June is amongst the most anticipated months of the year for fans of the flat racing game. Hot on the heels of the two-day Epsom Derby Festival, the unparalleled Royal Ascot spectacle strides into view, trailing Royal processions, millenary masterpieces, and more Group 1 events than it seems reasonable to cram into a single fixture.
With significant prize money and prestige on offer, the five-day event is understandably one of the most targeted meetings of the year for the leading flat trainers. Not to be left out, those handlers more commonly associated with National Hunt success are only too keen to gatecrash the party, often with significant success.
Willie Mullins has become a frequent visitor to Berkshire in June, and so too has a man who mastered the Closutton maestro in the headline event at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. Having already enjoyed a year to remember, thanks to the exploits of Inothewayurthinkin, Stumptown, and others, Gavin Cromwell is eager to keep the winning feeling rolling into the summer months.
A Royal Ascot Strike Rate to Rival the Best
Punters making ante-post plans ahead of Royal Ascot 2025 may head straight to the entries hailing from flat kings Aidan O’Brien, Charlie Appleby, and John & Thady Gosden. However, recent evidence suggests that overlooking those heading to Ascot from Cromwell’s County Meath base would be a mistake.
Gavin Cromwell has sent only four runners to the Royal Meeting since 2021, but all four finished in the first three, including two winners at 8/1 and 12/1. That 50% win rate and 100% place percentage leaves even the Applebys and O’Briens of the world trailing in Cromwell’s wake.
| Date | Race | Runner (Odds) | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16/6/21 | Queen Mary Stakes | Quick Suzy (8/1) | 1st of 21 |
| 24/6/23 | Chesham Stakes | Snellen (12/1) | 1st of 16 |
| 18/6/24 | Copper Horse Handicap | My Mate Mozzie (16/1) | 3rd of 16 |
| 19/6/24 | Queen Mary Stakes | Mighty Eriu (50/1) | 2nd of 24 |
Contenders Ready in 2025
Not one to rest on his laurels, Cromwell is always on the lookout for the next potential Royal Ascot star and is set to send his biggest-ever team to the 2025 edition. If Cromwell is to enhance that stellar Royal Ascot record, the following five runners may be the most likely to carry their talented trainer to the winner’s enclosure.
- My Mate Mozzie – Copper Horse Handicap – Now nine years of age, My Mate Mozzie embodies his trainer’s ability to perform with distinction under both codes. Successful twice over hurdles and once over fences, he has hit the frame in six of 11 outings on the level. Finishing a fine third in the 2024 Copper Horse Handicap, he has that 1m6f handicap on the opening day as his Royal Ascot target once again
- Robbies Rock – Ascot Stakes – With the 2m4f Ascot Stakes preceding the Copper Horse Handicap, the opening day of the meeting presents an attractive target for connections of the more talented staying performers. Cromwell’s four-year-old Robbies Rocket pushed his name into that category when conquering 19 rivals last time out at Cork and heads to Ascot at the top of his game
- Snellen – Kensington Palace Stakes – Cromwell’s most recent Royal Ascot winner. Snellen saw off rivals from the yards of Aidan O’Brien, Andrew Balding, Richard Hannon and more when claiming the 2023 Chesham Stakes. Having spent the winter months racing in Bahrain, she looks set to return for a crack at this one-mile contest on Day 2
- Joyful Tidings – Windsor Castle Stakes – There aren’t too many trainers who can claim to be equally dangerous in 3m2f chase contests as they are in five-furlong sprint contests for the juveniles. However, Cromwell falls into that exclusive bracket. Already boasting form figures of 112 in such events at the Royal Meeting, Cromwell will hope to keep that streak going with this recent Tipperary Maiden winner
- Brownstown – Chesham Stakes – Little is known about this daughter of Cracksman. However, the fact that she is touted as a likely Chesham contender suggests she is showing plenty at home. Pencilled in to make her debut at Leopardstown on Thursday 12th of June, a smart performance in that contest may see her assume a prominent position in the market for this Day 5 event