King Charles and Queen Camilla ‘eyeing over £300k prize money’ at Royal Ascot

King Charles and Queen Camilla could take home as much as £300k in prize money after races at Royal Ascot kicked off on Tuesday, new research reveals.

The monarch will be looking to defend the King George V Stakes on Thursday, after Desert Hero won for His Majesty last year.

According to research from BoyleSports, the royal couple could win as much as £300,000 prize money, with Gilded Water priced at 9/1 for the race at 3.05pm on Thursday.

Desert Hero will also be looking to repeat his heroics from last year in Saturday’s Hardwicke Stakes – with the bookmaker offering odds of 7/1.

Gilded Water’s race on Thursday kicks off the royals’ week at the highly-anticipated annual event, with day three seeing the first royal runner competing in the Class 2 handicap – the winner of which will claim a £56,694 prize.

Royal Ascot 2024 - Tuesday

The race will take place just over an hour after the Royal Procesion at 2pm, and will be shown on ITV at 3.05pm on ITV.

Gilded Water’s trainer William Haggas has also entered filly Hard To Resist in the Sandringham Stakes at 5.05pm on Friday, with odds of 14/1 and £56,694 on offer for the winner, according to the bookmaker.

But Saturday will see the most entries for the royals, and potentially the most prize money. Desert Hero is also to be ridden by Tom Marquand, after winning with the four-year-old last year in what could be one of the horse’s last outings.

This Group 1 Hardwicke Stakes could yield a prize of £141,775 if the royals win with odds of 10/1.

The royals also have two royal entries in the penultimate race of the week, the 5.40pm Ascot Golden Gates Stakes.

BoyleSports is offering odds of 16/1 for a Treasure, trained by Ralph Beckett, taking the win.

Gilded Water’s entry in the race will depend on the run in the King George V Stakes on Thursday. A second outing is possible, but unlikely, with a £56,694 prize on offer.

Writing jointly in the official programme for the event, Charles and Camilla acknowledged the late Queen Elizabeth’s deep affection for the sport.