Five northern trainers who know how to win at the royal meeting

While major success for jumps trainers in the north has been infrequent in recent times, it has been a different story for their Flat counterparts. Trainers in Yorkshire in particular have become accustomed to winning at Royal Ascot and here we highlight the northern stables to note

Mark Johnston

Among the current crop of trainers, only Sir Michael Stoute, Aidan O'Brien and John Gosden have saddled more winners at the royal meeting than Mark Johnston.

The Middleham trainer, who last year broke the all-time record for winners in Britain, has gained 43 victories at Royal Ascot and finished top trainer in 2002 and 2003.

Johnston's legendary status at the meeting is assured thanks to his three Gold Cup wins with Double Trigger (1995) and Royal Rebel (2001 and 2002), while his mastery with stayers is also highlighted by seven successes in the Queen's Vase and six victories in the King George V Handicap, including with Baghdad last year.

Previous winners (43) (Group 1s listed only) Double Trigger (1995 Gold Cup); Bijou D'Inde (1996 St James’s Palace Stakes); Royal Rebel (2001 and 2002 Gold Cup); Attraction (2004 Coronation Stakes).

Key horse for this year Dee Ex Bee (Gold Cup)

Richard Fahey

Success at Royal Ascot came quite early in Richard Fahey's career with Superior Premium winning the Diamond Jubilee Stakes in 2000, when it was known as the Group 2 Cork And Orrery Stakes.

As the Malton trainer's firepower improved, he increasingly left his mark on Flat racing's showpiece meeting with three of his six victories coming since 2014.

Ribchester – who the trainer described as the best he has trained – was responsible for two of those wins, following up victory in the 2016 Jersey Stakes by winning the Queen Anne Stakes in a course record time the following year.

Previous winners (6) Superior Premium (2000 Cork And Orrery Stakes); Cosmic Sun (2009 King George V Handicap); Marine Commando (2010 Windsor Castle Stakes); Baccarat (2014 Wokingham Handicap); Ribchester (2016 Jersey Stakes and 2017 Queen Anne Stakes).

Key horse this year Sands Of Mali (Diamond Jubilee Stakes)

Tim Easterby

In a mark of his enduring longevity, Tim Easterby's five Royal Ascot wins span 19 years after Flanders made the breakthrough with victory in the 1998 Windsor Castle Stakes.

Among the glut of victories that quickly followed, top sprinter Fayr Jag put the Habton Grange yard on the map when dead-heating with Ratio in the 2003 Wokingham Handicap before returning to land the Golden Jubilee Stakes the following year.

Easterby then had to wait 13 years before returning to the famous winner's enclosure when Snoano caused a 25-1 upset in the 2017 Wolferton Handicap.

Previous winners (5) Flanders (1998 Windsor Castle Stakes); Romantic Myth (2000 Queen Mary Stakes); Fayr Jag (2003 Wokingham Handicap and 2004 Golden Jubilee Stakes); Snoano (2017 Wolferton Handicap).

Key horse this year Vintage Brut (Commonwealth Cup)

Kevin Ryan

Kevin Ryan has recorded five victories at Royal Ascot but it could so easily be more.

It was a case of the two that got away for the Hambleton trainer as The Grey Gatsby was unlucky to go down a short-head to Free Eagle in the 2015 Prince of Wales's Stakes and Brando lost out by a head to Outback Traveller in the 2016 Wokingham Handicap.

Kevin Ryan: a trainer to note in sprint races at Royal AscotCredit: Edward Whitaker

Ryan has proved a master with sprinters and it is notable that his royal meeting successes have all come in races staged over no further than seven furlongs.

Previous winners (5) Uhoomagoo (2006 Buckingham Palace Handicap); Bapak Chinta (2011 Norfolk Stakes); Hototo (2012 Windsor Castle Stakes); Lightning Cloud (2013 Buckingham Palace Handicap); York Glory (2013 Wokingham Handicap).

Key horse this year Hello Youmzain (Commonwealth Cup)

Tom Dascombe

Cheshire trainer Tom Dascombe has enjoyed some of his finest moments at the royal meeting, including an emotionally charged success with Arthur Kitt in last year's Chesham Stakes.

Arthur Kitt provided the stable with a first royal victory since they landed the 2012 Queen Mary Stakes with Ceiling Kitty, who in a sad twist of fate was put down giving birth to the Camelot colt.

In 2011, Dascombe announced his arrival on the biggest stage by winning with Rhythm Of Light and Brown Panther on consecutive days at the 2011 Royal Ascot.

Previous winners (4) Brown Panther (2011 King George V Handicap); Rhythm Of Light (2011 Sandringham Handicap); Ceiling Kitty (2012 Queen Mary Stakes); Arthur Kitt (2018 Chesham Stakes).

Key horse this year Kachy (Diamond Jubilee Stakes)

Other trainers to note

David O'Meara has gained three Royal Ascot winners since starting training in 2010 – Louis The Pious (2014 Buckingham Palace Handicap), Amazing Maria (2015 Duke of Cambridge Stakes) and Out Do (2017 Wokingham Handicap). John Quinn and Bryan Smart also have three victories at the royal meeting.