The King of Horse Races at Royal Ascot

The Royal Ascot is the Kentucky Derby of England. Held over a five-day period in June, this British race is one of the most popular in the world, and definitely tops the English charts. The origin of the Ascot goes back to Queen Anne, daughter of King James II, who was an enthusiastic horse lover. 

In the village of East Cote (which would later become known as Ascot), she spotted a beautiful flat field. Only a few miles south of Windsor Castle in Berkshire, Queen Anne felt this location would be ideal for a racecourse. The land was immediately turned into a racetrack, and the inaugural race was held on August 11, 1711. Queen Anne planned and attended the festivities. 

The races at Ascot thrived for decades to come, but they weren't the most popular races in England. In 1760, when George II was on the throne, the Royal Ascot was transformed and subsequently became the second most popular race in England. The most popular race in England at the time was the race at Epsom, which started back in the 17th century. With George II overseeing the annual event, the Royal Ascot gained a reputation for being the race of royalty. 

A grandstand was built at Ascot in 1822, and soon after, a permanent stand was constructed for the King, Queen, and royal family. The newly constructed luxury stands added to the mystique of the race and further suggested that Ascot was for the rich and famous. 

All of the buildings which surround the racecourse were either added or enlarged in the 19th century. And after the track was expanded, private boxes, hundreds of stalls, and even a paddock for saddling horses along with accommodations for carriages were installed. 

Because of the upgrades and ambiance, a strict dress code was enforced for the Royal Enclosure. Male attendees must wear full morning dress, including a top hat, and ladies must not show bare midriffs or shoulders and must wear hats. 

Outside of the Royal Enclosure, the dress code is less severe, but most of the attendees choose to wear formal dress nonetheless. Besides the races taking place, there are also many social events and festivities. Many private clubs are also allowed to set up their own tents for refreshments. 

The popularity of the race is not in doubt. Over 300,000 people make the visit to Berkshire annually to visit during Royal Ascot week. To date, the Royal Ascot is the most popular race in England, and one of the world's top 5. Many visitors don't know the first thing about racing, but still attend for the social side of the event. 

There are currently 16 Group races on the Royal Ascot schedule, with at least one Group-One event on each of the five days. The Ascot Gold Cup is on Ladies' Day (Thursday), and there is a total of over £3,000,000 offered in prize money. A few of the notable races include Coventry Stakes, King's Stand Stakes, Queen Anne Stakes, Jersey Stakes, Ascot Gold Cup, and the Prince of Wales's Stakes.

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Gold finale is a must for Cheltenham

It's vital that racing's marketing men, in searching for a new audience, don't cheese off the old one or desecrate what is cherished within our sport Which brings me to proposals to shunt the Cheltenham Festival into the weekend.

From 2012, the four-day meeting is set to start on Wednesday and finish on Saturday.

The Gold Cup will, as now, be run on the Friday of the fixture, with the Champion Hurdle on Wednesday, the Queen Mother Champion Chase on Thursday and the World Hurdle moved from Thursday to Saturday.

The bulk of what I've read this week seems to put this proposed move firmly in the 'win-win' category, but it's not that simple.

Parallels have been drawn with Ascot's fifth day, in which Ascot Heath was turned into the final day of the Royal meeting - but they are bogus.

For a start, Ascot already raced on a Saturday, and the Heath fixture was dying to be souped up - the feature, the Listed Churchill Stakes, was a joke.

And Royal Ascot doesn't have a shape - you can kid yourself that the Gold Cup, on Thursday, is the highlight, but at the expense of the other Group 1 events run during the week? Get away with you.

Ascot doesn't build through a crescendo to a climax - it has five days that are roughly the equal of each other, and then it ends.

The Cheltenham Festival, three days or four, isn't like that. It has to increase towards a finale, and that finale requires the Gold Cup as its centrepiece.

And the differences don't end there.

Much of Cheltenham's crowd camps in the town for the whole week. There's a team feeling among them that, win lose or draw, they're there for the long haul.

Ascot's customer base is made up largely of daytrippers, who get on the train at Waterloo in the morning then return there, often unable to stand, 10 hours later. As a rule, they are not as bothered, or as knowledgeable about the racing as the Cheltenham throng - they just want to get hammered.

In trying to push the old Thursday crowd of 60,000 to 65,000 on Saturday, Cheltenham's top brass might find those who have stayed for the first three days decide to give their wallets, and livers, a day off and watch the final day on the box.

They will also find that Cheltenham on Saturday has plenty of competition when it comes to sports bulletins - and, therefore, exposure.

Around this time of the year, there are FA Cup quarter-finals to think about, not to mention the conclusion of the Six Nations rugby.

Do you think the racing will get a look in if England are on the verge of the Grand Slam? Thought not.

Let this be a warning to Cheltenham bosses and Racing For Change, who might be looking to embrace the change.

If you meddle by moving the Thursday card to Saturday, not only will you destroy the character of the Cheltenham Festival - you could end up poorer as a result.

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Royal Ascot Racing Club

The Royal Ascot Racing Club (RARC) gives its members a fantastic opportunity to enjoy the world’s finest racing at the world’s most famous racecourse, in unparalleled style and comfort. RARC is unique providing as it does the very best on track facilities at Ascot in a prime location with superb catering.

The Waiting List

On receipt of your application form your name will be added to the list. Should a current member leave us, The Club Committee will invite potential applicants to join. All waiting list candidates are under no commitment to join and no payment is required until your application to become a member is approved.

The Clubrooms

The Clubrooms are elegant and sophisticated but also delightfully comfortable and relaxing. They are based on level 2 of the new stand, just west of the finishing line and directly over the horsewalk. In addition to expansive seating areas the rooms have, on both the north and south sides extremely well appointed bars, private Tote betting facilities and of course, televisions. There is also an extensive viewing area, which is just along from the Royal Box. Catering is provided at each meeting by the fabulous “Rhubarb” - coffee and tea, delicious canapés, a light lunch including a cheese board and traditional afternoon tea together with complimentary soft drinks, wines and house champagne and house spirits. During the Royal Meeting RARC members can still enjoy canapés and afternoon tea in the clubrooms but also have use of a restaurant where they can book a table for lunch for any number of guests (subject to availability) at an additional cost and enjoy hospitality second to none.

Racehorses and Yard Visits

In 2005 the great Motivator won the Epsom Vodafone Derby and we are thrilled to continue to have Highclere Thoroughbred Racing looking after the horses that run in the Club’s colours (white with dark blue armlets and a dark blue cap), with The Hon. Harry Herbert as our Racing Manager. There are 6 horses in training with the likes of Sir Michael Stoute and Richard Hannon and members are kept fully up to date on the horses progress. Each year there are a number of stable visits arranged throughout the year. Members and guests can watch the horses undertake a piece of work on the gallops and talk with grooms and trainer afterwards. Champagne and canapés are supplied too! A fun dinner in the Jockey Club rooms in Newmarket and then up early to see the horses work on Warren Hill. Every October we gather Highclere Castle when members can view new bloodstock at our annual yearling parade. Finally all winnings are divided between all the Club members.

Badges

Each member receives two metal badges (one individually named badge, for use only by the member, and one guest badge which is transferable). These allow entry into the Clubrooms for racing throughout the year, with the exception of the Royal Meeting when arrangements are slightly different. During the Royal Meeting, the member receives a complimentary Royal Enclosure five-day badge but additional badges need to be purchased to accompany the metal guest badge. During the course of the year, members also have the opportunity to invite four extra guests to enjoy the benefits of the Clubroom using "cardboard" badges. These badges are allocated via a booking system at a cost of £195 including VAT each (no cardboard badges are available during Royal Ascot, King George Day, Festival Saturday or the RARC Annual meeting day).

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Face of Ascot 2010

Callie Moore, a nanny who is based in London, is the Face of Ascot 2010.

She beat Heather Naylor and Susie Sparkes to take the final of the award, which was unveiled live on the BBC on the final day of Royal Ascot, Saturday 20th June. All three women had been racegoers at the meeting earlier in the week when they were picked out by scouts impressed by their beauty, style and personality. The judges for this year’s competition were Jeff Banks, former presenter of The Clothes Show, Trudie Le Marie, fashion editor of the Sunday Express, James Sherwood, BBC’s fashion expert, and Karen Diamond, director of Models 1.

Stunned by her success, Callie, (23) said: “It is amazing. I am completely in shock.”

Jeff Banks, who was one of the judges, commented on the final trio, “They represented three different images and that made it very hard to split them. Callie has a rather old-fashioned appeal. She looks like a model in the style of Margaux Hemingway.”

One of Callie’s first roles was to present the trophy to the winner of Royal Ascot’s final race, the Queen Alexandra Stakes. Over the next 12 months she will be an ambassador of the racecourse, will take part in fashion shoots and build a portfolio of images starting with a professional shoot at the Models 1 agency studios. In turn, these images will be used in marketing material for the rest of the year and she will front the campaign for the 2011 competition.

Callie is the second Face of Ascot winner following Julie Falconer from San Francisco who was the Face of 2009. The event has subsequently been enhanced by a new partnership with fashion retailer Karen Millen.

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Royal Ascot: Dress Code

Her Majesty’s Representative wishes to point out that only formal day dress with a hat or substantial fascinator will be acceptable. Off the shoulder, halter neck, spaghetti straps and dresses with a strap of less than one inch and miniskirts are considered unsuitable. Midriffs must be covered and trouser suits must be full length and of matching material and colour.

Gentlemen are required to wear either black or grey morning dress, including a waistcoat, with a top hat. A gentleman may remove his top hat within a restaurant, a private box, a private club or that facility’s terrace, balcony or garden. Hats may also be removed within any enclosed external seating area within the Royal Enclosure Garden.

Children between the ages of 10-16 years inclusive are welcome to attend the Royal Enclosure on the Friday and Saturday of the Royal Meeting, providing they are accompanied by a Royal Enclosure badge-holder. Children’s badges are free of charge and can be collected on the Friday and Saturday of the Royal Meeting from the Royal Enclosure enquiry offices. It is not necessary to submit a child’s name prior to the Royal Meeting. Girls must wear a modest dress or skirt, boys a suit or jacket and smart trousers with a tie. Jeans and trainers are not permissible.

Children under the age of 10 are not permitted in the Royal Enclosure.

Overseas visitors are welcome to wear the formal national dress of their country or Service dress.

Ladies and Gentlemen not complying with the above dress regulations will be asked to leave the Royal Enclosure and relieved of their Royal Enclosure badge.

Ascot Racecourse

Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races, the same number as Newmarket. The course is closely associated with the British Royal Family, being approximately six miles from Windsor Castle, and owned by the Crown Estate.

Ascot today stages twenty-five days of racing over the course of the year, comprising sixteen Flat meetings held in the months of May and October. The Royal Meeting, held in June, remains a major draw, the highlight being the Ascot Gold Cup. The most prestigious race is the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes run over the course in July.

History

Ascot Racecourse was founded in 1711 by Queen Anne. The first race, "Her Majesty's Plate," with a purse of 100 guineas, was held on 11 August 1711. Seven horses competed, each carrying a weight of 12 stones (76 kg). This first race comprised three separate four-mile (6437 m) heats.

In 1813, Parliament passed an act to ensure that the grounds would remain a public racecourse. In 1913, Parliament passed an act creating the Ascot Authority, an entity that manages the racecourse to this day. From its creation until 1945, the only racing that took place at Ascot was the Royal Meeting, a four-day event. Since that date, more fixtures have been introduced to the grounds, notably the Steeplechase and hurdles in 1965.

Ascot racecourse closed for a period of twenty months on 26 September 2004, for a £185 million redevelopment funded by Allied Irish Bank and designed by Populous and Buro Happold. As owner of the Ascot estate, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth reopened the racecourse on Tuesday 20 June 2006.

However upon re-opening, the new grandstand has attracted widespread criticism for failing to provide sufficient raised viewing for patrons to watch the racing, and devoting too much space to money-spinning restaurants and corporate hospitality facilities.At the end of 2006 a £10 million programme of further alterations was announced to improve the viewing from lower levels of the grandstand using an innovative steel composite product ("SPS" Sandwich plate system) to reprofile the existing concrete terraces. However, the upper levels provide far less accommodation for the everyday racegoer than was present in the former stand.

In March 2009 it was confirmed that the main sponsors of Ascot, William Hill would be ceasing their sponsorship deal, citing that the decision by the BBC to reduce live race coverage as the main reason in its decision making process.In July 2009, Ascot Racecourse also hosted the third round of the UAE President's Cup.

Royal Ascot

The centrepiece of Ascot’s year, Royal Ascot is one of the world’s most famous race meetings, and dates back to 1711. The Queen attends the meeting, arriving each day in a horse-drawn carriage. It is a major event in the British social calendar, and press coverage of the attendees and what they are wearing often exceeds coverage of the actual racing. The Royal Enclosure has a strict dress code—male attendees must wear full morning dress including a top hat, whilst ladies must not show bare midriffs or shoulders and must wear hats. Outside the Royal Enclosure the dress code is less severe, but many people choose to wear formal dress anyway. To be admitted to the Royal Enclosure for the first time one must either be a guest of a member or be sponsored for membership by a member who has attended at least four times. This continues to maintain a socially exclusive character to the Enclosure. Over 300,000 people make the annual visit to Berkshire during Royal Ascot week, making this Europe’s best-attended race meeting. This leads to a split among racing fans, some of whom are glad to see racing in the spotlight, and getting more attention, while others do not like the meeting despite the quality of racing.

There are 16 Group races on offer, with at least one Group One event on each of the five days. The Ascot Gold Cup is on Ladies' Day on the Thursday. There is over £3,000,000 of prize money on offer.