Reaching High strongly fancied for Willie Mullins at Royal Ascot

Willie Mullins is expected to make history for King Charles and Queen Camilla tomorrow by being the first Irish trainer to produce a Royal Ascot winner for them on the first day of this year’s Royal meeting.

The King and Queen’s horse, Reaching High, is hot favourite at 9/4 to win the Ascot Stakes, which takes place at 5pm on Tuesday this week, the first day of the five-day Royal meeting. His closest market rival is a distant 6/1.

Reaching High, a five-year-old gelding, went into training at Closutton in May last year, the home and training facility of the multiple Champion Trainer, who has gained the National Hunt championship title both at home in Ireland and in the UK.

Mullins has trained the winner of the Ascot Stakes on four previous occasions, and Ryan Moore, who rides the horse and has recently been awarded an MBE, has won this race three times himself.

The Royal runner was ninth in this race last year and might have gone better if not denied a clear run to the finish line, but might have a better chance this year due to being drawn further into the middle.

Worth £62,000 to the winning connections, the Ascot Stakes would be a significant victory for the King and Queen, bringing them their first ever Irish-trained Royal Ascot winner. The couple celebrated their first Royal Ascot winner in 2023, with the William Haggas-trained Desert Hero in the King George V Stakes.

Royal Ascot odds - Ascot Stakes (from BOYLE Sports)