About the race
The Prince of Wales’s Stakes is run over one mile and two furlongs (2,000 metres) on turf on the Wednesday of Royal Ascot, and is restricted to four-year-olds and upwards. Ascot says it was first run in 1862 and named after Queen Victoria’s son, later King Edward VII. It was originally run over a mile and five furlongs, was absent from 1946 to 1968, returned at its current distance and was upgraded to Group 1 in 2000. Ascot puts its value at £1 million. The next running is on Wednesday 16 June 2027.
On 18 June 2025 Ombudsman won for Godolphin, trainers John and Thady Gosden and jockey William Buick, with Anmaat second and See The Fire third. Ascot reports that the IFHA ranked the race joint eighth in the world for 2025. Ombudsman won again in 2026, which Ascot said made him only the fourth horse to win the race in consecutive years.
The 2025 running
| Date | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 June 2025 | Ombudsman | William Buick | John & Thady Gosden | Godolphin |
From the official result.
The 2026 running
| Date | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 June 2026 | Ombudsman | William Buick | John & Thady Gosden | Godolphin |
From the official result.
Recognition and facts
- Race day
- Royal Ascot Wednesday; next on 16 June 2027
- Group 1 since
- 2000
- IFHA ranking for 2025
- Joint eighth in the world, race rating 122.25
- Consecutive winners
- Connaught (1969, 1970), Mtoto (1987, 1988), Muhtarram (1994, 1995), Ombudsman (2025, 2026), according to Ascot
Questions readers ask
When is the Prince of Wales's Stakes run?
On the Wednesday of Royal Ascot in June. Ascot lists the 2027 running for Wednesday 16 June 2027.
What is the prize fund of the Prince of Wales's Stakes?
Ascot states that the race is worth £1 million.
Who won the Prince of Wales's Stakes in 2025?
Ombudsman, ridden by William Buick and trained by John and Thady Gosden for Godolphin, won on 18 June 2025.
Sources
The rank and rating are from the IFHA's LONGINES World's Top 100 Group/Grade 1 Races 2025, published 21 January 2026, which ranks races by the ratings of their first four finishers. Other facts are from the pages listed below.
- IFHA: LONGINES World's Top 100 Group/Grade 1 Races 2025 (published 21 January 2026)
- The Prince of Wales's Stakes, Ascot Racecourse
- Royal Ascot 2025 day two review, Ascot Racecourse
- Day 2 Royal Ascot 2026, racing review, Ascot Racecourse
- Royal Ascot, Wednesday, Ascot Racecourse
- Ascot recognised at Longines World Racing Awards 2025, Ascot Racecourse