No trainer has won more Royal Ascot races than Aidan O’Brien with 96 successes at the biggest flat fixture on the British horse racing calendar. However, there are still some Royal Ascot races that the Ballydoyle handler is still to get his hands on.
With that in mind, we list the BEST and WORST races for Aidan O’Brien heading into the 2025 Royal Ascot meeting – including one contest he’s won a remarkable TEN times.
There Are 12 Royal Ascot Races Aidan O’Brien Still Hasn’t Won
Over the years we’ve seen the Royal Ascot races schedule chop and change a fair bit.
It wasn’t that long ago when the meeting was run over four days – with the Saturday called ‘Heath Day’ and not included in the Royal event.
But with the Saturday added as part of Royal Ascot in 2002 to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. This meant a re-jig and since some newer races have been added to get the 35 Royal Ascot races we have today.
Of these contests, and with a record haul of 96 Royal Ascot winners for Aidan O’Brien – it’s no shock he’s won most of them.
However, there are still 12 of today’s 35 Royal Ascot races he’s yet to get his hands on.
Aidan O’Brien Royal Ascot Races He’s NOT Won
- King Charles III Stakes Group One (Tues)
- Ascot Stakes Handicap (Tues)
- Copper Horse Stakes Handicap (Tues)
- Duke Of Cambridge Stakes Group Two (Weds)
- Royal Hunt Cup Handicap (Weds)
- Kensington Palace Stakes Handicap (Weds)
- Buckingham Palace Handicap (Thurs)
- Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes Handicap (Fri)
- Sandringham Stakes Handicap (Fri)
- Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes Handicap (Fri)
- Wokingham Stakes Handicap (Sat)
- Golden Gate Stakes Handicap (Sat)
TWO Royal Ascot Group Races Aidan O’Brien’s Yet To Win
Of the 12 Royal Ascot races O’Brien is still to win – yes, some like the Copper Horse Stakes and Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes are newer contests.
However, there are still TWO Royal Ascot Group races the Ballydoyle trainer is still to win.
These are the Group One King Charles III Stakes, run over 5f on day one. Plus the Group Two Duke Of Cambridge Stakes.
This run in these races, however, looks like continuing as O’Brien doesn’t have a runner in the King Charles III Stakes or Duke Of Cambridge Stakes in 2025.
There was another race he’d not won before 2025 – the Queen Mary Stakes. But he broke his duck with True Love winning.
The Coventry Stakes Has Been Aidan O’Brien’s BEST Royal Ascot Race
At the other end of the Aidan O’Brien Royal Ascot winners chart are five races where he’s fired in seven or more winners over the years.
With these five contests making up a massive 44 of his total 95 Royal Ascot winners.
It’s the Coventry Stakes that tops the lot with 11 WINS for Aidan O’Brien.
Plus, this was the race that also provided him with his very first Royal Ascot winner in Harbour Master in 1997 (watch below). With jockey Christy Roche doing the steering.
He added an eleventh Coventry Stakes win with Gstaad (Ryan Moore) in 2025.
WATCH: Harbour Master Winning The 1997 Coventry Stakes – Aidan O’Brien’s First Ever Royal Ascot Winner
Just behind the Coventry Stakes are the Ascot Gold Cup and St James’s Palace Stakes with nine wins each.
In the Gold Cup his prolific winner Yeats mopped up four wins in the race between 2006 and 2009.
While in the St James’s Palace Stakes his first win came with the super-tough Giant’s Causeway in 2000 and his most recent is Paddington in 2023.
Best Aidan O’Brien Royal Ascot Races
- Coventry Stakes (11 wins) – Harbour Master (1997), Fasliyev (1999), Landseer (2001), Statue of Liberty (2002), Henrythenavigator (2007), Power (2011), War Command (2013), Caravaggio (2016), Arizona (2019), River Tiber (2023), Gstaad (2025)
- Ascot Gold Cup (9 wins) – Yeats (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009), Fame and Glory (2011), Leading Light (2014), Order of St George (2016), Kyprios (2022,2024)
- St James’s Palace Stakes (9 wins) – Giant’s Causeway (2000), Black Minnaloushe (2001), Rock of Gibraltar (2002), Excellent Art (2007), Henrythenavigator (2008), Mastercraftsman (2009), Gleneagles (2015), Circus Maximus (2019), Paddington (2023)
- Queen’s Vase (8 wins) – Mahler (2007), Mikhail Glinka (2010), Leading Light (2013), Aloft (2015), Sword Fighter (2016), Kew Gardens (2018), Santiago (2020), Illinois (2024)
- Chesham Stakes (7 wins) – Bach (1999), Maybe (2011), Churchill (2016), September (2017), Battleground (2020), Point Lonsdale (2021), Bedtime Story (2024)
WATCH: Yeats Winning The 2006 Ascot Gold Cup
Aidan O’Brien Royal Ascot Race Record (Current Races)
See below the how many Aidan O’Brien Royal Ascot winners the Ballydoyle handler has had over ALL 35 races at this year’s meeting.
Tuesday 17th June 2025: Aidan O’Brien Royal Ascot Record
- 2.30pm – The Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) 1m £750,000 📺ITV – 4 WINS
- 3.05pm – The Coventry Stakes (Group 2) 6f £175,000 📺ITV – 11 WINS
- 3.40pm – The King Charles III Stakes (Group 1) 5f £650,000 📺ITV – NO WINS
- 4.20pm – The St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1) 1m £650,000 📺ITV – 9 WINS
- 5.00pm – The Ascot Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) 2m4f £110,000 📺ITV – NO WINS
- 5.35pm – The Wolferton Stakes (Listed) 1m2f £120,000 📺ITV – 1 WIN
- 6.10pm – The Copper Horse Stakes (Handicap) 1m6f £110,000 📺 ITV4 – NO WINS
Wednesday 18th June 2025: Aidan O’Brien Royal Ascot Record
- 2.30pm – The Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2) 5f £150,000 📺ITV – 1 WIN
- 3.05pm – The Queen’s Vase (Group 2) 1m6f £265,000 📺ITV – 8 WINS
- 3.40pm – The Duke of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2) fillies & mares 1m £225,000 📺ITV – NO WINS
- 4.20pm – The Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1) 1m2f £1,000,000 📺ITV – 5 WINS
- 5.00pm – The Royal Hunt Cup (Heritage Handicap) 1m £175,000 📺ITV – NO WINS
- 5.35pm – The Kensington Palace Stakes (Handicap) 1m £110,000 📺ITV – NO WINS
- 6.10pm – The Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed) 5f £110,000 📺 ITV4 – 3 WINS
Thursday 19th June 2025: Aidan O’Brien Royal Ascot Record
- 2.30pm – The Norfolk Stakes (Group 2) 5f £150,000 📺ITV – 4 WINS
- 3.05pm- The King George V Stakes (Handicap) 1m4f £110,000 📺ITV – 1 WIN
- 3.40pm – The Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2) 1m4f £250,000 📺ITV – 6 WINS
- 4.20pm – The Gold Cup (Group 1) 2m4f £650,000 📺ITV – 9 WINS
- 5.00pm – The Britannia Stakes (Heritage Handicap) 1m £120,000 📺ITV – 1 WIN
- 5.35pm – The Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3) 1m2f £150,000 📺ITV – 5 WINS
- 6.10pm – The Buckingham Palace Stakes (Handicap) 7f £110,000 📺 ITV4 – NO WINS
Friday 20th June 2025: Aidan O’Brien Royal Ascot Record
- 2.30pm – The Albany Stakes (Group 3) 6f £125,000 📺ITV- 3 WINS
- 3.05pm – The Commonwealth Cup (Group 1) 6f £650,000 📺ITV – 1 WIN
- 3.40pm – The Duke of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap) 1m4f £110,000 📺ITV – NO WINS
- 4.20pm – The Coronation Stakes (Group 1) 1m £650,000 📺ITV – 3 WINS
- 5.00pm – The Sandringham Stakes (Handicap) 1m £110,000 📺ITV – NO WINS
- 5.35pm – The King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2) 1m4f £250,000 📺ITV – 3 WINS
- 6.10pm – The Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes (Handicap) 5f £110,000 📺 ITV4 – NO WINS
Saturday 21st June 2025: Aidan O’Brien Royal Ascot Record
- 2.30pm – The Chesham Stakes (Listed) 7f £110,000 📺ITV – 7 WINS
- 3.05pm – The Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2) 1m4f £250,000 📺ITV – 4 WINS
- 3.40pm – The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (Group 1) 6f £1,000,000 📺ITV – 2 WINS
- 4.20pm – The Jersey Stakes (Group 3) 7f £150,000 📺ITV – 4 WINS
- 5.00pm – The Wokingham Stakes (Heritage Handicap) 6f £175,000 📺ITV – NO WINS
- 5.35pm – The Golden Gates Stakes (Handicap) 1m2f £110,000 📺ITV – NO WINS
- 6.10pm – The Queen Alexandra Stakes 2m6f £110,000 📺 ITV4 – 1 WIN
