The Most Successful Trainers In Royal Ascot History

Training a winner at Royal Ascot is the dream for every aspiring trainer. Simply having a horse good enough to run at the Royal meeting is an achievement in itself but priming one to win at the biggest Flat event of the summer is an extraordinary feat.

Some trainers will never win at Royal Ascot, others will win once or twice and others will win a few. However, there are a small number who will train multiple winners and these absolute geniuses of their craft set the standard for the rest to follow.

With this summer’s Royal meeting fast approaching, it’s time to look at the trainers who have enjoyed the most success at the Berkshire track. So, without further ado, here are the most successful trainers in the 217-year history of Royal Ascot.

Aidan O’Brien – 85 Winners

An absolute legend of the sport, Aidan O’Brien holds the record for the most victories at Royal Ascot with an incredible 85 winners – and he looks certain to add to that this year.

His first taste of success at the Royal meeting came back in 1997, with Harbour Master winning the Coventry Stakes to set the Ballydoyle master rolling.

Since then, it’s been winner after winner for O’Brien and he passed Sir Michael Stoute as the winning-most trainer in 2023, with Paddington’s success in the St James’s Palace Stakes.

It would be the shock of all shocks if Aidan O’Brien was to miss out on adding to his tally of Royal Ascot winners this summer and the 100 winners at the Berkshire meeting is in his sights.

Still only 54 years old, he could be around for many years to come and O’Brien may have racked up an insurmountable target for his peers if he continues to dominate the Royal meeting.

Sir Michael Stoute – 82 Winners

One of the all-time greats and a true Flat racing icon, Sir Michael Stoute has trained 82 Royal Ascot winners and he will be hoping to add to that figure at this year’s meeting.

Sitting in second place behind Ballydoyle maestro Aidan O’Brien, Stoute’s tally ranks him as the most successful British trainer in Royal Ascot history.

He passed the late Sir Henry Cecil’s tally of 75 winners in 2018, with Poet’s Word earning victory number 76 at the Royal meeting for the Newmarket-based trainer.

Now sitting on 82 Royal Ascot winners, Stoute’s most recent success at the meeting came in 2021 with Dream Of Dreams winning the Diamond Jubilee Stakes – a race now called the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes after the late Her Majesty.

Away from the Royal meeting, Stoute as trained six winners of the Epsom Derby, eight Lockinge Stakes winners and five 2000 Guineas winners.

Sir Henry Cecil – 75 Winners

The late, great Sir Henry Cecil racked up a total of 75 Royal Ascot winners during his sensational training career and he is recognised as one of the pioneers of the sport.

He sadly passed away in 2013 but his achievements in the world of Flat racing – and at Ascot in particular – will never be forgotten.

Trainer of the legendary Frankel, Cecil was widely regarded as one of the trainers of his era and he was British champion Flat trainer 10 times – a number surpassed only by Alec Taylor Jr and equalled by Sir Michael Stoute in 2009.

Frankel won five times at Ascot, with two of those triumphs coming at Royal Ascot and his success in the 2012 Queen Anne Stakes is widely recognised as one of the greatest ever performances in Royal Ascot history.

The John & Thady Gosden yard are closing in on 64 winners but it may be some time before Sir Henry Cecil’s tally is matched by the Clarehaven Stables pair.