Royal Ascot 2025

“What’s your favourite meeting?” It’s a question I get asked a lot.

Shure, anyone that knows me, knows the answer. But when they ask, “What’s your top three?” It’s a hard one!

You see, I’m lucky I get to travel all over the place for the big days and the not so big. Start in January with Thyestes Day in Gowran Park, end in December with Leopardstown and every month you have your standouts.

Throw in England, France, Hong Kong and America, and you have a great variety.

To be honest I love them all. But I have to admit Royal Ascot tickles me more and more every year. The weather, the fashion, the pagentry, the craic, but most of all the racing.

The first thing I do when I land home after the meeting each year is drop my morning suit to the cleaners to have it ready and hanging for the following year. With that done on the Monday morning, you can pack the case in four minutes flat. Six shirts, jocks ‘n’ socks, two waistcoats, shoes, trainers (I work in a field!) and your washbag. Sorted.

Off to Cork catch the 11.45am iron bird to Heathrow and I am landed with my hosts for the week Steve and Ann Barry in Windsor Town for 2pm. Ann serves up a gorgeous chicken salad and afterwards, Steve and I head over the road to Windsor races for the evening.

The first man I meet is Richard Hughes, “The Kodi Bear filly will get you the ex’s in the 7 o’clock”, which she duly obliges under Finley Marsh. Well done Rozzer, thank you.

Plenty of Irish faces enjoying the evening and I meet up with Adrian Regan from Hunter Valley Farm in Kentucky, the AK Bets team are on a night out, fellow Kerryman Big Muiris, Oxford builder Ned Kelly, and Jamie and Norita Sheridan.

Tuesday

Opening day and the day the purists will tell you is the best day. With three Group 1s and the Coventry for the two-year-olds, it is a fantastic card. I am in the press room for 8.30am parked up beside Edward Whitaker and Patrick McCann with French photographer Zuzanna Lupa and American photographer Mathea Kelley opposite me.

The sun is beating down and we have two Irish winners to kick us off. Aidan O’Brien trains his 11th Coventry winner with Gstaad under Ryan Moore for ‘The Lads’ in Coolmore with groom Viktor Vasylkivskyy and in the Ascot Stakes, Ascending and Billy Lee give trainer Henry de Bromhead and owner Chris Jones a first Royal success beating three Joseph O’Brien-trained runners for an Irish 1,2,3,4.

Led in by groom Sam Cottrell, Chris has a big team with him including son Andrew and Kevin and Anna Ross.

Colin ‘Baby Mick’ Keane cements his Juddmonte retainer by steering home Fields Of Gold for John and Thady Gosden in the St James’s Palace while the Queen Anne goes to Docklands for trainer Harry Eustace and Australian owners OTI Racing and Melbourne Cup winning jockey Mark Zahra.

Scottish trainer Jim Goldie bags his first Royal success in the Group 1 King Charles Stakes with American Affair under Paul Mulrennan who tells us the last time he rode a winner here he had “jet black hair”.

I am wrapped up in the press room for 7pm and meet up with Jamie and Norita and we head to Trevor ‘Baby Pecker’ Dunne’s bookmaker picnic.

Lots of stories with great characters like Sean Graham, ‘Andy The Lodge’, Seamus and Ray ‘Shapes’ Mulvany and their team, Michael McMahon, Noel Furlong and Kieran and Deirdre Cotter.

Of course, we also visit the Byrne Brothers, Nolan and William’s picnic where I meet Berkie, Spike, Christy Walsh, Patsy Browne, Mark Dwyer and Ronnie O’Leary. Plenty of GAA chat here where our defeat by Meath is well and truly dissected. Shure, I have to say well done to the Meath men but I make no apologies for blocking the number of ‘Puppy’ Power on my phone!

Boys, ‘tis fair hot today! I love it. When you are standing in the field in Dromahane and the rain is pelting down on you at a point-to-point in December, your mind brings you the sights, smells and sounds of the Royal Meeting.

The more sun, the better I say. Two Irish winners today with the Coolmore lads and Aidan O’Brien winning the Queen Mary with True Love under Ryan Moore led in by groom Vedish Geerdharry.

It’s Aidan’s 93rd success at the Royal meeting and a first in the Queen Mary, would you believe. Golden-based trainer Paddy Twomey records his first Royal winner when Carmers wins the Queen’s Vase for owner Fiona Carmichael and jockey Billy Lee, led in by groom Anna Barlow.

The win ties up a unique treble for Billy having ridden a winner at Cheltenham in November, Aintree in April and now two winners at this year’s Royal Meeting.

You would swear it was Paddy’s 93rd win here, such was the calmness and ‘gamize’ of him and it’s a great feather in the Ballinrobe cap as Carmers won his maiden there last month.

This evening’s picnic in the car park is hosted by Ross O’Sullivan, Gordon Elliott and Mouse O’Ryan and all the Irish jockeys take advantage of the chilled beverages.

Colin ‘Baby Mick’ Keane, Shane ‘Dusty’ Foley, Gary Carroll, Luke McAteer, Dylan ‘Donegal’ Brown McMonagle, with northern English-based boys Sam James, Shane ‘Fifi’ Gray and Adam Farragher. Old friends Stormin’ Norman with wife Janet, David Casey and wife Aine and James Nash and wife Sarah. Great craic great stories and sure it’s pitch black by the time we jump in the uber back to Windsor.

The gates open at 10.30am and already the place feels full. As usual there are loads of food and beverage outlets with a huge variety. You can avail of a Margherita for £12.50 or a vegetarian for £14.50 washed down with a can of coke for £3.10. In The Duck Shed a wrap is £13 and beside it The Deli will serve you a bacon roll with tea or coffee for £8.

At the Stewards House Cocktail Bar, a jug of Blush is £41.50 or a glass for £14 and if you want to splash out on a bottle of Moet Rose Imperial take £250 out of your skyrocket.

On the pitch, we have a treble for Aidan O’Brien, Ryan Moore and the Coolmore lads.

The 8/13 shot Charles Darwin wins the Norfolk like an odds-on shot should with groom Sarmite Loca leading in and Garden Of Eden makes it three Ribblesdale Stakes in a row for the team with groom Sarah Ryan.

This victory puts Ryan Moore in the top 10 riders in Britain of all time making it his 2,595 career success and he follows up with another milestone with Trinity College in the Hampton Court Stakes recording his 90th Royal winner. Fair play ‘Moro’.

Yet another memorable Royal meeting and I tip my hat to Sir Francis Brooke and his board of directors here at Ascot. You have cemented yer place in my top two lads. Hats off…