Day 1 of Royal Ascot on June 17 sees the usual line-up of top quality group, listed and handicap contests and you can pay for that new hat with a free bet from our two premier online bookmakers - Betfair and Skybet. The opening Day 1 kicks off with no less than three Group 1 events with the Queen Anne Stakes and all all its intriguing betting the fist event. The mile contest has, as usual, attracted a fantastic field with Aidan O'Brien expected to play a leading role in deciding the outcome. The next free bet opportunity is the fast and furious King Stand Stakes over five furlongs. A real global event with sprinters from France, Australia, Japan and Ireland. Blink and you will miss these seasoned pros hurtling down Ascot's sprint course. The trio of Group 1 contests on day one is completed by the St James Palace Stakes, a race for the three-year-old colts over a mile. Henrythenavigator is the hot favourite and who would bet against him upsetting the odds and proving himself a true champion of his age group. Punters and bookmakers are not disappointed with the rest of the card with the Coventry Stakes -a Group 2 contest for the two-year-olds next up. Once again the European challenge will be strong but can the British-trained horses hold their own? The gruelling Ascot Stakes is the penultimate contest - two and a half relentless miles around the old course -watch out for any David Pipe runners in this affair. Day One is completed by the listed Windsor Castle Stakes, another race for the youngsters as they begin their racing career. Enhance your day's racing with a free bet from our dependable providers and check out all the innovative markets from the bookmaker Skybet and the leading betting exchange Betfair.