Ascot Gold Cup Tips - Can the Ballydoyle favourite be beaten at Royal Ascot?

Jon Vine

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Last updated: 19 Jun 2025

Jon Vine 19 Jun 2025

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Kyprios's surprise retirement reshapes the 2025 Gold Cup lineup
Illinois steps up as a favorite, backed by strong past performances
Trawlerman, Sweet William and Candelari pose significant challenges

Expired

Ryan Moore riding Illinois leaves the stalls at the start of The Queen's Vase during Royal Ascot. (Getty)

The middle day of the Royal meeting is headlined by the most prestigious race of this famous meeting, the Ascot Gold Cup.

This historic Group One was held at Ascot over 220 years ago and a surprisingly small field will contest this year's renewal of the Gold Cup. Who will win the 2025 edition?

2025 Ascot Gold Cup Runners

The surprise retirement of two-time defending Gold Cup champion Kyprios has forced Aidan O'Brien to rethink his staying division. Illinois was due to run in the Coronation Cup at Epsom, but will now step up beyond two miles for the first time and O'Brien's Queen's Vase winner now heads the betting for this year's Gold Cup.

John & Thady Gosden are still without former winner Courage Mon Ami, but they'll be represented by the second and third from last year's Gold Cup, Trawlerman and Sweet William. Francis-Henri Graffard will be represented by Candelari, following his victory in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier at Longchamp.

Yashin got the better of Coltrane when the two met in the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot and both will likely line up in the main event on day three of Royal Ascot. James Ferguson's all-weather winner Wonder Legend and Dubai Future for Saeed bin Suroor complete the field.

2025 Ascot Gold Cup Tips

With Kyprios enjoying his retirement at Ballydoyle, the staying division looks decidedly weak. Trawlerman finished second in this race 12 months ago and won well last time out, but he's still only rated 118. Sweet William is rated two pounds inferior to his stablemate, while French raider Candelari has never raced on ground this quick before.

ILLINOIS has been subbed into the Gold Cup picture to replace Kyprios. Aidan O'Brien's star has never raced over this sort of trip before, but I don't see why Ryan Moore's mount won't see out the distance and he's the classiest horse in this contest.

O'Brien's colt won the Queen's Vase here at Royal Ascot 12 months ago. Illinois then suffered narrow defeats in the Grand Prix de Paris, the Great Voltigeur Stakes and the St Leger - losing out on all three occasions to horses who've won Group Ones during the first half of this season.

Illinois saw out 17 furlongs well on soft ground to score in the Prix Chaudenay on his final three-year-old start. O'Brien's colt then returned to action with an easy victory in the Ormonde Stakes at Chester, beating last Saturday's Grand Cup Stakes first and second, Al Qareem and Absurde, without truly extending himself.

Ryan Moore's mount is the only horse in this field capable of running up to a mark in the 120s. Stall one shouldn't be a problem in such a small field, and Illinois should get a lovely toe into the race from Trawlerman, drawn in stall two.

Verdict

2025 Ascot Gold Cup

Illinois's stamina is unproven, but he's the class horse in a fairly average renewal of this historic contest. I think Ryan Moore's mount will win fairly comfortably.