Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British

racecourse A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also use ...

, located in

Ascot, Berkshire Ascot () is a town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is south of Windsor, east of Bracknell and west of London. It is most notable as the location of Ascot Racecourse, home of the Royal Ascot meeting, ...

, England, which is used for

thoroughbred horse racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in t ...

. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races and three Grade 1 Jumps races. Ascot Racecourse is visited by approximately 600,000 people a year, accounting for 10% of all UK racegoers. The racecourse covers , leased from the Crown Estate and enjoys close associations with the British Royal Family, being founded in 1711 by Queen Anne and located approximately from

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original cast ...

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

used to visit the Ascot Racecourse quite frequently, sometimes even betting on the horses. Ascot currently stages 26 days of racing over the course of the year, comprising 18 flat meetings between April and October, and 8 jump meetings between October and March. The Royal Meeting, held in June each year, remains the highlight of the British summer social calendar. The prestigious

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot o ...

is run over the course in July.

History

Over its 300-year history, Ascot has established itself as a national institution, with Royal Ascot being the centrepiece of the British summer social calendar and the ultimate stage for the best racehorses in the world. The racecourse was founded in 1711 by Queen Anne, when out riding from Windsor Castle, she came upon an area of open heath that looked, in her words, 'ideal for horses to gallop at full stretch'. Her plans for a new race meeting were subsequently announced in the

London Gazette London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

of 12 July 1711. That first meeting was held on 11 August 1711, the original date (and a race scheduled for 6 August) having been postponed for reasons unspecified, although it has been speculated that the course simply wasn't ready. The Queen and a "brilliant suite" drove from

to witness it, with the first race being a seven horse £50 plate, won by a horse called Doctor owned by the

Duke of St Albans Duke of St Albans is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1684 for Charles Beauclerk, 1st Earl of Burford, then 14 years old. King Charles II had accepted that Burford was his illegitimate son by Nell Gwyn, an actress, and aw ...

. Queen Anne's gift to racing, founding the Royal Racecourse, is marked by the tradition of opening Royal Ascot with The Queen Anne Stakes run over the straight mile. The first permanent building was not erected until 1793, and was built by a local Windsor builder, George Slingsby. Holding 1,650 people, it was used for almost fifty years. In 1813 an Act of

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

ensured that the Ascot Heath would be kept and used as a racecourse for the public in the future, securing racing at Ascot for future generations. A new grandstand was opened in 1839 at a cost of £10000. The administration of the Royal Racecourse is handled on behalf of the Crown by a representative appointed by the Monarch. Up until 1901, the racecourse was managed by the Master of the Royal Buckhounds. Lord Churchill was appointed His Majesty's Representative in 1901, responsible for running the course and determining entrance to the Royal Enclosure. The Ascot Authority was established in 1913 by a further

Act of Parliament Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...

, with His Majesty's Representative becoming Senior Trustee. Today, as Ascot Authority (Holdings) Limited, Ascot has a formal board chaired by Sir Francis Brooke Bt. who also serves as Her Majesty's Representative (Senior Trustee) at Ascot. Between 1940 and 1943 racing was not run at Ascot. The racecourse was commandeered by the army with the Grandstand providing accommodation for gunners of the Royal Artillery. Racing resumed on 15 May 1943 with an eight-race card. The first post-war fixture was held on 21 May 1945, when the then 19-year-old Princess Elizabeth attended Ascot for the first time. The first National Hunt meeting was held at Ascot in 1965, the course having been established using turf from

Hurst Park Racecourse Hurst Park Racecourse was a racecourse at Moulsey Hurst, West Molesey, Surrey, near the River Thames. It was first laid out in 1890 and held its last race in 1962. There was racing at nearby Hampton for many years until 1887. The first meetin ...

, which closed in 1962. As an owner and breeder of racehorses, the Queen takes a keen interest in racing. The jockeys riding the Queen's horses can be identified by her racing colours: purple body with gold braid, scarlet sleeves, and a black velvet cap with gold fringe. The Queen has not missed the annual Royal Meeting since her Coronation in 1953, and traditionally presents The Gold Cup and The Diamond Jubilee Stakes each year. In 2013, The Queen's filly, Estimate, triumphed in Ascot's showpiece race, The Gold Cup – the first time that The Gold Cup has been won by a reigning monarch. Ascotoldstand

In 2004, Ascot Racecourse was closed for a £220 million redevelopment, the single biggest investment in British Racing. The Racecourse was reopened by the Queen on 20 June 2006. The redevelopment was designed by

HOK (firm) HOK, formerly Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum and legally HOK Group, Inc., is an American design, architecture, engineering, and urban planning firm, founded in 1955. As of 2018, HOK is the largest U.S.-based architecture-engineering f ...

, engineered by

Buro Happold Buro Happold (previously ''BuroHappold Engineering'') is a British professional services firm that provides engineering consultancy, design, planning, project management, and consulting services for buildings, infrastructure, and the environment ...

and built by

Laing O'Rourke Laing O'Rourke is a multinational construction company headquartered in Dartford, England. It was founded in 1978 by Ray O'Rourke. It is the largest privately owned construction company in the United Kingdom. History The company was founded by ...

. The main part of the redevelopment programme was the construction of the 30m x 300m lightweight parasol roof structure of the grandstand, this was designed and built by Austrian specialist contractor

Waagner-Biro Waagner Biro is a Vienna-based group of companies formerly part of the same group which have developed into separately owned, independent companies operating in steel and mechanical engineering. Collectively, the companies have about 1000 employees ...

. During the 2005 season, the Royal Ascot was held as

York Racecourse York Racecourse is a horse racing venue in York, North Yorkshire, England. It is the third biggest racecourse in Britain in terms of total prize money offered, and second behind Ascot Racecourse, Ascot in prize money offered per meeting. It att ...

. 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 Sandwich Plate System (SPS) is the name of a patented structural composite material comprising two metal plates bonded with an elastomer core. SPS was created in partnership with chemical manufacturer BASF incorporating Elastocore ® as the cor ...

) to reprofile the existing concrete terraces.

The seasons – flat and jumps

The flat season at Ascot is run from April to October, beginning with Royal Ascot Trials Day and finishing with QIPCO

British Champions Day British Champions Day is a thoroughbred horse race meeting held at Ascot Racecourse in October each year since 2011, which acts as the end of season highlight fixture of British flat racing. It is the culmination of the British Champions Series an ...

. In all, Ascot hosts 18 days of flat racing each year, totalling roughly 115 flat races each summer. Grass is cut to a regulation 4 inches exactly for flat racing. Ascot hosts 13 Group 1 Flat races each year including The Gold Cup,

St James's Palace Stakes The St James's Palace Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 7 furlongs and 213 yards (1,603 metres). It is sched ...

King's Stand Stakes The King's Stand Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 5 furlongs (1,006 metres), and it is scheduled ...

, Commonwealth Cup and The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes. QIPCO British Champions Day holds the greatest number of

Group 1 Group 1 may refer to: * Alkali metal, a chemical element classification for Alkali metal * Group 1 (racing), a historic (until 1981) classification for Touring car racing, applied to standard touring cars. Comparable to modern FIA Group N * Group On ...

races of any raceday at Ascot with four races at the top level. Ascot has hosted many of the world's most famous flat horses including

Frankel Frankel is the surname of: * Benjamin Frankel (1906–1973), British composer * Bethenny Frankel (born 1970), American chef and reality television personality * Charles Frankel (1917–1975), American philosopher, known for Charles Frankel Prize ...

Nijinsky Vaslav (or Vatslav) Nijinsky (; rus, Вацлав Фомич Нижинский, Vatslav Fomich Nizhinsky, p=ˈvatsləf fɐˈmʲitɕ nʲɪˈʐɨnskʲɪj; pl, Wacław Niżyński, ; 12 March 1889/18908 April 1950) was a ballet dancer and choreog ...

, Sagaro,

Yeats William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...

Mill Reef Mill may refer to: Science and technology * * Mill (grinding) * Milling (machining) * Millwork * Textile mill * Steel mill, a factory for the manufacture of steel * List of types of mill * Mill, the arithmetic unit of the Analytical Engine early ...

, Grundy,

Dancing Brave Dancing Brave (11 May 1983 – 2 August 1999) was an American-bred, British-trained thoroughbred racehorse. In a racing career which lasted from the autumn of 1985 until October 1986, he ran ten times and won eight races. Dancing Brave was the ou ...

, Swain,

Galileo Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642) was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a polymath. Commonly referred to as Galileo, his name was pronounced (, ). He was ...

and Enable. The first jumps fixture was held at Ascot in 1965. The national hunt course, a right handed triangular shaped course like the flat course, is laid out inside the flat track, and is about 1m 5f round, with ten fences, including two in the straight, and six flights of hurdles. The track is famed for being one of the toughest courses with a 73-foot climb from the lowest point, Swinley Bottom, to the highest point, the Winning Post. Ascot hosts 8 days of jumps racing between October and March, starting with the Fireworks Spectacular Family Raceday and finishing with the Spring Family Raceday. Included are both

steeplechase Steeplechase may refer to: * Steeplechase (horse racing), a type of horse race in which participants are required to jump over obstacles * Steeplechase (athletics), an event in athletics that derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing ...

and hurdle races, with around 50 jumps races in all being held at Ascot each season. Grass is cut to a regulation 5 inches exactly for jumps racing. Notable jumps races held at Ascot are The

Clarence House Chase The Clarence House Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of about 2 miles and 1 furlong ( ...

, The

Ascot Chase The Ascot Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of about 2 miles and 5 furlongs (2 miles, 5 fu ...

and The

Long Walk Hurdle The Long Walk Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of about 3 miles and 1 furlong (3 ...

, all Grade 1 contests. Ascot has hosted many of the world's most famous jumps horses including Arkle,

Desert Orchid Desert Orchid (11 April 1979 – 13 November 2006), known as ''Dessie'', was an English racehorse. The gray (horse), grey achieved a revered and esteemed status within National Hunt racing, where he was much loved by supporters for his fron ...

Sprinter Sacre Sprinter Sacre (foaled 23 April 2006), is a French-bred, British-trained Selle Français racehorse. He currently has the third highest ever Timeform steeplechase rating of 192p, behind only Arkle on 212 and Flyingbolt on 210 as their highest in ...

, Sire De Grugy,

Kauto Star Kauto Star (19 March 2000 – 29 June 2015) was a French-bred National Hunt champion racehorse trained by Paul Nicholls in Somerset and owned by Clive Smith. He was known for his versatility and longevity, being the only horse ever to be top ...

Cue Card Cue cards, also known as note cards, are cards with words written on them that help actors and speakers remember what they have to say. They are typically used in television productions where they can be held off-camera and are unseen by the au ...

Baracouda Baracouda was a top staying hurdler for racehorse trainer François Doumen in the late 1990s and early first decade of the 21st century. Amongst his major successes, he won the Stayers Championship, the World Hurdle twice, as well as winning 10 ...

, Thistlecrack, Cyrname and

Altior Altior (foaled 6 May 2010) is an Irish-bred British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse who competes in National Hunt races. After winning one of his three National Hunt Flat races he was unbeaten in five hurdle races including the Sharp Novices' ...

Royal Ascot

The Royal carriages leave after carrying The Queen to the races - geograph

Royal Ascot evolved from the first four-day race meeting held at Ascot in 1768, although the meeting as it is known today only really started to take shape with the introduction of The Gold Cup in 1807. Until 1939, Royal Ascot was the only race meeting held at the racecourse. The Gold Cup remains the feature race of the third day of Royal Ascot, traditionally the busiest day of the week, when high fashion and exquisite millinery take centre stage alongside flat racing's most elite stayers. During the racecourse's redevelopment in 2005, the Royal Meeting was held at

. Each of the five days of Royal Ascot begins with the Royal Procession at 2pm, when the Queen and other members of the

royal family A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/ rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term ...

arrive down the straight mile in the Royal Landaus, accompanied by the playing of the National Anthem and the raising of the Royal Standard. This tradition was started in 1825 by

King George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...

. Royal Ascot is Britain's most valuable race meeting, attracting many of the world's finest racehorses to compete for millions of pounds in prize money (just over £7.3million in 2019). Approximately 500 horses race across the five days. Eighteen Group races, eight of them Group 1, are staged each year and are broadcast to audiences in almost 200 territories around the world. Ascot employees increase by more than 6,500 temporary staff, with over 33,500 items of temporary furniture and 20,000 flowers and shrubs grown especially for the Royal Meeting. There are four enclosures in total at Royal Ascot, three of them open to the public. The Royal Enclosure is the most prestigious, with access strictly limited. First-time applicants must apply to the Royal Enclosure Office and gain sponsorship from someone who has attended the Royal Enclosure for at least four years. Existing members are sent invitations by Her Majesty's Representative to request badges each year. Badges are hand written and can only be worn by the named person. Colours of badges vary for each day of the Royal Meeting. The Royal Enclosure has the strictest Dress Code, with men wearing grey, navy or black

morning dress Morning dress, also known as formal day dress, is the Formal attire, formal Western dress code for day attire, consisting chiefly of, for men, a morning coat, waistcoat, and formal trousers, and an appropriate gown for women. Men may also wear ...

and

top hat A top hat (also called a high hat, a cylinder hat, or, informally, a topper) is a tall, flat-crowned hat for men traditionally associated with formal wear in Western dress codes, meaning white tie, morning dress, or frock coat. Traditionally m ...

, and women wearing formal daywear and a hat with a solid base of 4 inches or more in diameter. The origins of the Royal Ascot Dress Code can be traced back to the early 19th century when Beau Brummel, a close friend of the Prince Regent, decreed that men of elegance should wear waisted black coats and white cravats with pantaloons to the Royal Meeting. The Queen Anne Enclosure is Royal Ascot's premier public enclosure, granting guests access to the Parade Ring, Grandstand and Trackside Lawns. Guests in the Queen Anne Enclosure are also invited to participate in the daily tradition of singing around the Bandstand after racing. The Dress Code in the Queen Anne Enclosure is still formal, but more relaxed than that of the Royal Enclosure. Women must dress in a manner that befits a formal occasion and must wear a hat or fascinator at all times. Gentlemen are required to wear a full-length suit with a collared shirt, tie and socks covering the ankle. The Windsor Enclosure offers a more informal and relaxed atmosphere, with no formal Dress Code. Guests in the Windsor Enclosure are the first to view the Royal Procession as the enclosure is positioned to the east of the Grandstand along the Straight Mile. The Village Enclosure has been a successful addition since 2017 and is located on the Heath, in the middle of the racecourse. This enclosure, open from the Thursday to Saturday of the Royal Meeting, offers a combination of exciting street food, al fresco dining, live music and unique views of the track and famous Ascot Grandstand. The Dress Code in the Village Enclosure is similar, but slightly less formal to that of the Queen Anne Enclosure, with women wearing formal daywear and a hat and men wearing jackets, full-length trousers, a tie and socks covering the ankle. The annual Royal Meeting takes place over five days, each with a unique offering of racing and atmosphere. The week begins on a Tuesday, with the first race traditionally being The

Queen Anne Stakes The Queen Anne Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and is scheduled to take pl ...

. Two further Group 1 contests normally take place on this day, which is surely the most enjoyable for racing purists. The

and The St James' Palace Stakes round off the feature races on the card. The Wednesday of Royal Ascot provides a relaxed atmosphere off the track and an intense atmosphere on it, with the highlight on the card being the prestigious Group 1

Prince of Wales's Stakes The Prince of Wales's Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 1 furlong and 212 yards (2,004 met ...

, so memorably won in 2019 by superstars Crystal Ocean and Frankie Dettori. Undoubtedly the most electric day of the Royal Meeting is Thursday, with the oldest and most prestigious race taking place – The Gold Cup staged over two-and-a-half miles, making it a stiff test for even the world's most elite long-distance horses. In 2020, this historic race was taken by reigning champion,

Stradivarius A Stradivarius is one of the violins, violas, cellos and other string instruments built by members of the Italian family Stradivari, particularly Antonio Stradivari (Latin: Antonius Stradivarius), during the 17th and 18th centuries. They are co ...

, with jockey

Frankie Dettori Lanfranco Dettori (; born 15 December 1970), better known as Frankie Dettori, is an Italian horse racing jockey based in the United Kingdom. Dettori has been British flat racing Champion Jockey three times and has ...

on board, for a third consecutive year. It is also the day where high fashion and

millinery Hat-making or millinery is the design, manufacture and sale of hats and other headwear. A person engaged in this trade is called a milliner or hatter. Historically, milliners, typically women shopkeepers, produced or imported an inventory of g ...

masterpieces take centre stage, and has been colloquially termed "Ladies Day". The fourth day of the Royal Meeting features two Group 1 races in The

Coronation Stakes The Coronation Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 7 furlong and 213 yards (1,603 metres), and it is schedul ...

and The Commonwealth Cup, whilst the final day, Saturday, offers a relaxed and social atmosphere. The quality of racing is no less top-notch, with The

Diamond Jubilee Stakes The Platinum Jubilee Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. Three-year-olds foaled in the Southern Hemisphere are also eligible. It is run at ...

being the feature race, won in 2019 by Blue Point, who famously became the first horse since Choisir to win the Diamond Jubilee and King's Stand in the same year. The 2020 meeting was held behind closed doors due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

QIPCO Qatar Investment & Projects Development Holding Company (QIPCO) is a prominent Qatari shareholding company based in Doha, which through its subsidiaries, maintains a focus on financial and real estate markets. Overview QIPCO Holding was founded ...
King George Diamond Weekend

While the grandeur of Royal Ascot takes centre stage in June, Ascot's premier summer race actually takes place in July. As Europe's midsummer middle-distance showpiece, The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes has seen many champions crowned including legends such as

Nashwan Nashwan (1 March 1986 – 2002) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. After winning both his starts as a two-year-old, he developed into an outstanding performer in the spring and summer of 1989, completing a ...

and Enable. In 2020 Enable made history by becoming the first triple winner of the race having also landed the crown in 2019 following an epic duel with Crystal Ocean and as a three-year-old in 2017. There are also two dual winners to date –

Dahlia Dahlia (, ) is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico and Central America. A member of the Asteraceae (former name: Compositae) family of dicotyledonous plants, its garden relatives thus include the sunflower, ...

and Swain.

British Champions Day

Since 2011 Ascot has staged

QIPCO Qatar Investment & Projects Development Holding Company (QIPCO) is a prominent Qatari shareholding company based in Doha, which through its subsidiaries, maintains a focus on financial and real estate markets. Overview QIPCO Holding was founded ...

British Champions Day annually in October, now the culmination of the European elite flat racing season. The great

won The

Queen Elizabeth II Stakes The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is s ...

on Champions Day 2011, and the curtain came down on the career of officially the best horse of all time when he won The

Champion Stakes The Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlong ...

a year later.

Sir Henry Cecil Sir Henry Richard Amherst Cecil (11 January 1943 – 11 June 2013) was a British flat racing horse trainer. Cecil was very successful, becoming Champion Trainer ten times and training 25 domestic Classic winners. These comprised four winners o ...

's pride and joy won five of his 14 races at Ascot in all. The culmination of the

British Champions Series The British Champions Series is a series of 35 top British flat races, which culminates in a day-long festival of championship races, known as British Champions Day. It was inaugurated in the 2011 season to draw together some of Britain's key f ...

, QIPCO British Champions Day sees the crowning of the Champion Jockey, Champion Apprentice, Champion Trainer and Champion Owner of each year. The day hosts five Group races, four of them being Group 1, providing a truly unique day of quality racing. The meeting also has a strong social atmosphere, with a post-racing after party seeing off the flat season in style.

Notable races

Shergar Cup

The

Shergar Cup The Shergar Cup is an annual horse racing event held at Ascot Racecourse, usually during early August. The race is named in honour of Shergar, the horse that won the 1981 Epsom Derby, 1981 Epsom Derby, Derby and was killed in an IRA kidnap, and wa ...

is an annual event, taking place in August, at Ascot since 2000. Named in honour of

Shergar Shergar (3 March 1978 – ) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. After a very successful season in 1981 he was retired to the Ballymany Stud in County Kildare, Ireland. In 1983 he was stolen from the stud, and a ransom of ...

, who won the 1981 Epsom Derby, the day was originally sponsored by Shergar's owner, the

Aga Khan Aga Khan ( fa, آقاخان, ar, آغا خان; also transliterated as ''Aqa Khan'' and ''Agha Khan'') is a title held by the Imām of the Nizari Ismāʿīli Shias. Since 1957, the holder of the title has been the 49th Imām, Prince Shah Karim ...

. Now sponsored by

Dubai Duty Free Dubai Duty Free (DDF) is the company responsible for the duty-free operations at Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport. Founded in December 1983, DDF recorded first-year sales of US$20 million and has grown into one ...

, the event attracts approximately 30,000 spectators each year. The world's premier international jockeys competition has four teams: Great Britain and Ireland, Europe, The Rest of The World and The Girls. Teams compete for points in each of the six races in an attempt to win the Shergar Cup, presented to the winning team at the closing ceremony. The Alistair Haggis Silver Saddle is also awarded to the jockey with the most points at the end of the day, with previous winners including

Kieren Fallon Kieren Francis Fallon (born 22 February 1965 in Crusheen, County Clare, Ireland) is a retired Irish professional flat racing jockey and was British Champion Jockey six times. Career Stable jockey to Henry Cecil In ...

, Ryan Moore, Sammy Jo Bell and

Hayley Turner Hayley Turner (born 3 January 1983) is an English jockey who competes in flat racing. Originally from Nottingham, she is based in Newmarket. In 2008 Turner became the first woman to ride 100 UK flat race winners during a calendar year. She ...

. A post racing concert is also held at the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup, with previous acts including

Rita Ora Rita Sahatçiu Ora (born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence in February 2012 when she featured on DJ Fresh's single, "Hot Right Now", which reached number one in the UK. Her debut studi ...

Craig David Craig Ashley David (born 5 May 1981) is a British singer and songwriter who rose to fame in 1999, featuring on the single "Re-Rewind (The Crowd Say Bo Selecta), Re-Rewind" by Artful Dodger (UK band), Artful Dodger. David's debut studio album, ' ...

and All Saints.

Family racedays at Ascot

Ascot Racecourse holds four annual family racedays: * The Spring Family Raceday in March * The Summer Mile Family Raceday in July * The Fireworks Spectacular Family Raceday in October or November * The Christmas Family Raceday in December Each day hosts a plethora of additional activities for children and aims to promote a love of racing in younger generations. Ascot Racecourse launched the Colts and Fillies club, a free club for children aged 17 and under, in 2002. It has 20,000 members and promotes making racing more accessible for younger audiences. The club owns a racehorse and organises trips, competitions, days out and special activities on Family Racedays.

Events outside of horse racing

Ascot Racecourse has become a popular venue for events, with 300+ meeting and conference rooms as well as the Grandstand Atrium, with over 4,000 square meters of exhibition space. Many parties and weddings are held at the racecourse every year, including large Asian weddings of up to 1,000 guests.

Royal Ascot Cricket Club and Ascot United

The racecourse is also home to Royal Ascot Cricket Club, which was founded in 1883. The club's ground is situated in the middle of the racecourse.

Ascot United F.C. Ascot United Football Club is a football club based in Ascot, Berkshire, England. They are currently members of the and play at Ascot Racecourse. History The club was founded in 1965. In 2001 they joined the Senior Division of the Reading ...

is located towards the eastern side of the site. A new clubhouse, stand and floodlighting have recently been erected.

In popular culture

The 1910 Royal Meeting was the inspiration for

Cecil Beaton Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton, (14 January 1904 – 18 January 1980) was a British fashion, portrait and war photographer, diarist, painter, and interior designer, as well as an Oscar–winning stage and costume designer for films and the theat ...

's Ascot Gavotte scene in ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons f ...

'' (1964), as, following the death of

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...

, Royal Ascot became "Black Ascot" with all occupants of the Royal Enclosure 'dressing in black, save for white flowers or strings of pearls'. The racecourse has been used for filming many times – most notably three times in

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

productions, the first being in ''

A View to a Kill ''A View to a Kill'' is a 1985 spy film and the fourteenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, and is the seventh and final appearance of Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Although the title is adapted ...

'' (1985), where Bond (played by

Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the third actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in seven feature films between 19 ...

) was beginning his mission to defeat

Max Zorin Maximillian Zorin is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1985 James Bond film ''A View to a Kill''. He is portrayed by Christopher Walken. Biography Zorin was born in Dresden around the end of World War II, after which Dresden bec ...

(

Christopher Walken Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Prolific in film, television and on stage, Walken is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Awar ...

), whose horse was racing there. The racecourse was used again for ''

GoldenEye ''GoldenEye'' is a 1995 spy film, the seventeenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, and the first to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Directed by Martin Campbell, it was the first in the ser ...

'' (1995), where the entrance stood in for St. Petersburg Airport, and finally in ''

Skyfall ''Skyfall'' is a 2012 spy film and the twenty-third in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. The film is the third to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond and features Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva, the villai ...

'' (2012) where it stood in for

Shanghai Pudong International Airport Shanghai Pudong International Airport is one of two international airports serving Shanghai and a major aviation hub of East Asia. Pudong Airport serves both international flights and a smaller number of domestic fights, while the city's othe ...

Gallery

Image:AscotRacetrack.JPG, Main straight Image:Ascot2006.jpg, Front entrance to the 2006 Ascot Stands Image:AscotStand.JPG, The redeveloped stand Image:Royal-Ascot18.jpg, The redeveloped stand from inside File:AscotRules-8Je6-4496.jpg, Dress and conduct rules for racegoers at Ascot – see at full size. File:Ascot-8Je6-4482.jpg, AscotStand from north west

References

Bibliography

External links

Main Ascot websiteRoyal Ascot websiteBBC Royal Ascot interactive guideCourse guide on GG.COMRoyal Ascot GuideRoyal Ascot Bloodline Interactive Tool
{{Use dmy dates, date=September 2013 Buildings and structures in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Sports venues in Berkshire Horse racing venues in England Sports venues completed in 1711 1711 establishments in England Sunninghill and Ascot