Royal Ascot: Coolmore, Gosden and Moore Emerge as the Big Winners of an Unforgettable Edition

The Irish powerhouse, the trainer and the jockey shone throughout the 2025 Royal meeting, which exceeded all expectations

Ryan Moore enjoyed a brilliant Royal Ascot / ROYAL ASCOT

Coolmore's colors once again flew high at Royal Ascot, which wrapped up its 2025 renewal on Saturday. For the third consecutive year—and the sixth time overall—the partnership of Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg topped the owners’ standings, edging out Wathnan Racing via a tiebreaker. Both teams recorded five victories, but Coolmore's trio of runner-up finishes gave them the nod over Wathnan’s two.

The Ballydoyle team dominated the juvenile races, scoring with Gstaad (Coventry S.), True Love (Queen Mary S.) and Charles Darwin (Norfolk S.). Their three-year-olds also made headlines, with Garden Of Eden following in her family's footsteps in the Ribblesdale S. (G2), and Trinity College delivering a tour de force in the Hampton Court S. (G3).

While Aidan O’Brien was responsible for all five of Coolmore’s victories, he was narrowly denied the trainers’ title by the father-son duo of John and Thady Gosden, who also saddled five winners but secured the edge with four seconds to O’Brien’s three. The final blow came when Spy Chief finished second in the Jersey S. on closing day.

The Gosdens’ highlights included Field Of Gold’s emphatic display in the St James’s Palace S. (G1), Ombudsman’s late heroics in the Prince Of Wales’s S. (G1), Trawlerman’s long-awaited coronation in the Gold Cup (G1), and impressive wins by Crimson Advocate (Duke Of Cambridge S.) and French Master (Copper Horse S.).

“This meeting is our equivalent of the Olympics,” said John Gosden, underscoring the importance of teamwork. “Without Thady, I wouldn’t be as focused as I need to be. We’ve been targeting Ascot for months, and it’s tremendously rewarding to see it all come together.”

Ryan Moore once again wrote his name into the record books, claiming the leading jockey title for the 12th time thanks to seven victories—five for O’Brien and Coolmore, plus the Duke of Edinburgh S. and Queen Alexandra S.for Willie Mullins. “When you ride for Aidan and Willie, you know you’re going to have good chances,” Moore remarked with characteristic understatement.

The 2025 Royal Meeting ended on a high note, reaffirming its place as one of the most prestigious fixtures in global racing. Saturday’s attendance reached 71,073, up 2.6% from last year’s final-day figure of 69,291. Across all five days, a total of 286,541 racegoers passed through the gates—an impressive 4.8% increase on 2024.

Felicity Barnard, CEO of Ascot Racecourse, praised the week’s success: “It’s been a fantastic week of sport. I think we’ve really showcased the very best of our industry, and I’m absolutely delighted.”

She added: “We’ve welcomed over 285,000 people, nearly 5% more than last year. We’ve worked incredibly hard to understand what racegoers want from a world-class event: great value, quality offerings, and most of all, an unforgettable experience. Whether you come for the horses, the food, or the fashion, Royal Ascot is a magical ecosystem—and we’re already excited for 2026.”