Vive La France: How French Raiders Really Fare at Royal Ascot

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 21:00:00 +0000

News that Nargiz, a Lope De Vega filly trained by the Xavier Blanchet and Mohammed Elbase team, could be aimed at Royal Ascot 2026 following an impressive maiden victory at Pornichet might raise a few eyebrows. The combination is hardly a household name in Berkshire. But the history of French raiders at the Royal meeting suggests punters should pay attention when Chantilly’s finest make the trip across the Channel.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Our analysis of Royal Ascot results since 2007 shows French-trained runners have posted a 7.4% win rate from 135 runners — comfortably above the overall meeting strike rate of 5.8%. The place rate is even more impressive: 29.6% of French raiders have finished in the first three, meaning roughly one in three hits the frame.

Lope De Vega on The Race Lab

Vive La France: How French Raiders Really Fare at Royal Ascot

The Numbers Don’t Lie