Ascot Racecourse
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Ascot Racecourse is a racecourse, located in the village of Ascot in the English county of Berkshire used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is closely associated with the British Royal Family and is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 31 annual Group 1 races. The site belongs to the Crown Estate. [1]
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[edit] 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 August 11, 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.
[edit] Contemporary racing
According to publicity, 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 best race is the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes run over the course in July.
[edit] Temporary closure
Ascot racecourse closed for a period of twenty months on September 26, 2004 for a £185 million redevelopment funded by Allied Irish Bank. As owner of the Ascot estate, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth reopened the racecourse on Tuesday 20th June 2006.
[edit] Royal Ascot
The centrepiece of Ascot’s year, Royal Ascot is one of the world’s most famous race meetings, steeped in history dating back to 1711. The royal family attend 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. Attendees must wear a morning suit in the royal enclosure, and most people outside of this section choose to wear one anyway. To be admitted to the royal enclosure for the first time, one must be sponsored by someone who has attended at least four times.[2]
Over 300,000 people make the annual visit to Berkshire during Royal Ascot week, making this Europe’s best-attended race meeting. Many of the visitors know nothing about racing, and are there purely for the social side and to drink large quantities of champagne. 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.
[edit] Notable Races
Royal Ascot:
Other Flat Races:
- King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes
- Fillies' Mile
- Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
- Royal Lodge Stakes
- Diadem Stakes
[edit] Hospitality and dining at Ascot
There is a wide range of carefully tailored packages designed to suit all tastes and budgets at Ascot. The Racecourse is synonymous with quality and excellence in providing both unparalleled racing and the highest quality catering services at any sporting venue in the world. The Parade Ring Restaurant is the jewel in the crown of the new Grandstand and the finest restaurant at any racecourse in the world. It overlooks the 8,000 capacity Parade Ring to the south, with only a short walk across the galleria to reserved seating opposite the Winning Post.
Sodexho Prestigeare the official caterers at Ascot, and they are also responsible for providing all hospitality packages
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
