The Windsor Castle Stakes is a Listed race for two-year-olds over five furlongs at Royal Ascot.
Notable past winners include the American-trained Strike The Tiger (2009) and Hootenanny (2014) and useful sprinters Washington DC (2015) and Soldier’s Call (2018).
Many of the horses in the Windsor Castle Stakes will compete in more races throughout the years. Stay updated on the horses and place ante-post bets if you want to wager on them.
Flashmans Papers provided one of the biggest shock results in Royal Ascot history when winning here at 100-1 in 2008. He ran here as a maiden for Trainer John Best after finishing third at Windsor and Kempton Park. Jockey Steve Drowne drove him out to beat the strongly-fancied Bushranger.
American Trainer Wesley Ward is a regular visitor to Royal Ascot, particularly in the juvenile races. He saddled his first winner here when Strike The Tiger made all the running to win in 2009 under John Velazquez. He started at 33-1 that day but his runners have been treated with a lot more respect in subsequent seasons.
Ward struck again in 2014 with Hootenanny, another all-the-way winner. He went on to win the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, this time leading inside the final 100 yards to beat Luck Of The Kitten by three-quarters of a length.
Aidan O’Brien won it for the first time with Washington DC in 2015. He had been beaten in a listed race at the Curragh prior to Royal Ascot but held on bravely to beat Areen by a head. He went on to become a top-flight sprinter, finishing second in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes next time and filling the same spot in the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye in 2016.
Soldier’s Call won the race in 2018, trained by Archie Watson and ridden by Daniel Tudhope. He later won a Group 3 in France and the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster. He also ran a fine race to finish third in the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp.
Her Majesty The Queen won it in 2020 with Tactical, trained by Andrew Balding and ridden by James Doyle. He followed up in the Group 2 July Stakes at Newmarket and won the European Free Handicap on his first start as a three-year-old.
Windsor Castle Stakes Previous Winners
Take a look at the previous winners from the Windsor Castle Stakes:
Year
Winner
Jockey
Trainer
Time
1988
Barrys Gamble
Pat Eddery
Squeak Fairhurst
1:02.21
1989
Pharaoh's Delight
Pat Eddery
Peter Hudson
1:02.51
1990
Gipsy Fiddler
Pat Eddery
Jonjo O'Neill
1:03.60
1991
Isdar
Richard Hills
Harry Thomson Jones
1:02.80
1992
Satank
Pat Eddery
Bill Watts
1:01.82
1993
Great Deeds
Richard Quinn
Mick Channon
1:04.18
1994
Brave Music [a]
Richard Quinn
Paul Cole
1:02.45
1995
Kuantan
Richard Quinn
Paul Cole
1:01.28
1996
Dazzle
Kieren Fallon
Sir Michael Stoute
1:01.09
1997
Asfurah
Richard Hills
Saeed bin Suroor
1:02.03
1998
Flanders
Lindsay Charnock
Tim Easterby
1:02.37
1999
Kalindi
Richard Quinn
Mick Channon
1:01.99
2000
Autumnal
Pat Eddery
Brian Meehan
1:02.86
2001
Irony
Pat Eddery
Jamie Osborne
1:01.00
2002
Revenue
Johnny Murtagh
Michael Bell
1:02.14
2003
Holborn
Steve Drowne
Mick Channon
1:00.08
2004
Chateau Istana [b]
Tom Queally
Nick Littmoden
1:01.45
2005
Titus Alone [c]
Kevin Darley
Bryan Smart
0:57.90
2006
Elhamri
Declan McDonogh
Sylvester Kirk
1:00.82
2007
Drawnfromthepast
Martin Dwyer
Jamie Osborne
0:59.77
2008
Flashmans Papers
Steve Drowne
John Best
1:00.60
2009
Strike The Tiger
John R. Velazquez
Wesley A. Ward
1:01.28
2010
Marine Commando
Paul Hanagan
Richard Fahey
1:01.09
2011
Frederick Engels
Johnny Murtagh
David Brown
0:59.91
2012
Hototo
Phillip Makin
Kevin Ryan
1:01.21
2013
Extortionist
Johnny Murtagh
Olly Stevens
0:59.82
2014
Hootenanny
Victor Espinoza
Wesley A. Ward
0:59.05
2015
Washington DC
Ryan Moore
Aidan O'Brien
1:00.04
2016
Ardad
Robert Havlin
John Gosden
1:02.56
2017
Sound and Silence
William Buick
Charlie Appleby
0:59.20
2018
Soldier's Call
Daniel Tudhope
Archie Watson
1:00.25
2019
Southern Hills
Ryan Moore
Aidan O'Brien
1:03.05
2020
Tactical
James Doyle
Andrew Balding
1:00.04
2021
Chipotle
Charles Bishop
Eve Johnson Houghton
0:59.79
2022
Little Big Bear
Ryan Moore
Aidan O'Brien
1:00.33
2023
Big Evs
Jason Hart
Michael Appleby
0:59.91
Windsor Castle Stakes Previous Result
BIG EVS (IRE) looks to have a BIG future after conquering the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes in style! ????@MickApplebyUK trainee bred by Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd & sired by @DarleyEurope Kildangan Stud first-season sire Blue Point (IRE). ????????pic.twitter.com/AVRqZ2z9hf
Windsor Castle Stakes winners have come from a wide variety of races and there are no established trials. Ten of the last twelve winners had at least one previous victory, five of them scoring on their most recent start.
The winners of the Windsor Castle Stakes are often aimed at the top five and six furlong races for two-year-olds.
Of the last twelve winners, only Frederick Engels (2011) and Tactical (2020) were successful on their next outing. Both horses won the July Stakes at Newmarket.
Frederick Engels was later sold to continue his racing career in Hong Kong.
Four of the last twelve winners ran at Glorious Goodwood, three of them in the Molecomb Stakes, but all were beaten. The Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster is an obvious target at the St Leger meeting in September.
Windsor Castle Stakes winners also have the option of top races in France and at the Breeders’ Cup.
Windsor Castle Stakes Betting Trends
There have only been three winning favourites in this race in recent years; Frederick Engels at 9-4 (2011), Hootenanny at 7-2 (2014) and Tactical at the same price (2020).
This race has produced plenty of shock results. The average winning Windsor Castle odds since 2002 have been around 16-1.
The biggest shock in the history of this race was Flashmans Papers at 100-1 in 2008. It equalled the longest-price winner at the Royal meeting at the time; Fox Chapel in the 1990 Britannia Stakes.
A new record was established in the 2020 Coventry Stakes when Nando Parrado struck at 150-1.
Strike The Tiger won at 33-1 in 2009 while Chipotle returned at 22-1 in 2021. Elhamri (2006) and Ardad (2016) were both 20-1 shots while Extortionist (2013) and Sound And Silence (2017) were 16-1 in the Windsor Castle betting.
Most recent Windsor Castle Stakes winners had at least two previous races and had winning form over five furlongs.
Many of them had been born in April or earlier, suggesting this race is more suited to precocious two-year-olds.
Windsor Castle Stakes – Top Trainers and Jockeys
No trainer has been able to dominate this race.
American trainer Wesley Ward won it with Strike The Tiger (2009) and Hootenanny (2014) and his runners certainly don’t go unnoticed in this event. The American juveniles are more forward than their European counterparts and Ward has exploited this to win several of the top two-year-old races at Royal Ascot. He has also won the Norfolk Stakes (2013, 2018) and the Queen Mary Stakes (2009, 2015, 2016, 2020).
Aidan O’Brien also has two victories with Washington DC (2015) and Southern Hills (2019), both ridden by Ryan Moore. The competitive nature of Windsor Castle Stakes betting is illustrated by a wide spread of successful trainers.
The leading jockey in the history of the Windsor Castle Stakes is Pat Eddery who won it six times; Barrys Gamble (1988), Pharaoh’s Delight (1989), Gipsy Fiddler (1990), Satank (1992), Autumnal (2000) and Irony (2001).
Richard Queen won it four times; Great Deeds (1993), Brave Music (1994), Kuantan (1995) and Kalindi (1999).
Betting on the Windsor Castle Stakes
The Windsor Castle Stakes has proved extremely tricky for punters in recent seasons.
The race consistently attracts a large field of relatively inexperienced juveniles and the market has not often been a reliable guide. It looks a race to approach with caution from a betting angle.
Tote beat the industry SP 74% of the time on Royal Ascot World Pool days and the remaining 26% is matched with Tote Guarantee in place
New customers online only. £/€5 min stake. Receive £/€20 Tote Credit when first bet settles. £/€10 redeemable against racing bets and £/€10 redeemable against racing bets excl. Win/Place. 7 day expiry. Qualifying bet is the first racing pool bet added to the betslip. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleaware.org.
New customers for Royal Ascot at bet365 can claim the Bet of £10 & Get £30 Free Bets sign-up offer. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits for Royal Ascot Festival
Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required.
The bet 10 get 40 pounds in betting bonuses is a popular 2023 Royal Ascot offer for new punters looking to wager on the Royal Ascot Festival races
New 18+ UK customers only. Register using the promo code WELCOME40, deposit and place first bet of £10+ on Sports (cumulative Evens+) within 7 days of registration. First bet must be on Sports. £30 in Free Bets and £10 in Free Spins (50x20p) credited within 10 hours of bet settlement. Free Bet stakes are not included in any returns. Bonuses have a 7-day expiry. Payment restrictions apply. SMS verification and/or Proof of I.D and address may be required. Full T&Cs apply.
William Hill’s latest promo is bet £10 get £30 in free bets, an excellent bookies offer for the big races at The Royal Ascot 2023
New customers using Promo code H30 only, Min £10/€10 stake, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 2 x £15/€15, free bets credited after settlement of first qualifying bet, free bets will expire 30 days after the qualifying bet is placed, payment method/player/country restrictions apply.
The new sign up offer from Unibet is one of the best new promotions to take advantage of for The Royal Ascot Festival in 2023, bet £10 to receive £40 in free bets
18+ begambleaware.org. New customers only. Min deposit £10. Money back as bonus if first racing bet loses. Wagering: sportsbook 3x at min. odds of 1.40 (2/5), casino 50x. Sports bonus must be wagered before using the casino bonus. Bonus expires 7 days after opt-in. Full T&Cs apply. #AD
Skybet has some of the best bonuses and free bets including exclusive Ascot betting offers in comparison to leading UK bookmakers
NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY. FIRST SINGLE & E/W BET ONLY. 5P MINIMUM STAKE. 3 X £10 BET TOKENS. FREE BET STAKES NOT INCLUDED IN RETURNS. FREE BETS EXCLUDE VIRTUALS. FREE BETS ARE NON WITHDRAWABLE. NO FREE BET EXPIRY. ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS AND FURTHER T&CS APPLY. 18+. BEGAMBLEAWARE.ORG
Betfair’s free bet bonus is one to take a look at for The 2023 Royal Ascot, offering a totally free £30 bet, available to use for both the Betfair exchange and sportsbook
New Customer offer. Place a min £10 bet on the Sportsbook on odds of min 1/2 (1.5), get £30 in Free Bets. Rewards valid for 30 days. SMS verification required. Only deposits via cards will qualify. Please Gamble Responsibly.
One of the best sign up offers for Royal Ascot, this BetVictor promo of bet 10 get 40 is perfect for new customers wanting to place a bet on the horses
18+ New customers only. Deposit, opt in and place a £10 qualifying bet on Horse Racing at odds of 2.00 or greater within 7 days of opening a new account; excludes cashed out bets. Receive 3x £10 Horse Racing Free Bets, valid on set events only at odds 2.00 or greater. Plus, a £10 Slot Bonus, selected games, wager 20x to withdraw a max of £250. Bonuses expire in 7 days. Card payments only. T&Cs Apply. Please Gamble Responsibly.
Coral’s newest sign up deal for Royal Ascot is for the value of 20 pounds in free bets, a betting offer that’s perfect for those wanting a bet on the big races
18+ Eligible UK+IRE players. Paypal & some deposit & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4x £5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. No cashout, restrictions + T&Cs apply.
This bookmakers new promotion is ideal for the horse racing, proving 20 pounds in free bets when you place 5 as a new customer, perfect for The Royal Ascot!
18+ New UK+IRE customers. Paypal and certain deposit types and bet types excluded. Min £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4 x £5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days on sports, stake not returned, restrictions apply.
Parimatch have a new welcome offer of £30 in free bets when you bet £5, which is a great promo to make the most of for The Royal Ascot
18+ New Customers Only. Opt-in, bet on Horse Racing within 7 days of registration. Get your stake refunded up to £30 in Free Bets for set markets if your bet loses (odds 3.00+). Free bets expire in 7 days. Card payments only. Offer valid from 16:00 UK time 04/08/2023. begambleaware.org | Please Gamble Responsibly
Paddy Power are known for their terrific betting offers, and their latest promotion gives customers 10 pound back as cash if the bet doesn’t win!
New customers only. Place your FIRST bet on any market at odds of min 2.0 (EVS) and if it loses we will refund your stake in CASH. Max refund for this offer is £20. Only deposits made using cards will qualify for this promotion.
For a brilliant new customer offer for the horse racing, betway’s up to £10 in free bets is an excellent choice
New UK customers only. £10 Min Deposit. 100% matched free bet on your first deposit of £10. 1 x wagering at odds of 1.75+ to unlock Free Bets. Debit Card deposits only. This offer is valid for 7 days from your new account being registered. 18+. BeGambleAware.org. Bet The Responsible Way.
Boylesports Royal Ascot betting promotions include free bets and will refund all losing Royal Ascot bets if your selected winner finishes second for mobile customers only
New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Mobile exclusive. Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Account & Payment method restrictions apply. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. 18+. T&Cs apply.
New customers who sign up to Virgin Bet get some amazing Royal Ascot betting bonuses
*New members. £10 min deposit & bet on sportsbook, placed & settled at 1.5 min odds within 14 days of sign-up. Win part of E/W bets. 2 non-withdrawable £10 Free Bet Tokens: accept in 7 days, valid for 7 days from acceptance (ex. E/Ws & Multiples), stakes not returned. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org. 18+.
LiveScore Bet bonus code and sign-up offer is available to new sports betting punters on all of the races at Royal Ascot Festival
New members. £10 min deposit & bet on sportsbook, placed & settled at 1.5 min odds within 14 days of sign-up. Win part of E/W bets. 2 non-withdrawable £10 Free Bet Tokens: accept in 7 days, valid for 7 days from crediting (ex. E/Ws & Multiples), stakes not returned. **UK and Irish horse racing win/each-way bets placed after 9am on race day. Max enhancement £50k/day. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org. 18+.
The Mr Play bonus code for the Royal Ascot meeting is available to new horse racing customers when registering for an mr.play Sport account
18+, Welcome Bonus: New Players only, 1st Deposit, Min Deposit: £10, max £15 bonus, valid for 14 days, bets must be placed at a min. odds of 1/1 (2.00) or greater and be settled within 14 days of placement. System bets no eligible.
The Windsor Castle Stakes is held in June each year as part of Royal Ascot.
Summary of the Windsor Castle Stakes
We hope you have enjoyed our Windsor Castle Stakes guide, we have looked at odds, history, tips and more, so you have all the info you need whether you are placing a bet or simply enjoying the race.
The Windsor Castle Stakes is held on the same day as the following races listed below:
As the Co-Founder of British Racecourses, I love the chance to share my enjoyment of racing with others. As a family, we have always loved the racing and went to Haydock races as kids, as often as we could. We are now lucky enough to own some fantastic racehorses who we will follow around the tracks and we have had some great wins.
As part of British Racecourses, I enjoy visiting and reviewing the racecourses that we visit, all of which I think have something to offer and are brilliant in their own ways.