Steeped in history and a slice of British culture, Royal Ascot is the horse racing event of the year. Held annually in June, the event takes place over a five-day period and is attended by some 300,000 people, many of whom come for the social event and not because they are interested in horse racing.
When and where is Royal Ascot?
Royal Ascot takes place in mid-June each year; the dates for 2009 are from Tuesday June 16 to Saturday June 20.
Royal Ascot takes place at Ascot Racecourse, which is located in the Berkshire village of Ascot in the south of England. Ascot itself is just a small town with basic amenities including a few places to stay, but there are plenty of larger towns in the surrounding area such as Bracknell, Windsor and Egham where you’ll find plenty of accommodation to choose from.
What is Royal Ascot?
Royal Ascot is the most famous horse racing meeting in the world. Renowned for its high-status reputation, it has become one of the top events on the British social calendar. And while it may be a racing gathering, for many visitors Royal Ascot is more of a social gathering than an admiration for the sport of horse racing.
Despite this, the Royal Meeting (as it is officially called), hosts some of the most prestigious races in the world and although it is often the attendees and their clothing that get the most media coverage, the races are very important in the world. racing calendar. , with a total prize money of over £3 million on offer.
So if you’re planning to attend Royal Ascot, here’s some useful race information you can wow your friends with!
ladies day
Ladies’ Day is historically the most popular day at Royal Ascot and takes place on day 3 (Thursday). This has always been the busiest day because today is the Ascot Gold Cup. It is not certain why this became known as Ladies’ Day, but it is assumed that more ladies traditionally came to Royal Ascot on this day.
The races
Out of a total of 30 races, Royal Ascot features 16 group races over the five days, with each day featuring at least one Group One race. Group One races are held in the highest regard and include ‘Classics’ and other high profile races. international importance. As already mentioned, there’s the Ascot Gold Cup, plus other Group One races including the King’s Stand Stakes, St. James’s Palace Stakes, Queen Anne Stakes, Prince of Wales’s Stakes, Coronation Stakes and the Golden Jubilee Stakes.
Other famous races include the Queen’s Vase and the Royal Hunt Cup, and the winners of these, along with the Gold Cup, have their trophies presented by the Queen. Interestingly, these three trophies are remade each year for the winners to keep, unlike the other races where the winners have to return the trophies after a year.
The Royal Enclosure
Royal Ascot may be prestigious, but the Royal Enclosure is the most prestigious part of Royal Ascot! Unsurprisingly, access to the Royal Enclosure is highly restricted and only available to the social elite. In order to gain entry for the first time, you must be sponsored by someone who has attended the Royal Enclosure for at least four years, although these do not have to be consecutive years.
Dress code
Royal Ascot is known for being a very elegant occasion and for some attendees it is like a fashion show to see who wears the best dress or the best hat.
In the Royal Enclosure the dress code is stricter than in other places. Men must wear a complete morning suit, in black or gray, which includes a waistcoat and a top hat. Women must wear formal attire with a hat and may not show midriff or shoulders. Mini skirts are not allowed and pants must be long!
Less strict than the Royal Enclosure is the Tribune. Women should dress smartly and although hats are not mandatory here, many women like to wear them anyway. Men should wear a shirt and tie and preferably a suit or jacket. And for admission to the Silver Ring, while smart dress is recommended, there is no formal dress code.
A history of Royal Ascot
Ascot has always had a connection to royalty, as it was Queen Anne who first suggested a racecourse at Ascot in 1711. Like many royals, Queen Anne was a keen equestrian and went out riding one day from the Windsor Castle when he came across this area of land and thought it would be perfect for horse racing. Not long after, the first race took place on Saturday 11 August 1711 and the Queen Anne Stakes are now held in memory of Ascot’s founder.
The Royal Gathering apparently evolved over time, as it wasn’t a specifically planned event like this. Although there were usually royalty at the race meetings, the Royal Ascot format we know today really came into being with the hosting of the first Gold Cup in 1807. Royal Ascot has grown in popularity every year since then.
Buy tickets for Royal Ascot
There are two types of tickets available to purchase for Royal Ascot: Grandstand Ticket and Silver Ring.
Admission to the grandstand includes the following:
– Access to seats in the Grandstand from where you can watch the races
– More observation areas at ground level and at grass level
– Opportunity to see the Royal Procession
– Access to the Parade Track and Pre-Parade Track
– A variety of places where you can eat, drink and place bets.
Silver Ring tickets include the following:
– Viewpoints from which to see the races and the Royal Parade
– More than 2000 seats available to watch the races
– Opportunities to eat, drink and gamble
– Big screen TVs
– Entertainment every day in the form of live music.
Tickets are available direct from Ascot Racecourse, either from the website or by calling 0870 727 1234.
How to get to Royal Ascot
Ascot Racecourse is easily accessible by road and rail and there are major motorways in the vicinity. London Heathrow Airport is also close to Ascot.
By highway:
From London and the North – Exit the M4 at Junction 6 onto the A332, Windsor Bypass, then follow signs for Ascot.
From the West – Exit the M4 at Junction 10 onto the A329(M), which is signposted for Bracknell, then follow signs for Ascot.
From the South and East – Exit the M3 at Junction 3 onto the A332 towards Bracknell, then follow signs for Ascot.
From the Midlands – Leave the M40 at Junction 4 onto the A404 towards the M4. Join the M4 towards Heathrow and London. Leave the M4 at Junction 6 for the A332 and Windsor Bypass, then follow signs for Ascot.
Parking lot:
Parking is available at Ascot Racecourse for a fee, although it must be reserved in advance with your tickets.
By rail:
Ascot railway station is a short walk from the racecourse and has trains from London Waterloo, Reading and Guildford. Travel time from London is approximately 46 minutes and from Reading approximately 27 minutes.
