Royal Ascot 2025 news: Rogue Legend over a stone clear at the top of Windsor Castle ratings

Rogue Legend is 15 lb clear at the head of Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings for the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot on Wednesday.

Rogue Legend, a winner of two of his three starts for Paddy Twomey, earned a Timeform master rating of 105p for his three-and-a-quarter-length success in a conditions race at Tipperary last month. The only juveniles rated higher with Timeform before Royal Ascot this season are Albert Einstein and Charles Darwin (both 109p and trained by Aidan O'Brien).

When the weights of the Windsor Castle are taken into account, Rogue Legend’s master rating translates to a weight-adjusted figure of 114, placing him 15 lb clear of nearest rival First Approach. No horse has been as far clear on weight-adjusted ratings heading into the Windsor Castle since the race was upgraded to listed status in 2004. Little Big Bear, who won the Windsor Castle in 2022, was top by 10 lb.

Tony McFadden, deputy racing editor at Timeform and Sporting Life, said: "There are plenty of potential improvers among Rogue Legend's 23 rivals in the Windsor Castle and he has had a better opportunity than most to post a high figure given he's had three starts and was conceding plenty of weight on his latest outing. However, it's still notable that Rogue Legend is so far clear of his rivals on Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings, and he sets a good standard for the opposition to aim at.

 "The form Rogue Legend has already shown is high enough to win a typical edition of the Windsor Castle. You have to go back to Washington DC in 2015 to find the last time the winner ran to a higher level than Rogue Legend’s current master rating (though Big Evs in 2023 and Ardad in 2016 both registered performance ratings of 105)."

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