Gold Cup Runners, Tips & Results (2024)

Time flies when you're having fun and it's hard to believe it's already day three of Royal Ascot.

We're set for another cracking afternoon of action headlined by the Gold Cup (4.25). Can Kyprios regain his crown or will champion jumps trainer Willie Mullins have the last laugh with Vauban?

We have three other Group races to look forward to kicking off with the Norfolk Stakes (2.30), which threw up a 150-1 winner last year, followed by the Ribblesdale Stakes (3.45) and Hampton Court Stakes (5.40).

Who are your main fancies today? Let us know by emailing liveblog@racingpost.com.

Trueshan has been taken out of the Gold Cup (4.25) due to the ground, which was described as good to firm by clerk of the course Chris Stickels this morning following overnight watering.

Here is a list of all the other non-runners so far:

2.30Evening Saigon
3.45Forest Fairy
5.05Bergamasco, Miletus
6.15Awaal, Ropey Guest

For lovers of narrative continuity, here are the standings after the opening two days:

Leading jockey

Oisin Murphy is on three winners after a double yesterday and has some great chances today, most notably Kalpana in the Ribblesdale Stakes (3.45). Ryan Moore comes next in the leaderboard with two successes.

Leading trainer

John and Thady Gosden have sent out two winners, as has Aidan O'Brien. The latter is an odds-on shot to be crowned leading trainer at the meeting and is sending out the big guns today, including Kyprios.

We have a few short-priced favourites today – outside of the big handicaps (good luck with those) – and punters are keen to take on Godolphin's Diamond Rain in the Ribblesdale Stakes (3.45) with Kalpana.

BetMGM's UK director Sam Behar said: "Kalpana has been very strong in the market for the in-form Oisin Murphy. She's now 11-4 from 7-2 and is turning into a real gamble."

Punters also seem keen to take on Whistlejacket in the Norfolk and Kyprios in the Gold Cup.

"Whistlejacket has been all the rage for the Norfolk for a while, but the money has dried up recently and he's out to 6-5 from evens," added Behar. "Customers are keen to take on Kyprios, who is 11-8 (from 5-4)."

Tom Segal believes Kyprios should prove a tough nut to crack in our feature race. It is hard to disagree.

"If Kyprios is the Kyprios of two years ago, he's going to take a lot of beating and the vibe coming out of Ballydoyle is that he is as good as ever," he said. "Vauban is extremely dangerous too if he stays the trip."

Members can find out who Pricewise put up for the race a few weeks ago, as well as his other selections here.

The action moves quickly, so here is a handy running order so you can tactically time your tea breaks:

2.00The royal procession
2.30 Norfolk Stakes (Group 2)
3.05King George V Stakes
3.45Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2)
4.25Gold Cup (Group 1)
5.05Britannia Stakes
5.40Hampton Court Stakes
6.15Buckingham Palace Stakes

Agreement is exceptionally hard to come by in this game but our very own Maddy Playle and professional punter Johnny Dineen have both settled on Gregory in the Gold Cup (4.25).

Playle is not convinced Kyprios is the "same horse he was before" and is keen to take him on at the prices with Gregory, who "has some improving to do but dug in to win the Queen's Vase last season".

Who do you fancy in the feature race? Email in your thoughts to liveblog@racingpost.com.

King Charles III Stakes fourth Believingwill make a quick turnaround to contest the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (3.45) on Saturday, when her rivals will include Mill Stream and the versatile Kinross.

Full field

Art PowerDavid Allan
JumbyCharles Bishop
KhaademOisin Murphy
KinrossRossa Ryan
Mill StreamWilliam Buick
MitbaahyJamie Spencer
QuinaultRichard Kingscote
ShartashJames Doyle
ShouldvebeenaringSean Levey
The Wizard Of EyeRyan Moore
Washington HeightsTom Eaves
BelievingDaniel Tudhope
SwingalongClifford Lee
VadreamKieran Shoemark

Read our full story on the day five declarations here

How could an afternoon watching Royal Ascot be made any better? Answer: by adding an England game.

England take on Denmark at 5pm on BBC One, so you can have the racing and football on at the same time.

I happen to believe Gareth Southgate should try playing Jude Bellingham a touch deeper alongside Declan Rice to allow Phil Foden more room going forward, thus offering Harry Kane more service. But enough about me.

Find out what the much more qualified Dan Childs thinks in our match preview here.

Bellum Justum is now 11-1 (from 14s) for the Hampton Court Stakes (5.40) with Ladbrokes.

The three-year-old won the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom before finishing seventh in the Derby this month.

He will be partnered by Oisin Murphy, who is 9-2 from as big as 16-1 at the start of the week to be top jockey, following his double yesterday, while Ryan Moore remains an odds-on shot.

Mickley is also proving popular with Ladbrokes in the Britannia Stakes (5.05). He is now 8-1 (from 12s) to complete his hat-trick following victories at Southwell and Doncaster.

Our award-winning photographer Ed Whitaker is on duty all week and has snapped this shot of a racegoer shortly after arriving at the track.

Here is a fun fact about ITV Racing's Ed Chamberlin – he loves the London Gold Cup.

I thought I would ask him who he was most looking forward to watching today and he came back with King's Gambit, who he described as his nap of the day.

The three-year-old followed up a decent juvenile campaign with a four-length success in the London Gold Cup and is favourite for the Hampton Court Stakes (5.40).

If anybody is interested in a related double, the London Gold Cup runner-up Poniros is among the more fancied runners in the King George V Stakes (3.05).

The King, who was absent yesterday, is due to be back at Royal Ascot today and will feature in the royal procession from 2pm. Here's who's in attendance...

The carriage list

1st Carriage

The Princess Royal
Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence
The Lady Sarah Chatto
Mr Daniel Chatto

4th Carriage

The Duke of Richmond and Gordon
The duch*ess of Richmond and Gordon
Mr Mike Tindall
Mrs Mike Tindall

The day's feature race, and the highlight of the week, is the Gold Cup (4.25), for which Kyprios is well fancied.

ITV Racing pundit Jason Weaver knows what it takes to land the big race, having done so on Double Trigger 29 years ago.

Of the favourite, Weaver says: "Kyprios only ever does enough and he's in a similar mould to Trigger because you never feel like you're getting to the bottom of him and that's the key to the Gold Cup winner.

"There's always a little bit left in the tank with Kyprios and, with horses like that, you just need an ideal set up and then your stamina comes into play."

Read the full story here.

We're approaching the halfway mark of Royal Ascot 2024 and it's already thrown up some shock results.

Remember, you can let us know who you fancy by emailing us at liveblog@racingpost.com – we're all ears!

Royal Ascot picks are not in short supply here at the Racing Post and tipster Harry Wilson, who's found a few winners already this week, believes Whistlejacket can get favourite backers off to a flyer in the first, the Norfolk Stakes (2.30).

Harry writes: "Whistlejacket relished the drop to 5f when running away with the First Flier Stakes last time and the form was franked when runner-up Arizona Blaze took the Marble Hill on his next start. The well-touted brother to Little Big Bear – who won at the royal meeting as a juvenile – should have no issue with faster ground."

Here's another cracking selection of hats on Ladies' Day, which features seven races including the Gold Cup (4.25).

Yesterday's Placepot paid £916.60, following on from the day one dividend of £5,406.50, and we know many of you will be having a crack at the popular pool bet today. If you are, make sure you heed some of Paul Kealy's Placepot advice here.

Here's another reminder of today's running order, key race details and TV information.

2.00:The royal procession
2.30: Norfolk Stakes (Group 2), 5f, ITV4/Sky
3.05: King George V Stakes,1m4f, ITV4/Sky
3.45: Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2),1m4f, ITV4/Sky
4.25: Gold Cup (Group 1), 2m4f, ITV/Sky
5.05: Britannia Stakes,1m, ITV/Sky
5.40: Hampton Court Stakes,1m2f, ITV/Sky
6.15: Buckingham Palace Stakes, 1m, ITV4/Sky

To play or to lay – that is the question when it comes to the four short-priced favourites on the card.

And Betfred have rather handily supplied an overview of the big movers and shakers this morning.

They report that Kyprios is weak in the Gold Cup. Having been odds-on at declaration time, he is now available at 6-4, with Gregory and Trawlerman the two who have been backed.

His stablemate Whistlejacket has been solid in the market ahead of the opening Norfolk Stakes and is 11-8, having been 7-4 yesterday, while Diamond Rain is another strong favourite in the Ribblesdale. As mentioned earlier, Kalpana has been well supported this morning, as has the Oaks fourth You Got To Me.

The strongest of the four short-priced favourites is London Gold Cup winner King's Gambit, who is now 11-8 with Betfred after sustained support, while unsurprisingly there has been a big move for the King and Queen's runner Gilded Water, who is now 11-2 (from 8s) for the King George V.

With a little more than an hour to go before the opener, here are the big movers with Betfred:

2.30Norfolk Stakes
Whistlejacket 11-8 (from 7-4)

3.05 King George V Stakes
Gilded Water 11-2 (from 8)
French Duke 6-1 (from 8)

3.45 Ribblesdale Stakes
Kalpana 11-4 (from 9-2)
You Got To Me 9-2 (from 7-1)

4.25 Gold Cup
Gregory 5-1 (from 13-2)
Trawlerman 11-2 (from 7-1)

5.05 Britannia Stakes
Volterra 13-2 (from 8-1)
Mickley 15-2 (from 10-1)
Starlore 9-1 (from 12)
Dashing Darcey 11-1 (from 14)

5.40 Hampton Court Stakes
King's Gambit 11-8 (from 5-2)

6.15 Buckingham Palace Handicap
Fresh 10-1 (from 16)
The X O 16-1 (from 33)

With Frankie Dettori attending Royal Ascot on a jolly, his old friend and rival Ryan Moore has the chance to overtake him as the leading active jockey at the meeting and requires just one more winner this week.

Moore drew level with Dettori on 81 winners after scoring yesterday aboard Illinois and the mercurial Auguste Rodin, and you would be brave to bet against him today with rides on Whistlejacket and Kyprios.