Ryan Moore heads into Royal Ascot as the most successful active jockey at the meeting with 92 winners, well clear of William Buick on 39 and Jamie Spencer on 29.
His finest week came in 2015 when he set a new post-war record of nine winners at a single Royal Ascot, surpassing the previous benchmark of eight shared by Lester Piggott (1965 and 1975) and Pat Eddery (1989), all achieved when the meeting was held over four rather than five days.
With another strong book of rides awaiting him this year, we assess Moore's chances on the opening day of the royal meeting.
6. First Conquest
Race: Queen Anne Stakes (2.30)
Trainer: Charlie Appleby
Best odds: 66-1
Charlie Appleby holds all the aces in the Queen Anne, the opening race of the meeting, but Moore is on the outsider of his three runners.
With stable number one William Buick aboard favourite Notable Speech and Billy Loughnane on Opera Ballo, the ride on First Conquest was up for grabs.
Moore, who is unlikely to be on many 66-1 shots this week, has had six winners from 38 rides for Appleby in Britain.
He looks unlikely to add a seventh here. The five-year-old has not won since reeling off back-to-back victories at Meydan in January 2025 and has largely struggled to make an impact in his limited appearances since.
5. Mission Central
Race: King Charles III Stakes (3.40)
Trainer: Aidan O'Brien
Best odds: 9-1
Mission Central shortened into 9-1 soon after declarations for the King Charles III Stakes, having been available at 12-1 before.
The 625,000gns yearling made a big impact in the second half of his juvenile season, winning the valuable new two-year-old race on Ascot's British Champions Day card.
He faces a stiffer challenge at the royal meeting but has started his three-year-old campaign strongly, landing back-to-back Listed contests at Naas and looking like a colt on the upgrade.
However, there is no shortage of quality among the 26-strong field, most notably Australian raider Overpass and Francis Graffard's Aga Khan Studs-owned Rayevka.
4. Survie
Race: Wolferton Stakes (5.35)
Trainer: George Boughey
Best odds: 12-1
George Boughey took over the training of this mare from Nicolas Clement and Frauke Hermans this year, with Moore partnering her on all but one of her starts for the new yard.
The five-year-old made a winning stable debut under Moore on the all-weather before being stepped up in class, finishing third in the Neom Turf Cup over 1m2f. She was dropped in trip for her last two starts, with disappointing outcomes.
The 1.9 million guineas purchase has questions to answer on that recent form, but should appreciate the return to a mile and a quarter in the Wolferton.
3. Reaching High
Race: Ascot Stakes (5.00)
Trainer: Willie Mullins
Best odds: 9-4
Owned by the King and Queen, the five-year-old heads to Ascot for his first start since last year's royal meeting.
He was sent off the 11-4 favourite for the Ascot Stakes 12 months ago, his second appearance for Willie Mullins since joining from Sir Michael Stoute's yard.
But Reaching High had a nightmare passage, being repeatedly denied a clear run. He kept on to be beaten three and three-quarter lengths under Moore, who will be hoping to make amends this time around.
The five-year-old was ante-post favourite for two races on the opening day, but connections have chosen a redemption mission in the Ascot Stakes over an alternative option in the Copper Horse Stakes.
2. Gstaad
Race: St James's Palace Stakes (4.20)
Trainer: Aidan O'Brien
Best odds: 3-1
Bow Echo and Gstaad meet again in the St James's Palace Stakes, with Moore's mount hoping to turn around the form from their Newmarket clash last month.
The 2,000 Guineas went the way of George Boughey's stable star, who put two and three-quarter lengths between himself and Gstaad.
The runner-up went one better in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, his second Group 1 success to add to his victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, and returns to the scene of his dominant Coventry Stakes win 12 months ago.
That course experience is something Bow Echo does not possess, but the market still expects the form from their previous clash to be confirmed.
1. Confucius
Race: Coventry Stakes (3.05)
Trainer: Aidan O'Brien
Best odds: 9-4
Aidan O'Brien boasts the top two in the market for the Coventry, but Moore has got off Great Barrier Reef to get back on Confucius.
Moore has won the Coventry for O'Brien in four of the last ten years, on Caravaggio (2016), Arizona (2019), River Tiber (2023) and Gstaad last year. They were all favourite.
Confucius was beaten by a nose on his debut on soft to heavy ground at the Curragh under Moore. He put that right for Wayne Lordan when recording a three-and-three-quarter-length victory at Naas last month, a race won by stablemate Albert Einstein 12 months earlier.
Great Barrier Reef is two from two, both under Moore, but the jockey bookings have caused the price on Confucius to tumble and he looks set to go off a strong favourite.
Read more:
How good is Diamond Necklace? Even Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien don't know after gutsy Diane win takes record to 5-5
Top jockey Ryan Moore and longstanding racecourse volunteer among those to feature in King's birthday honours list
'Willie Mullins will have him spot on for this' - why this horse can win on day one of Royal Ascot
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