King George Racing Weekend Preview

Introducing the King George Racing Weekend

Aside from Royal Ascot, the King George Racing Weekend is the most prestigious and glamorous racing event at Ascot. There are two days of racing, with the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes the main draw.

First run in 1951, the race was established to honour the late King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. It combines top-class three-year-olds and older horses in one midsummer race.

Over the decades, it has become one of Britain’s most prestigious flat races. Until the series’ discontinuation in 2025, it was part of the British Champions Series.

When & Where is the King George Racing Weekend?

This year’s King George Racing Weekend is scheduled for July 25th and 26th, 2025. The event will play out at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire, England, with fourteen races scheduled for the festival as follows:

Day 1 (25th July): King George Friday

• 13.50: British EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes

• 14.25: Brown Jack Handicap

• 15.00: Chapel Down Handicap

• 15.35: John Guest Racing Handicap

• 16.10: Slingsby Gin Handicap

• 16.45: Berenberg Fillies’ Handicap

Day 2 (26th July): King George Saturday

• 13.15: British EBF Crocker Bulteel Maiden Stakes

• 13.50: Princess Margaret Stakes

• 14.25: Valiant Stakes

• 15.00: International Stakes (Heritage Handicap)

• 15.40: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes

• 16.15: Pat Eddery Stakes (Listed Race)

• 16.50: Betfred Handicap

• 17.25: Whispering Angel Handicap

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes

The top race on this royal weekend is the aptly named King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, a Group One flat race over 2,406 metres. It’s on the right-handed turf track at Ascot, open to three-year-olds and up.

It is widely known among the racing fraternity as Britain’s most prestigious open-age flat race, regularly drawing champion jockeys and the most talented horses who compete for a prize purse of £1,250,000, with £708,875 going to the winner.

Enable is the only horse to have won this race three times, with triumphs in 2017, 2019, and 2020. The recently retired Frankie Dettori rode Enable to each of these victories, and he is the joint-most successful rider in this race alongside Lester Piggott, with seven winners.

Sir Michael Stoute, who trained the legendary 1981 winner Shergar to victory in the Stakes, is the most successful trainer in the race’s history, with six winners. Here’s a run-through of the previous ten winners of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot:

Runners to Watch in 2025

2024 winner Goliath is the standout entrant in this year’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, as he bids to become the first horse since Enable to win this race back-to-back.

The five-year-old has won three of his last four races under Christophe Soumillon, with two impressive wins at Paris Longchamp after his Ascot success last July. He will be among the favourites to win again this year.

Also among this year’s runners is Lambourn, who won the 2025 Epsom Derby and the Irish Derby for Aidan O’Brien; only the twentieth horse in history to complete the Anglo-Irish double. He will likely go under William Buick, who rode Adayar to victory in this race in 2021.

Another O’Brien prospect is three-year-old Minnie Hauk, who has enjoyed a brilliant season. The filly rode to victory under Ryan Moore at Chester in May, before triumphing in the Epsom Oaks in June. She may add another prestigious victory to her name if she goes well at Ascot this July.

Among the 32 confirmed entries for the 2025 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes are 14 Group One winners, so this will be a truly elite field. Other noteworthy runners to consider backing this year are Los Angeles and Al Riffa, who have both ridden to victory in big races in the last twelve months.

Betting Tips & Insights

Here are some expert tips and insights to consider before betting on the King George Racing Weekend at Parimatch:

• Age matters: Only two six-year-olds have won the main race this century – Hukum in 2023 and Enable in 2020. Three and four-year-olds tend to be the best bets, so check how old your chosen horse is before locking in your bet.

• Back-to-back wins are rare: Three-time winner Enable is the only horse to have won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes back-to-back this century, so Goliath has a tough ask this year. Swain (1997 & 1998) was the last horse to achieve this rare feat.

• Look elsewhere on the card: As incredible as the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is, it’s only one of 14 races across the King George Racing Weekend. So, don’t restrict yourself to this race and look elsewhere for great odds and value.

• Use our offers to boost your bankroll: At Parimatch, we have several offers for horse racing punters, including price boosts and our Run for Your Money special. Take advantage of these offers to enhance your odds and increase your chances of winning.

When betting on horse racing, please gamble responsibly. Register at Parimatch today and place winner and each-way bets at Parimatch throughout the King George Racing Weekend in 2025.