The Gold Cup is the feature race on the Thursday of Royal Ascot . The 2012 Gold Cup is due to take place on Thursday 21 June at 15:45. The BBC will be covering the event for the last time on UK terrestial television. From 2013 onwards Channel 4 have won broadcasting rights.
The Gold Cup is Group One event over 2 and a half miles. It is the oldest race run at Royal Ascot and has long been regarded as the top prize for horses in this class.
Royal Ascot: Gold Cup Trends
The last decade has been dominated by the brillant Yeats, the only four time winner of the race:
| Year | Winner | Trainer | Jockey | Wt | OR | Age | SP |
| 2012 | Colour Vision | S Bin Suroor | L Dettori | 9-2 | 117 | 4 | 6/1 |
| 2011 | Fame And Glory | A P O’Brien | J P Spencer | 9-2 | 122 | 5 | 11/8f |
| 2010 | Rite Of Passage | D K Weld | P J Smullen | 9-2 | – | 6 | 20/1 |
| 2009 | Yeats | A P O’Brien | J Murtagh | 9-2 | 122 | 8 | 6/4f |
| 2008 | Yeats | A P O’Brien | J Murtagh | 9-2 | – | 7 | 11/8f |
| 2007 | Yeats | A P O’Brien | M Kinane | 9-2 | – | 6 | 8/13f |
| 2006 | Yeats | A P O’Brien | K Fallon | 9-2 | – | 5 | 7/1 |
| 2005 | Westerner | E Lellouche | O Peslier | 9-2 | – | 6 | 7/4f |
| 2004 | Papineau | S Bin Suroor | L Dettori | 9-0 | 111 | 4 | 5/1 |
| 2003 | Mr Dinos | P Cole | K Fallon | 9-0 | 115 | 4 | 3/1 |
Royal Ascot: Gold Cup Stats
Trainer: AP O’ Brien has trained 5 of the last 7 winners. 5 of the last 6 winners have all been Irish Trained.
Age: Yeats has been the only winner aged older than 6 in the last decade. Prior to Yeats 68 years had passed since the last winner aged seven or older.
Starting Price: 4 of the last five and 5 of the last ten favourites have won but Yeats may be skewing that stat. Rite of Passage and Royal Rebel have been the only winners priced in double figures in the past decade.
Trial Races: The previous years race is a good guide with 5 of the last 20 renewals being won by the previous years winner. If there is to be a British trained the Henry II Stakes at Sandown is the best guide having produced 5 of the last 7 British Trained Winners.
Royal Ascot: Gold Cup Odds
