It was a warm and highly anticipated start to Royal Ascot, but for King Charles III, the day didn’t unfold quite as hoped.
His horse, Reaching High, entered the opening race with strong expectations—but left without a win, falling short as Ascending clinched victory by a narrow margin.
Big Expectations, But a Tough Race
All eyes were on Reaching High, who was backed as the favourite at 11/4 and ridden by none other than top jockey Ryan Moore.
The prize? A hefty £57,000 for first place in the Ascot Stakes.
But despite the fanfare and strong betting support, Reaching High just couldn’t break free from the pack.
Royal Legacy and Irish Firsts
This wasn’t just any racehorse—Reaching High was bred by the late Queen Elizabeth II, out of her beloved Ascot Gold Cup winner, Estimate.
More notably, the horse is the first ever owned by a reigning British monarch to be trained in Ireland, under the guidance of Willie Mullins, the recently crowned Champion Trainer of the National Hunt season.
Pre-Race Jitters on a Sweltering Day
Signs of trouble were there early. Reaching High seemed agitated ahead of the race, needing to be led into the stalls on an unseasonably hot afternoon at Ascot.
With just one race under his belt this season—a narrow loss in a photo finish at Leopardstown—it was always going to be a big ask.
Stuck in the Middle and Unable to Push Through
As the race got underway, Reaching High found himself trapped mid-pack, hugging the right-hand rail as Liari set the early pace.
Moore tried to find a path forward in the final stretch, but with little room to manoeuvre, the royal runner couldn’t mount a serious challenge.
Ascending Takes the Glory
At the front, Ascending powered ahead to claim the win, just edging out Nurburgring, who took second.
Comfort Zone rounded out the top three, followed by Leinster and Divine Comedy.
A Second Chance for the King
All is not lost for the monarch’s racing hopes at Ascot this year.
King Charles will have a second contender, Rainbows Edge, lining up in the Kensington Palace Stakes on Wednesday.
After today’s disappointment, all attention now shifts to whether his next runner can lift the royal spirits.