RacingBetter News
	Wednesday 27th May 2026

Royal Ascot 2026: Gold Cup Betting Favourites Previewed

Every year, thousands descend on Berkshire for five days of racing at Royal Ascot. While the eight Group 1 races are all entertaining in their own right, the Gold Cup remains the showpiece event.

First run in 1807, the two-and-a-half-mile race has become the most prestigious in Britain’s flat season. Thousands make the journey to see it live, and plenty more will be watching around the world as the contest unfolds on Thursday 18th June.

With just weeks to go until the race, excitement is already building. Markets are becoming increasingly active across top UK betting sites recommended by Aceodds, as punters place wagers on the runners they believe have the best chance of success. But who do the bookmakers see as the top contenders?

Scandinavia

Scandinavia heads into the race as the current ante-post favourite at 5/4, despite 2026 marking the first year he will be contesting the Gold Cup. However, the colt has shown plenty of promise over the last two years.

In 2025, he won four of the five races he competed in, including big wins at St Leger and the Goodwood Cup. Scandinavia has since carried that form into the new year, with victories at Navan and Saval Beg taking him to five consecutive first-place finishes.

Moreover, he is trained by Aidan O’Brien, who has an exceptional record when it comes to Ascot. The Irishman, who is the most successful trainer in the festival’s history, has won nine Gold Cups, including four successive years with Yeats between 2006 and 2009. If everything comes together for Scandinavia, he’ll be hard to stop.

Rahiebb

Scandinavia and Rahiebb have become accustomed to competing against each other in recent times. The latter lost out by a neck at St Leger in 2025, but has put himself in contention for the Gold Cup after an impressive return at the Yorkshire Cup.

That mid-May victory was just the second win of Rahiebb’s career. But a strong finish impressed the bookmakers so much that they have since shortened his odds of winning the Gold Cup to 4/1.

Trainer Roger Varian recently described how Rahiebb has developed well in the last year, particularly over the winter, and that he is hopeful that his best days are yet to come. He remains a fair way behind Scandinavia in the odds, but the four-year-old might yet run his rival close.

Trawlerman

Although the Godolphin-owned horse comes into Ascot with proven form at this course, Trawlerman’s odds have recently lengthened following recent reports that he is not a definite runner for the Gold Cup.

Having missed his usual trip to Meydan in March, he’s starting the season late. Furthermore, trainer John Gosden said that the eight-year-old is not guaranteed to compete in the Gold Cup as he makes his way back to form.

Having won all four starts as a seven-year-old, Trawlerman won’t be ruled out by sportsbooks until his absence is officially confirmed. Nevertheless, a second consecutive victory in the Gold Cup looks increasingly unlikely, despite him being listed at 5/1.