Punters largely ignored the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot this year, causing it to drop from a top-ten position in 2023 to just outside the bottom ten for 2024.
Coral’s turnover figures for all 35 races at the meeting reveal the significant impact of the Euro 2024 tournament on betting patterns. The first day of Ascot benefitted from a lack of a 2 pm kick-off in Germany, contrasting with later days when football coverage took over.
Notably, races such as the St James’s Palace Stakes, Coventry Stakes, King Charles III Stakes, and Queen Anne Stakes all saw improved performance. The St James’s Palace Stakes, won by Rosallion, moved up to third place in the turnover table from 13th in 2023.
Conversely, the Commonwealth Cup, won by Inisherin, fell sharply from ninth to 24th place. This drop raises concerns about the race's future status, as it may be downgraded by the European Pattern Committee based on this year's performance.
The Jersey Stakes, won by Haatem, emerged as the most popular race among Coral punters. The Chesham Stakes and Albany Stakes, featuring standout performances from Bedtime Story and Fairy Godmother, respectively, also ranked highly, placing second and fifth. Four of the top ten races were held on Saturday, including the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee and the Wokingham.
Simon Clare, PR director at Entain, Coral’s parent company, attributed the overall decline in Royal Ascot turnover to the Euro 2024 tournament, which affected race-day betting. He noted that turnover was more stable in races before the 5 pm kick-off but dropped significantly once football coverage began.
Barry Orr, head of horseracing PR at Betfair, similarly observed a decrease in turnover when terrestrial TV coverage switched from ITV to ITV4. Clare emphasised that summer football tournaments tend to impact Royal Ascot betting, a situation less prevalent due to the winter World Cup in Qatar and fewer football overlaps in recent years.