The historic meeting, which begins on Tuesday, is regarded by many as one of England’s last bastions of tradition. In the royal enclosure, gentlemen are still bound by a ludicrously antiquated dress code.
But while many will use the event as a social occasion, the equine excellence on the track is the main focus for racing fans.
Thirty-five races, including eight Group Ones, spread across five days, with some of the best horses in the world competing for record prize money of £9.52 million. That adds up to the best week of racing on the planet.
The fields are peppered by international raiders from nations such as Ireland, Australia, the USA, France, Germany and even Sweden. Superb sprints, heritage handicaps, high-class two-year-old races and vintage staying contests add rich competition and variety.
It’s the first royal meeting since the death of Queen Elizabeth II. who was so passionate about the occasion. But it is also the last before the retirement of racing royalty, Frankie Dettori, who has ridden 77 Royal Ascot winners since his debut ride way back in 1989.
The action will be savoured by about 275,000 racegoers on track and millions more on TV around the world. You can watch every race on ITV or ITV4, and also Sky Sports Racing. And to give you a taste of what’s to come, we’ve picked out 12 of the best fancied or highest rated horses to look out for. Not tips, but horses primed to steal the limelight as the week progresses.
9. Little Big Bear (Friday 4.20)
Ten times in the last 16 seasons, Aidan O'Brien has been champion trainer at Royal Ascot, and nine times since 2009, Ryan Moore has been champion jockey at the meeting. They combine with another champion, last season's top 2yo, Little Big Bear, in the 6f Commonwealth Cup on Friday, with the colt aiming to back up his success here last year in the Windsor Castle Stakes. He flopped in the 2000 Guineas in May, but has since made a winning return to sprinting, which is clearly his forte. Photo: Submitted
10. Tahiyra (Friday 5.00)
The most anticipated duel of the week is a re-match between the first two home in last month's Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, Mawj and Tahiyra. As our photo shows, Saeed Bin Suroor's race-hardened filly (right) prevailed by half a length that day, but Dermot Weld's Irish raider, owned by the Aga Khan, has since scooped the Irish equivalent and is fancied to turn the tables in the Coronation Stakes on Friday. The daughter of crack sire, Siyouni, oozes class and possesses a lethal turn of foot. Photo: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images
11. Artorius (Saturday 3.40)
An enticing array of raiders from Australia and the USA are descending on Berkshire this week, hoping to add to the tally of 20 winners the two countries have amassed at the royal meeting since 2000. Most of them are sprinters, who are spearheaded by this colt, trained Down Under by father-and-son duo, Anthony and Sam Freedman. As a 3yo last year, Artorius ran blinders to finish third in both the Commonweath Cup here and then in the July Cup against older rivals. The Freedmans are convinced he's a more streetwise horse this time round for a tilt at Saturday's newly-named Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.. Photo: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images
12. Hukum (Saturday 4.20)
This son of former Derby and Arc winner Sea The Stars suffered such a serious leg injury after hammering the subsequent King George winner, Pyledriver, in the Coronation Cup at Epsom a year ago that he was actually retired for a while. But when he returned after a 356-day absence at Sandown last month, he outclassed last year's Derby hero, Desert Crown, to prove he has retained all his ability. Now, providing the ground isn't too fast, he will bid to bag the second Royal Ascot prize of his career in the Hardwicke Stakes on Saturday for excellent trainer Owen Burrows. Photo: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images