Four horses who could be targeted at Royal Ascot

Horse Racing

Racing365
May 2, 2025 12:02 am

As the flat season begins to gather pace, attention is already turning to one of the summer’s biggest spectacles—Royal Ascot.

With the prestigious meeting just a couple of months away, punters and pundits alike are already starting to identify the horses that could shine on the Berkshire stage this year.

In this article, we take a look at four exciting contenders who are already being targeted for a shot at glory at one of the world’s most renowned horse racing meetings.

Whether they’re emerging stars or proven performers, these four horses are set to be primed to feature prominently in the Ascot tips in June.

Believing

George Boughey is only getting stronger with each passing season, notably breaking the 100-win barrier for the last three years, and he’s set to have another big campaign in 2025.

He recently moved his operation to Craven House Stables, the former home of Godolphin, and has been in fine form, with yard star Believing winning in Meydan at the start of April.

Purchased by big hitters Coolmore for 3 million guineas in December, the five-year-old remained in Boughey’s care and won for the first time in her new colours in the Grade 1 Al Quoz Sprint.

The Newmarket-based handler is in no rush to send Believing back out, with a layoff until Royal Ascot likely.

She’ll be entered in the King Charles III Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, having competed in both last year within a matter of days.

Asfoora

Australian star Asfoora campaigned rather successfully in Britain last summer, with connections sending her on the lengthy trip across the world with a Royal Ascot victory in mind.

That dream came to fruition for the six-year-old’s owners, as Asfoora landed the King Charles III Stakes under an expert ride from Champion Jockey Oisin Murphy.

The Henry Dwyer-trained mare was just held in the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood before finishing a close fourth in the Nunthorpe Stakes.

She’s ready and raring to get back out on the track Down Under, according to Dwyer, and the handler is keen to send her back to the UK this summer.

Kyprios

Kyprios defied all expectations when coming back from an almost career-ending injury in 2023 to go a whopping seven races unbeaten last season.

Among that septuple was a second Ascot Gold Cup success, beating Trawlerman by a length to regain his crown.

Expect the Aidan O’Brien-trained seven-year-old to follow a very similar path to Berkshire this year, with potential for a couple of runs in Ireland before attempting the Gold Cup hat-trick.

Kyprios is already as short as evens in places for the Royal Ascot showpiece, with stable companion Jan Brueghel, his nearest rival, at a general 6/1.

Constitution Hill

While there hasn’t been much talk about this so far this year, Nicky Henderson alluded to a potential crack at the Ascot Gold Cup for Constitution Hill back in 2023.

Given how the Seven Barrows stable star has performed in his last couple of outings over obstacles, making surprising errors at Cheltenham and Aintree, a switch to the flat could be on the cards.

Henderson has enjoyed big wins on the flat in the past, including three Cesarewitch wins, but Constitution Hill’s mark in the other sphere could be a barrier.

Nevertheless, if the eight-year-old were to take on Kyprios in the Gold Cup, it would be one of the biggest moments in racing in recent years.