Roger Charlton-trained King’s Gambit should prove highly competitive. He smashed his rivals in his latest effort at Newbury on May 18, holding a prominent position throughout before exploding clear in the concluding stages. Many of his key rivals are yet to achieve the same kind of success, and provided William Buick can slot into a forward position from gate seven, King’s Gambit should justify favouritism with top horse racing bookmakers.
Next Best
Race 6 – 
#7 King’s Gambit (7)
3yo Colt | T: Harry & Roger Charlton | J: William Buick (58kg)