The Big Winners From Royal Ascot 2024

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The flat racing season is here, and anticipation is building for some of the biggest shows on the turf, including the iconic Royal Ascot and the prestigious Epsom Derby over the summer.

The royal meeting is one of the centrepieces of the sport globally, with horses from all over the world descending on Berkshire each June.  

Given its monumental importance, it’s no wonder every jockey, trainer and owner wants a winner or two at the meeting each year.

With Royal Ascot 2025 rapidly approaching, here’s a look back at some of the big winners from last year.

Ryan Moore, Aidan O’Brien & Coolmore

If you missed last year’s renewal of Ascot, it should come as no surprise that Coolmore and team Ballydoyle were once again the standout performers.

For the fifth time since its inception in 2017, the global partners were named the leading owners, with six wins, four seconds, and one third.

Meanwhile, Moore claimed the top jockey title for the 11th time, and O’Brien was crowned the top trainer for the 13th time.

Kyprios was their star of the week, regaining the lucrative Ascot Gold Cup after making an unlikely return from a career-threatening injury in 2023.

James Doyle & Wathnan Racing

Wathnan Racing made instant waves in the British flat racing scene last year, stealing the headlines with the acquisition of Godolphin’s second-string jockey James Doyle and some big purchases.

Funded by the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the new operation especially left their mark on Royal Ascot.

Wathnan enjoyed four winners, four seconds, and three thirds to add to their prestigious Gold Cup win with Courage Mon Ami in 2023. 

Doyle rode all four winners, most notably winning Group 2 contests Queen Mary Stakes and Norfolk Stakes with Leovanni and Shareholder, respectively  

Oisin Murphy

The recipient of the Champion Jockey accolade for the fourth time at the end of last season, Oisin Murphy won or placed in almost a third of Royal Ascot’s 35 races.

The Irish jockey ended the week with a remarkable four wins, two seconds, and five third-place finishes, meaning he was in the top three more than any other rider.

The fact that all of Murphy’s wins came for four different trainers and as many different connections shows his popularity when there are spare rides available.

Asfoora’s success in the King Charles III Stakes, Khaadem’s win in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, and Running Lion in the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes were all at Group level.

Billy Loughnane

Billy Loughnane has been rising through the ranks as a jockey over the last couple of seasons, and the crowning moment of his short career thus far came aboard Rashabar on day one at Royal Ascot.

The 19-year-old mounted the 80/1 outsider in Group 2 Coventry Stakes and stunned the field aboard the Brian Meehan-trained two-year-old.

Rashabar led over two furlongs and was ridden out in the closing stages by Loughnane to win by just a nose in an incredibly tight finish that saw just two lengths separate the first eight over the line.

It was a proud moment for the racing family, as the jockey’s father, Mark, who is a respected trainer in his own right, was visibly emotional, welcoming his son back to the winner’s enclosure.

.Cent Magazine London. Be Inspired; Get Involved 

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