Ascot Racecourse is a British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 13 of Britain's 36 annual Group 1 horse races.
The course, owned by Ascot Racecourse Ltd, enjoys close associations with the British Royal Family, being approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) from Windsor Castle.
Ascot currently stages 26 days of racing over the course of the year, comprising 18 flat meetings held between the months of May and October inclusive. It also stages important jump racing throughout the winter months. The Royal Meeting held each June, remains a major draw, its highlight being The Gold Cup. The most prestigious race is the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes run over the course in July
Royal Ascot
The Royal Ascot is the centrepiece of Ascot's year and dates back to 1911 when the week of races in the third week of June became a Royal Week. Every year Royal Ascot is attended by Elizabeth II and other members of the British Royal Family such as The Prince of Wales, arriving each day in a horse-drawn carriage with the Royal procession taking place at the start of each race day and the raising of the Royal Standard and the playing of the National Anthem. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also attend, as well as the Earl and Countess of Wessex. It is a major event in the British social calendar, and press coverage of the attendees and their attire often exceeds coverage of the actual racing. There are three enclosures attended by guests on Royal Ascot week. In 2005, whilst Ascot was closed for redevelopment, the Royal meeting was held at York Racecourse.
The Royal Enclosure is the most prestigious of the three enclosures, with recent visits from the Queen and Royal Family members. Access to the Royal Enclosure is restricted, with high security on the day. First-time applicants must apply to the Royal Enclosure Office and gain membership from someone who has attended the enclosure for at least four years. For existing badgeholders, an invitation is sent out by Her Majesty's Representative to request badges. The badgeholder's name is written onto the badge and can be used only by that person. The colours of the badges vary each day for one-day applicants. Those in the Royal Enclosure have the options of fine dining and hospitality, and a selection of bars. The dress code is strictly enforced. For women, only a day dress with a hat is acceptable, with rules applying to the length and style of the dress. In addition, women must not show bare midriffs or shoulders. For men, black or grey morning dress with top hat is required.
Over 300,000 people make the annual visit to Berkshire during Royal Ascot week, making this Europe’s best-attended race meeting. There are eighteen group races on offer, with at least one Group One event on each of the five days. The Gold Cup is on Ladies' Day on the Thursday.
In 2012, the Golden Jubilee Stakes was renamed the Diamond Jubilee Stakes, to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.
In 2013, the Windsor Forest Stakes was renamed the Duke of Cambridge Stakes, with the Queen’s consent, recognising the new title given to Prince William.
In 2015, the newly-created Commonwealth Cup became the eighth Group One race at Royal Ascot, replacing the Buckingham Palace Stakes.
In 2016, total prize money across the five days of Royal Ascot was £6,580,000. This was £1,000,000 more than the prize money on offer at the meeting in 2015, representing an overall increase of 18%. Races with notable prize money increases for 2016 included the Prince of Wales's Stakes (£750,000 from £525,000), the Queen Anne Stakes (£600,000 from £375,000) and the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (£600,000 from £525,000), while the other Group One races all had their prize money increased to £400,000. The Gold Cup in 2016 was run as "The Gold Cup in Honour of The Queen's 90th Birthday".
