Six Royal Ascot Contenders Who Have Previously Won At The Track

This time next week we will be one day into the Royal Ascot meeting but with still time before the summertime showpiece we have looked into six horses that have previously won at the track that are running at the festival.

The first horse that we would like to highlight is the Eve Johnson Houghton trained Accidental Agent who landed the first race of the meeting last season at huge odds of 33/1.

That was his trainers first ever winner at Royal Ascot that lead to heaps of emotion but overall it was a superb performance to get up on the line and claim his first Group 1 win of his career.

Although he has underperformed this season, he is a horse to watch out for as he loves Ascot and will be looking to land back to back wins in this race which is no small feat.

(Credit Racing Post) "It's great to have him back as we had a lot of doubters," said trainer Eve Johnson Houghton after the Lockinge. "All roads lead to the Queen Anne. We know he loves Ascot and this will bring him on in leaps and bounds."

Secondly is a fan favourite at Ascot in the big Handicap contests and the David Elsworth trained Rip Orf after missing the festival last season will be looking to make things count this year.

He has form figures of 13125 at Ascot winning the 27-runner Victoria Cup, finishing third in the International (27 runners), won the Cunard Handicap (20 runners) and was second in the Challenge Cup (15 runners). This year he could only finish fifth in the Victoria Cup but heading into the five day meeting at a lowly mark makes him one to watch out for.

Archie Watson is a trainer known for bringing through young horses and getting them extremely race fit and Soldiers Call is the horse that gave Watson his first ever Royal Ascot win but has also been his stable star.

Landing the Windsor Castle Stakes was just the start of what this horse had to offer also giving the trainer his first Group 3 win, Group 2 win and almost his first black type victory when narrowly missing out in France when finishing third by a neck in the Group 1 Prix de l'Abbaye.

Soldier's Call will be going in the hunt for that first Group 1 at the meeting being entered into the King's Stands Stakes and with the form of one run at Ascot and one win he has to be feared.

The seven year old Tin man has been a superb performer at Royal Ascot over the years for trainer James Fanshawe and although a bit older now at seven years of age he can't be discounted to go well again at a track he adores.

He has won three of his last eight starts at the Berkshire track including two Group 1 success in 2016 on British Champions Day in the Sprint contests and at Royal Ascot in 2017 in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes on the Saturday.

Last season he landed the Haydock Sprint Cup to take his third Group 1 and that came on heavy ground but when it comes to Royal Ascot he likes the ground fast so we will have to see what the weather does for him.

David O'Meara's Lord Glitters looks set for the Queen Anne Stakes and although putting in a poor performance last time out in the Group1 Lockinge at Newbury, Ascot seems to be the track he shines at.

Last season in the Group 1 he heads for this season again he finished a smart second behind Accidental Agent and at the back end of the season he went on to take the Balmoral Handicap on British Champions Day.

With figures of 21226 at Ascot he looks sure to be right in the frame again if putting his past run behind him.

The final horses for courses to follow at Royal Ascot is Mark Johnston's Baghdad who has only raced at the course one and won in superb style making his certainly one to watch at the festival.

He won the King George V Handicap last season and has progressed again this year being an even better horse, winning nicely at the Guineas meeting a Newmarket in the 1 mile 4f handicap which would set him up nicely for the Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap.

Johnston has won that race three times in his career and it looks the obvious option with this four year old but he could ambitiously go for the Hardwicke Stakes now that Crystal Ocean has vacated the race.