Menu

The Biggest Upsets of Royal Ascot

The Biggest Upsets of Royal Ascot

Watching any horse fly past the finish post is an exhilarating feeling, but that feeling is amplified when it’s a huge-priced winner. And if you’ve placed a bet on the horse in question, so much the better!

However, even if you haven’t, it’s nice watching anyone defy the odds. 

Here are some of the longest priced winners to win Group and listed races at Royal Ascot. 

Les Arcs, The Diamond Jubilee Stakes, 2006 

It’s often the case that horses perform better for some trainers than others. Just like humans, they have their likes and dislikes. So, when slightly quirky handicapper Les Arcs moved from Richard Guest’s yard to Tim Pitt’s down in Shropshire, it was only to be expected that his form might change. 

Thankfully for Tim Pitt, it changed quite remarkably for the better.  

Pitt decided to drop Les Arcs down in distance to 7f and mile-long races. The change proved the making of the horse and he soon began racking up the wins. He’d achieved five wins in a row, including a listed race, so Pitt decided to step things up another gear. 

He entered the horse in a couple of group races but was finding the 5-furlong distances too short. His winning streak came to an end, being thoroughly beaten in two races on the trot. 

So, when it came time for the Diamond Jubilee Stakes, on race day number 5 of Royal Ascot, it was looking incredibly unlikely that Les Arcs would neither be able to return to previous form or better it by a considerable margin.

However, on the day, that extra furlong proved a lifeline for Les Arcs, who flew to victory to win by just a neck over Balthazaar’s Gift. 

He set off a 33/1 shot, making his win a nice surprise for anyone who’d had a bet on him. 

Accidental Agent, The Queen Anne Stakes, 2018 

The most recent long shot to win a Group 1 race at the festival was Accidental Agent. He looked an unlikely contender for the 2018 Queen Anne Stakes as he was sweating terribly before the race. However, he flew from behind to just clinch the win by 1/2 a length over Lord Glitters. 

Since then Accidental Agent has proved himself to be a worthy contender. He seems to favour the course at Newmarket, having won there on his last time out despite being relatively advanced in age for a flat racing horse.  

If you’re looking for a horse to place your money on for Ascot then you’re sadly out of luck with Accidental Agent and his family-owned stable. Instead, it might be wiser to search for a more fancied horse to support. If you’re struggling to find great odds, using one of the Royal Ascot free bet offers could be a good way to get better value. 

Flashmans Papers, Windsor Castle Stakes, 2008 

The Windsor Castle Stakes may not be as renowned a race as the previous two, but still draws plenty of attention from those looking for good value bets, including our own tipsters at Which Bookie. It was in 2008 that the best value imaginable came in, with Flashmans Papers winning this race at incredible odds of 100/1. 

The horse received such enormous odds because his trainer, John Best, had never yet produced a Royal Ascot winner. Not only that, Flashmans Papers had stablemates running in the same race who were more fancied. Mullionmileanhour, for example, was sent off a 16/1 and had been chosen as the ride of Best’s stable jockey.  

While there were several good horses from well-respected yards that were very well fancied, Flashmans Papers was one of six horses who received the 100/1 odds. Despite this, his trainer had high hopes for him. 

The horse had been struggling to quite make the short five-furlong distance, so after a break to beef up a bit, it was hoped that he’d done the trick. It turned out that he had, as Flashmans Papers came from behind in the final 2 furlongs to win the race by half a length.

Advertising Disclosure
At WhichBookie we bring you the best content and offers every day, please be aware that we do collect compensation from some of the links on this page.

Top New Bookmakers

MonkeyBet
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/?post_type=bookmaker&p=4938958 ☆☆☆☆☆
Visit
TangoBet
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/?post_type=bookmaker&p=4801488 ☆☆☆☆☆
Visit
PricedUp
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/?post_type=bookmaker&p=4566795 ☆☆☆☆☆
Visit
Bet442
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/?post_type=bookmaker&p=4237684 ★★★★★
Visit
CasinoKings
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/online-casinos/casinokings/ ★★★★★
Visit
NRG.bet
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/?post_type=bookmaker&p=3924790 ★★★★★
Visit
talkSPORT BET
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/?post_type=bookmaker&p=2018021 ★★★★★
Visit
Vbet
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/vbet-review/ ★★★★☆
Visit
Highbet
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/highbet/ ★★★★☆
Visit
Betrino
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/?post_type=bookmaker&p=4499812 ☆☆☆☆☆
Visit
Fafabet
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/fafabet/ ★★★★★
Visit
Gentleman Jim
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/?post_type=bookmaker&p=3933385 ★★★★★
Visit
BetZone
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/betzone/ ★★★★★
Visit
Neptune Play
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/?post_type=bookmaker&p=3924791 ★★★★★
Visit
Blue Fox Casino
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/?post_type=bookmaker&p=2880013 ★★★★☆
Visit
BetGoodwin
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/?post_type=bookmaker&p=1498342 ★★★★★
Visit
BresBet
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/?post_type=bookmaker&p=2039219 ★★★★☆
Visit
Lottoland
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/?post_type=bookmaker&p=91925 ★★★★☆
Visit
MonsterCasino
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/monstercasino/ ★★★★☆
Visit
CopyBet
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/?post_type=bookmaker&p=2039539 ★★★★★
Visit
LiveScore Bet
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/livescore-bet-review/ ★★★★☆
Visit

Top Offers

SpinWizard | 100 Free Spins No Deposit
Visit
MonkeyBet | £50 Free Bet
Visit
Tangobet Sign Up Offer, Free Bet & Promo Code
Visit
PricedUp Free Bet Sign Up Offer, Promo Code & Review
Visit
Bet365 Sign Up Offer, Free Bet & Bonus Code
Visit
NRG Bet Sign Up Offer, Free Bet & Promo Code
Visit
Bet442 Free Bet, Sign Up Offer & Promo Code for New Customers
Visit
Betfred Sign Up Offer, Free Bet & Promo Code
Visit
Lottoland Sports Sign Up Offer, Free Bet & Promo Code
Visit
Fafabet Free Bet Sign Up Offer & Bonus Code
Visit
CopyBet Sign Up Offer, Free Bet & Promo Code
Visit
Corners Betting Tips
Read
Liam Johnson
Over 9.5 Corners
Roma vs Atalanta

Here you'll find football corners betting tips from our expert football analyst, Liam Johnson. All of the corner predictions published here on WhichBookie are 100% free.

Date published: December 2, 2024
Card Betting Tips
Read
Liam Johnson
Player to be shown a card - Federico Steffanoni
Roma vs Atalanta

Here you'll find football card betting tips from our expert football analyst, Liam Johnson. All of the card & booking points tips published here on WhichBookie are 100% free.

Date published: December 2, 2024

Top Rated Bookmakers

bet365
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/bet365-review/ ★★★★★
Visit
Coral
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/coral-bookmaker-review/ ★★★☆☆
Visit
Ladbrokes
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/ladbrokes-review/ ★★★☆☆
Visit
Betfred
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/betfred-review/ ★★★★★
Visit
William Hill
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/william-hill-review/ ★★★★☆
Visit
BetUK
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/betuk-review/ ★★★★☆
Visit
10bet
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/10bet-review/ ★★★★☆
Visit
BetVictor
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/betvictor-review/ ★★★★★
Visit
Virgin Bet
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/virgin-bet-review/ ★★★★☆
Visit
Boylesports
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/boylesports-review/ ★★★★★
Visit
Lucky 15 Tips
Read
Will Smith
Julius Des Pictons
12:20 Plumpton
5/6

Here you’ll find the Lucky 15 horse racing tips from WhichBookie expert racing analysts. All of the tips published here on WhichBookie are 100% free along with the use of our Lucky 15 Calculator that can be found further down the page.

Date published: December 2, 2024
Correct Score Predictions
Read
Which Bookie
Roma 2-1
Roma v Atalanta
12

Free correct score predictions for football matches. Get correct score tips for the Premier League, Championship, La Liga, Champions League and more.

Date published: December 2, 2024
Marseille vs Monaco Prediction Betting Tips & Preview
Read More
Martin Pennington
1-1
Marseille vs Monaco
6/1
In a highly anticipated Ligue 1 clash, Olympique de Marseille (OM) will host AS Monaco at the Stade Vélodrome on Sunday, aiming to leapfrog the Principality club into second place in the league standings. With both teams fighting for a higher position in the table, this match promises to be…
Date published: December 1, 2024

Best Football Bookies

bet365
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/bet365-review/ ★★★★★
Visit
Ladbrokes
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/ladbrokes-review/ ★★★☆☆
Visit
Coral
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/coral-bookmaker-review/ ★★★☆☆
Visit
Virgin Bet
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/virgin-bet-review/ ★★★★☆
Visit
LiveScore Bet
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/livescore-bet-review/ ★★★★☆
Visit
Betfred
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/betfred-review/ ★★★★★
Visit
CopyBet
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/?post_type=bookmaker&p=2039539 ★★★★★
Visit
10bet
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/10bet-review/ ★★★★☆
Visit

Best Racing Bookies

bet365
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/bet365-review/ ★★★★★
Visit
Coral
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/coral-bookmaker-review/ ★★★☆☆
Visit
Ladbrokes
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/ladbrokes-review/ ★★★☆☆
Visit
Virgin Bet
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/virgin-bet-review/ ★★★★☆
Visit
William Hill
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/william-hill-review/ ★★★★☆
Visit
Betfred
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/bookmakers/betfred-review/ ★★★★★
Visit
CopyBet
https://www.whichbookie.co.uk/?post_type=bookmaker&p=2039539 ★★★★★
Visit