Royal Ascot 2011 Media Guide

CHAIRMAN’S WELCOME
May I extend a warm welcome to the world‟s media as we commemorate 300 years of racing at
the Royal Racecourse.
We are celebrating our tercentenary in many ways, perhaps most aptly by unveiling a statue of
Ascot‟s greatest equine legend, Yeats, at the Royal Meeting.
As we look back at generations of history-makers on our world famous turf, it is interesting that
the most recent years at Ascot have been among the racecourse‟s most exciting due to the
remarkable growth in international competition and the development of our race programme.
Last year, the formerly Australian-trained Starspangledbanner landed the Golden Jubilee Stakes
for Aidan O‟Brien. That race saw participation from no less than six nations, including an
excellent third for the American-trained Kinsale King. International competition at the highest
level is what Royal Ascot is all about in the 21st century.
There are seven Group One championship races this week, including the King‟s Stand Stakes on
Tuesday and the Golden Jubilee Stakes on Saturday, which form part of the Global Sprint
Challenge. All seven Group One races are also included in the new British Champions Series,
culminating here at Ascot with the inaugural British Champions Day, on 15th October.
Nowhere in the world is there a race meeting to compare with Royal Ascot for sheer depth of
quality. 18 of the 30 races staged during the week are run at Group level, following the promotion
of the Hampton Court Stakes to Group Three this year. That race has now been renamed the
Tercentenary Stakes as part of our celebrations.
We expect almost 500 horses to run in the 30 races this year, watched by close to 300,000 people
at the racecourse during the week and millions more on television. 24 races are shown live on the
BBC and through our media partners, BBC Worldwide and At The Races, pictures from Royal
Ascot are distributed to nearly 200 countries.
In 2010, top jockey honours went to Ryan Moore, with a final race victory in the Queen
Alexandra Stakes bringing his tally to four winners, whilst the top trainer was Richard Hannon
with three winners, headed by the brilliant Canford Cliffs in the St James‟s Palace Stakes.
Competition for these accolades is sure to be as intense as ever this year.
I hope that you enjoy your visit to the greatest race meeting in the world.
Johnny Weatherby
Chairman of Ascot Racecourse
Front Cover: The Queen’s Aureole, winner of the 1954 Hardwicke Stakes and King George VI &
Queen Elizabeth Stakes
1
ROYAL ASCOT ORDER OF RUNNING
FIRST DAY - TUESDAY 14th JUNE
BBC 2.30 pm
The Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1)
4+
£250,000
One Mile
BBC 3.05 pm
The King‟s Stand Stakes (Group 1)
3+
£300,000
Five furlongs
BBC 3.50 pm
The St James‟s Palace Stakes (Group 1)
3 colts
£250,000
Old Mile
BBC 4.25 pm
The Coventry Stakes (Group 2)
2
£85,000
Six furlongs
BBC 5.00 pm
The Ascot Stakes (Handicap)
4+
£50,000
Two and a half miles
The Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed)
2
£50,000
Five furlongs
ATR
5.35 pm
SECOND DAY - WEDNESDAY 15th JUNE
BBC 2.30 pm
The Jersey Stakes (Group 3)
3
£70,000
Seven furlongs
BBC 3.05 pm
The Windsor Forest Stakes (Group 2)
4+ fillies
& mares
£100,000
One mile
BBC 3.50 pm
The Prince of Wales‟s Stakes (Group 1)
4+
£400,000
One and a quarter miles
BBC 4.25 pm
The Royal Hunt Cup (Heritage Handicap)
3+
£100,000
One mile
BBC 5.00 pm
The Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2)
2 fillies
£75,000
Five furlongs
ATR 5.35 pm
The Sandringham Stakes (Listed) (Handicap)
3 fillies
£50,000
One mile
th
THIRD DAY - THURSDAY 16 JUNE
BBC 2.30 pm
The Norfolk Stakes (Group 2)
2
£75,000
Five furlongs
BBC 3.05 pm
The Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2)
3 fillies
£100,000
One and a half miles
BBC 3.50 pm
The Gold Cup (Group 1)
4+
£250,000
Two and a half miles
BBC 4.25 pm
The Britannia Stakes (Heritage Handicap)
3 colts &
geldings
£100,000
One mile
BBC 5.00 pm
The Tercentenary Stakes (Group 3)
3
£70,000
One and a quarter miles
The King George V Stakes (Handicap)
3
£50,000
One and a half miles
ATR
5.35 pm
FOURTH DAY - FRIDAY 17th JUNE
BBC 2.30 pm
The Albany Stakes (Group 3)
2 fillies
£60,000
Six furlongs
BBC 3.05 pm
The King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2)
3 colts &
geldings
£140,000
One and a half miles
BBC 3.50 pm
The Coronation Stakes (Group 1)
3 fillies
£250,000
Old mile
BBC 4.25 pm
The Wolferton Handicap Stakes (Listed)
4+
£50,000
One and a quarter miles
BBC 5.00 pm
The Queen‟s Vase (Group 3)
3
£60,000
Two miles
The Buckingham Palace Stakes (Handicap)
3+
£50,000
Seven furlongs
ATR
5.35 pm
FIFTH DAY - SATURDAY 18th JUNE
BBC 2.30 pm
The Chesham Stakes (Listed)
2
£50,000
Seven furlongs
BBC 3.05 pm
The Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2)
4+
£100,000
One and a half miles
BBC 3.50 pm
The Golden Jubilee Stakes (Group 1)
3+
£400,000
Six furlongs
BBC 4.25 pm
The Wokingham Stakes (Heritage Handicap)
3+
£100,000
Six furlongs
ATR
5.00 pm
The Duke of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap)
3+
£50,000
One and a half miles
ATR
5.35 pm
The Queen Alexandra Stakes (Conditions)
4+
£50,000
Two miles, six furlongs
2
ASCOT ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE
AND THE GLOBAL SPRINT CHALLENGE
Ascot is home to Europe‟s premier race meeting, Royal Ascot, Europe‟s mid-summer middle
distance championship, the £1 million King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (sponsored by
Betfair, July), the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup (August), a unique international jockeys‟ team
event and, this year, the inaugural £3 million QIPCO British Champions Day (October).
Considered the standard-bearer for international racing within Europe, Ascot actively seeks to
strengthen its programme through the participation of horses from all around the world.
The racecourse has welcomed runners from Australia, New Zealand, America, Hong Kong,
Japan, South Africa and all over Europe in recent years, none higher profile and more groundbreaking than Choisir, who landed the King‟s Stand Stakes / Golden Jubilee Stakes double for
Australia in 2003, paving the way for wins for compatriots Takeover Target, Miss Andretti and
Scenic Blast.
The Royal Meeting was more cosmopolitan than ever before in 2010 as horses from six nations
lined up for the Golden Jubilee Stakes, with the Irish-trained (former Australian)
Starspangledbanner victorious with American raider Kinsale King third. The USA was also
represented in the St James‟s Palace Stakes with Noble‟s Promise, who finished fifth.
In 2005, Ascot set up a sprinting series, the Global Sprint Challenge, with Racing Victoria and
the Victoria Racing Club in Australia and the Japan Racing Association. The Hong Kong Jockey
Club, Newmarket Racecourses and the Singapore Turf Club have subsequently joined and the
series now numbers nine races from February to December.
Since the inauguration of the Global Sprint Challenge, 35 horses trained outside Europe have
lined up in the two participating sprints at Royal Ascot. In 2005, the King‟s Stand Stakes was
worth £140,000 and the Golden Jubilee Stakes £250,000. Both have increased significantly in
value to reflect their growing international significance and the Golden Jubilee Stakes now has
prize money of £400,000, with the King‟s Stand Stakes valued at £300,000.
With £400,000 on offer for the Darley July Cup, the third European leg of the Challenge, there is
well over £1 million available across the UK‟s legs for the world‟s top sprinters.
GLOBAL SPRINT CHALLENGE RACES
Coolmore Lightning Stakes (Group One)
Takamatsunomiya Kinen (Group One)
Krisflyer International Sprint (Group One)
King‟s Stand Stakes (Group One)
Golden Jubilee Stakes (Group One)
Darley July Cup (Group One)
Sprinters Stakes (Group One)
Patinack Farm Classic (Group One)
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint (Group One)
3
19th February
27th March
22nd May
14th June
18th June
9th July
2nd October
5th Nov
11th Dec
Flemington, Australia
Hanshin, Japan
Kranji, Singapore
Royal Ascot, UK
Royal Ascot, UK
Newmarket, UK
Nakayama, Japan
Flemington, Australia
Sha Tin, Hong Kong
RECORD AMERICAN ENTRIES AMONGST
BUMPER INTERNATIONAL CAST
No fewer than eleven nations were unveiled when the entries for Royal Ascot‟s seven Group One
races were released on 20th April, amongst them a record breaking ten from the USA, three of
them doubly engaged in both the King‟s Stand Stakes and Golden Jubilee Stakes.
Additionally from outside Europe, Australia has four entries, three doubly engaged in both
sprints; Hong Kong three entries, with one doubly engaged; Singapore two entries, with one
doubly engaged and Japan is represented by three entries at the initial stage, one in each of the St
James‟s Palace Stakes, Coronation Stakes and the Gold Cup.
Amongst the USA entries for the Golden Jubilee Stakes is 2010 Santa Anita Derby (Grade One)
winner SIDNEY‟S CANDY (John Sadler), owned by Jenny Craig, who with her late husband
Sidney won the 1992 Derby with Dr Devious.
CARACORTADO (Michael Machowsky), fourth in last year‟s Santa Anita Derby and frequently
Group One placed subsequently, is very much on course to line up in the Golden Jubilee.
Todd Pletcher has entered three horses for the Royal Meeting - recent Shakertown Stakes winner,
STRATFORD HILL, last year‟s Breeders‟ Cup Turf Sprint fourth, BRIDGETOWN (both in the
two sprints) and last year‟s Breeders‟ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner, MORE THAN REAL, a
Coronation Stakes possible for celebrity chef owner, Bobby Flay.
Shakertown third, GREAT ATTACK, is entered for the King‟s Stand Stakes for dual Royal
Ascot-winning trainer, Wesley Ward, who has also entered HOLIDAY FOR KITTEN, owned by
the legendary Ken Ramsey and his wife, who owned 2009 Golden Jubilee runner-up, Cannonball.
Ward is also considering the two-year-old Royal Ascot programme for his in form string.
Last year‟s Golden Jubilee third, KINSALE KING, is entered for just the King‟s Stand this year,
with his colourful Irish-born trainer Carl O‟Callaghan planning to run the improving dark horse,
LEAVING NEW YORK, in the Golden Jubilee.
Kenny McPeek, who saddled three runners at Royal Ascot last year, has entered
KATHMANBLU for the Coronation Stakes with a view to a possible run in the UK after the
Kentucky Oaks. He also has two Ribblesdale Stakes (Group Two) entries – SASSY‟S DREAM
and NIJI‟S GRAND GIRL.
The Asian contingent at Royal Ascot could be strong this year with the highest profile name
amongst the entries (Golden Jubilee only) undoubtedly the Singapore-trained ROCKET MAN
(Patrick Shaw), who gained a much deserved first Group One outside his home country in the
Dubai Golden Shaheen last month.
Compatriot BETTER BE THE ONE (Michael Freedman), a close third in the Al Quoz Sprint on
the same Dubai card, is another possible and is in both sprints. Both Singapore horses have the
KrisFlyer Sprint, leg four of the Global Sprint Challenge, as their next target.
4
Two three-year-olds are entered for Japan - last year‟s Grade One-winning champion two-yearold, GRAND PRIX BOSS (Yoshito Yahagi), who has the NHK Mile at home as his next target,
and MARCELLINA (Hiroyoshi Matsuda), recent winner of the Grade One Oka Sho (Japanese
1,000 Guineas).
The trio is made up of recent Grade Three winning and Grade Two placed COSMO MEADOW
(Shigenori Hatakeyama), a fascinating prospect for the Gold Cup.
Completing the Asian entries are a trio from Hong Kong, including SWEET SANETTE (Tony
Millard), entered for both Royal Ascot sprints, who had Sacred Kingdom and One World behind
her in second and third in the recent Bauhinia Sprint Trophy (Group Three).
John Moore, responsible for Happy Zero last year, has entered SUNNY KING, third to Rocket
Man in Dubai and a regular in Group One company in Hong Kong, in the Golden Jubilee, and
XTENSION, fourth in the 2,000 Guineas when with Clive Cox, in the Queen Anne Stakes.
Although it looks a case of next year for Black Caviar‟s international campaign, the horse that
has so far given the great mare most to do, STAR WITNESS (Danny O‟Brien), leads a contingent
of four entries from Down Under as the Australians seek to add a sixth Royal Ascot victory to
their remarkable recent record.
Star Witness was beaten just four lengths by Black Caviar when they met in November‟s Group
One Patinack Farm Classic, a week after his victory in the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes.
Trainer Danny O‟Brien reports there were valid excuses for his no show in the Newmarket
Handicap in March and the horse to be in fine form as they prepare to ship to the UK.
Third behind Star Witness in the Coolmore was SHRAPNEL, for Melbourne Cup-winning
trainer Mark Kavanagh and the four-year-old was a Group Two winner on his latest start in
March.
EAGLE FALLS (David Hayes) won the Group One Oakleigh Plate in February. In third that day
was Black Caviar‟s stablemate, HINCHINBROOK (Peter Moody), who is the last of the
Australian quartet. The latter is in the Golden Jubilee with the others in both Royal Ascot sprints.
OVERDOSE (Josef Roszival), nicknamed the “Budapest Bullet,” has been entered in the King‟s
Stand Stakes and is arguably the most fascinating of the European (outside UK) entries, which
number 67 from Ireland, 39 from France, 4 from Italy and one from Spain across the seven Group
Ones.
Amongst the Irish entry is the formerly Australian-trained SO YOU THINK (Aidan O‟Brien),
who is in the Queen Anne and Prince of Wales‟s Stakes, whilst the star French entry is clearly
GOLDIKOVA (Freddie Head), who could bid for a second Queen Anne Stakes win.
The British, French, Irish and wider European interest in the Royal Meeting remains just as
important as attracting runners from outside Europe, of course, and it is worth noting that
Godolphin has made 44 entries and Aidan O‟Brien has made 35.
5
QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS DAY
ASCOT, 15th OCTOBER
The inaugural QIPCO British Champions Day, the richest fixture in British racing history at £3
million, will be held at Ascot on 15th October 2011.
Racing‟s stakeholders have come together to create the new initiative, which will feature the
£1,300,000 Champion Stakes, £1,000,000 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, £250,000 British
Champions Sprint Stakes (formerly Diadem Stakes), £250,000 British Champions Fillies &
Mares Stakes (formerly Pride Stakes) and the £200,000 British Champions Long Distance Cup
(formerly Jockey Club Cup) - all sponsored by QIPCO.
The new event, along with the QIPCO British Champions Series that will signpost major races in
five categories through the season, is aimed at broadening the appeal of the sport beyond such
events as the Derby and Royal Ascot.
Four categories are by race distance - Middle Distance, Mile, Sprint and Long Distance. Mindful
of the fact that with Britain‟s fillies and mares programme so strong following an intensive
development of their Pattern, a separate fillies and mares category will operate.
The Series includes all the major meetings leading up to British Champions Day.
Royal Ascot, with all seven Group One races designated to their appropriate categories, will play
a part in the series along with the King George in July.
The Royal Ascot races included are: The Queen Anne Stakes (mile); The King‟s Stand Stakes
(sprint); The St James‟s Palace Stakes (mile); The Prince of Wales‟s Stakes (middle distance);
The Gold Cup (long distance); The Coronation Stakes (fillies and mares) and the Golden Jubilee
Stakes (sprint).
Along with 24 of 30 races at Royal Ascot and four on King George Day, all five British
Champions Day races will be shown live on BBC television.
ABOUT QIPCO
In March, British Champions Series Limited announced a multi-million pound two-year
agreement with QIPCO, the Qatari based private investment company, for the right to be
worldwide title partner for British Champions Day and the series.
A private company with a diverse range of investments, such as real estate, construction, oil and
gas, QIPCO‟s portfolio includes Qatar Bloodstock, which owns the stallion Makfi, winner of the
2010 2,000 Guineas and standing at Tweenhills Stud, Gloucestershire.
As the Title Partner of British Champions Series, QIPCO will enjoy exclusive naming rights for
the new series and full partnership rights for the new £3m British Champions Day. As part of the
agreement, QIPCO also becomes the official partner of the Guineas Festival at Newmarket‟s
Rowley Mile and the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.
6
VETERINARY FACILITIES, EQUINE &
JOCKEYS’ WELFARE
The safety and welfare of horses and jockeys is paramount throughout the year at Ascot and
nowhere is this better demonstrated than in the changes made to the racing surface itself during
the redevelopment (Ascot reopened in 2006).
The key elements of the project were to camber the home and old paddock bends and, crucially,
to remove the road crossings over the track, replacing them with underpasses.
This has created a safer race track for the horses, where previously some less experienced runners
had occasionally shied at the differing surfaces.
Four specifically qualified equine vets, led by Senior Veterinary Surgeon, Svend Kold, are on
duty every race day at Ascot, dedicated to the welfare of all the horses.
During each race vets follow the runners by car and can respond to and attend a casualty
generally within a minute - as fast as the paramedic teams responsible for human casualties.
There are two equine ambulances on course at all times and three ambulances for any incidents
involving injuries to jockeys.
Ascot‟s two permanent veterinary boxes are supplemented with an X-Ray machine for the major
meetings to assist with swift diagnosis before administration of treatment on site or any
movement necessary to equine hospitals.
The state-of-the-art jockeys‟ facilities at Ascot include a medical treatment room, rest rooms and
a dedicated room for physiotherapy.
During Royal Ascot, there are four doctors on site, led by Senior Racecourse Medical Officer, Dr
Roger Gould, specifically to deal with any jockey injuries.
RESERVES AT ROYAL ASCOT
Reserves will be declared at the 48-hour stage for all Royal Ascot eligible handicaps. Up to three
reserves can replace non-runners any time up to 9am the day before the race.
Eligible races are the Royal Hunt Cup, the Britannia, the King George V, the Buckingham
Palace, the Wokingham and the Duke of Edinburgh handicaps.
7
YEATS STATUE TO BE UNVEILED
To commemorate the achievement of Ascot‟s greatest equine legend, the four-time Gold Cup
winner Yeats, celebrated sculptor Charlie Langton was commissioned to create a ten per cent
over life-size bronze of the horse who dominated Royal Ascot from 2006 to 2009.
Yeats, now standing at Coolmore Stud in Ireland, was owned by Sue Magnier and Diane Nagle,
trained by Aidan O‟Brien, and ridden by Kieren Fallon (2006), Michael Kinane (2007) and
Johnny Murtagh (2008 and 2009). The statue will be unveiled at Royal Ascot and in his own
words, Charlie Langton talks in glowing terms of the challenge:
“The process began last summer with a week of measuring, sketching and sculpting at Coolmore
Stud. This was the most important stage as I was able to get to know Yeats from watching him in
his daily routine and then spend time speaking to the lads and all those that know him well. It was
vital that I gained a complete picture of the horse from those closest to him as I was keen to
capture the horse‟s character as well as his physical dimensions.
“I had my own very strong mental image of Yeats parading around the ring at Ascot to add to this
information and therefore I could establish a pose that married all these elements. He always
carried his head in a very distinctive way and later on in his career, as his neck developed, he
became instantly recognisable. He is beautifully proportioned. From the side he is deep and
powerfully built, especially through the shoulder he is sinuous and yet every line flows with an
effortless grace. From the front he is streamlined and slender - even his ears are close together
when pricked. It is easy to see why he had so much success when considering this combination of
power and aerodynamism.
“But the thing that really strikes me about Yeats is how he moves. He is almost regal in his head
carriage and he glides over the ground effortlessly. I could not have had a better subject for my
first life-size bronze.
“Having made a one quarter scale maquette of Yeats, I began work on the ten per cent over lifesize version in October 2010. The process involves a steel armature, on top of which I added clay
– over forty bags were needed (more than one tonne). Over sixty measurements taken from Yeats
were used along with video footage, my sketches and maquettes, and I also made trips back to
Coolmore to refresh my eye. He took over eight hundred hours to sculpt.
“I built a new studio especially for working on this scale so that, vitally, I could have the room to
stand back and see the work from a distance. However, it is a very large space to keep warm and
it was a constant battle against the cold to prevent the clay from freezing. Every night my
Yeats was wrapped up in a New Zealand rug and sleeping bags. Once I was getting close to being
happy with the sculpture, the mould making could begin. This was done over the course of ten
days by three highly skilled mould makers. He was moulded in seven sections (the four legs,
head, tail and body). The moulds were then taken to the foundry and a combination of the lost
wax process and sand casting were used to create the bronze.
“I hope more than anything that my sculpture does justice to Yeats and that those who know him
best will think that I have captured his presence and character. Yeats is an Ascot legend and I feel
extremely privileged to have been chosen to sculpt him.”
8
ASCOT CELEBRATES TERCENTENARY
Ascot is commemorating 300 years of racing throughout 2011 and in this historic tercentenary
year, racegoers are invited to enjoy Ascot‟s milestone, where its heritage and royal connections
will be celebrated and remembered at the racecourse.
Founded by Queen Anne in 1711, Ascot has been uniquely synonymous in the sporting and social
world with fashion and style coupled with the greatest racing over three centuries.
For one year only, the racecourse has adopted a special commemorative logo, which has been
replicated on site on flags and banners, some of which include beautiful historic images. A “timeline” has been produced on site and in print, marking key events at Ascot since its inauguration
and also placing them into the wider historical context.
One of the most visually compelling additions to the Royal Meeting in June will be the
appearance of the „Queen Anne‟ Rose, honouring the racecourse‟s founder. „Queen Anne‟ by
David Austin, is one of five new rose varieties which will be officially unveiled in May at the
Chelsea Flower Show.
To mark the tercentenary and celebrate Ascot‟s unique history away from the track, Thames &
Hudson have published an illustrated history of men‟s and ladies‟ fashions at Royal Ascot –
“Fashion at Royal Ascot – Three Centuries of Thoroughbred Style.”
Written by James Sherwood, part of the BBC‟s Royal Ascot fashion team, the history of the
Royal Enclosure dress code is traced through the book‟s pages. Sherwood also looks at some of
the more flamboyant ensembles that have graced Ascot‟s famous lawns over the years.
Internationally renowned photographer, Alistair Morrison, has produced an exhibition of
photographs to be displayed at Ascot all summer, commemorating its tercentenary.
The exhibition, titled „My Kingdom for a Horse,‟ showcases images depicting scenes around the
racecourse. From the fashion and tradition of the Royal Meeting, to stewards, stable lads, jockeys
and racing enthusiasts, the series of photographs are a reflection of the diversity of characters that
have made Ascot such an institution in British culture.
Royal Ascot will have an eighteenth Group race this year as the Hampton Court Stakes (renamed
the Tercentenary Stakes) has been promoted to Group Three status.
Fullers have brewed a limited edition “Tercentenary Ale” which will be available at the
racecourse throughout the year.
Ascot‟s Colts and Fillies Club for younger racegoers, which has over 11,500 members, has
adopted a race horse, Safari Team, for the Flat Season. Safari Team, trained by Peter Winkworth,
will be racing in the club‟s official silks which have been designed by club member, Frances
Flannagan, aged 9.
A Tercentenary Media Guide with further information on all the above is available
from: Karen Smith, PR Manager, 01344 878430 or email karen.smith@ascot.co.uk
9
JOHNNY WEATHERBY TO BECOME
HER MAJESTY’S REPRESENTATIVE
The Duke of Devonshire will stand down as Her Majesty‟s Representative and Senior Trustee at
Ascot following the Royal Meeting.
The Duke has been one of three Trustees at Ascot since 1982 and became Her Majesty‟s
Representative in 1997.
Her Majesty The Queen has appointed Johnny Weatherby as Her next Representative at Ascot,
the fifth person to hold the position during her reign.
Johnny Weatherby, a Trustee at Ascot since 1997, has been Chairman of Ascot Authority
(Holdings) Limited since 2008. He is also Chairman of the Weatherbys group of companies.
Ascot has three Trustees and Her Majesty has appointed Sir Francis Brooke Bt, to serve
alongside Johnny Weatherby and Mark Davies (an Ascot Trustee since 2002), following Royal
Ascot.
Sir Francis Brooke is a Director and Senior Fund Manager at Troy Asset Management Ltd. His
family has been involved for many years in the breeding, owning and training of racehorses.
From 1711 until 1901, the administration of Ascot was undertaken by the Master of the
Buckhounds. Charles Crompton William Cavendish, 3rd Baron Chesham, was the last person to
hold the role which was superseded by the position of His Majesty‟s Representative on the
accession of King Edward VII.
The position of His or Her Majesty‟s Representative has been held by the following people:
1901 to 1934
Victor Albert Francis Charles Spencer, 1st Viscount Churchill (Edward VII / George V)
1934 to 1945
Lord Hamilton of Dalzell (George V / Edward VIII / George VI)
1945 to 1972
Bernard Marmaduke Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk (George VI / Elizabeth II)
1972 to 1982
John Henry Guy Nevill, 5th Marquess of Abergavenny (Elizabeth II)
1982 to 1997
Colonel Sir Piers Bengough (Elizabeth II)
1997 to 2011
Peregrine Andrew Morny Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire (Elizabeth II)
10
ATTENDANCE, PRICING & DRESS CODE
Attendance at Royal Ascot in 2010 was 284,201, a 2% increase on 2009 (278,067).
Royal Enclosure
Daily badges are priced at £90 (£64 junior - 17 to 25 years old - Tuesday to Friday and £35
Saturday) and a weekly badge is £340 (£220 junior). Sponsorship from a member who has
attended at least four times in the past is required for new applicants. Royal Enclosure Office:
0870 727 5678 or email royal.enclosure@ascot.co.uk
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.
Overseas visitors are welcome to wear the formal national dress of their country or Service dress.
Public Enclosures
Grandstand Admission is priced at £59 on Tuesday and Wednesday, and £69 on Thursday, Friday
and Saturday. The Silver Ring is priced at £19 on Tuesday and Wednesday, and £29 on Thursday,
Friday and Saturday. Discounts apply for all days apart from Thursday until 13th May. Heath
admission on the day is £8.
To book visit www.ascot.co.uk or call 0870 727 1234. Group bookings can be made on 01344
878 536.
Follow all the latest news, including ticket availability, on Twitter via @Ascotinsider
Dress Code:
Ladies with a Grandstand Admission ticket are required to dress in a manner appropriate to a
smart occasion. Many wear hats although this is not compulsory. Gentlemen in the Grandstand
Admission area must wear a shirt and tie, preferably with a suit or jacket. Sports attire, jeans
and shorts are strictly forbidden.
Whilst smart clothing is encouraged in the Silver Ring, no formal dress code applies.
11
AN ‘A TO Z’ OF DOS AND DON’TS IN THE
ROYAL ASCOT FASHION STAKES!
Ascot
As usual, Ascot will act not just as the backdrop to the world‟s finest race
meeting, but also to the colour and variety of contemporary and traditional fashions.
Bowler Hats
Whilst Top Hats are the order of the day in the Royal Enclosure, Ascot‟s
stewards traditionally wear this alternative traditional headwear.
Cravats
Just not quite the done thing these days. It‟s ties with Morning Dress
unless you‟re at a wedding!
Dress Code
The wearing of morning dress and formal wear has developed over time
and the dress code for the Royal Enclosure is at the heart of Royal Ascot.
Eccentricity
So there‟s a dress code… but that doesn‟t stop Ascot being the perfect
place to show off your own style and express your individual personality (within reason!)
Feet!
No pain, no gain! High heels look fabulous but don‟t neglect your feet
girls! The site is a quarter of a mile long so lady visitors may wish to consider their footwear
carefully…or just wear the heels, everyone knows they look great!
Glamorous
Perceptions of glamour change but the core principle remains the same being glamorous is about creating an illusion that you lead an enviable life.
Happiness
No outfit would be complete without a beaming bright smile – remember
to wear yours and take advantage of your most attractive (and free) feature!
…And Hats
Simply the Ascot accessory! Wear hats straight on the head or tilted
mysteriously over one eye. How a hat looks from the neck up is most important.
Inspiration
Be inspired by the latest catwalk trends, the season‟s colours and
contemporary looks. Show off your own style and become the trendsetter not a follower!
Jewellery
Remember to keep it simple, over accessorising can easily draw the eye
away from a classic outfit.
Kids!
Dressing up isn‟t just for adults. Ascot‟s young racegoers‟ “Colts and
Fillies” Club has over 11,500 members and Royal Ascot is just as important for them.
Longines
The must have accessory at Royal Ascot is a Longines watch crafted by
Ascot‟s official timekeeper.
Morning Dress
Morning dress (black or grey) is compulsory in the Royal Enclosure but is
also a familiar sight in other areas of the racecourse.
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Now
…is the time to start planning your perfect outfit. Don‟t delay as leaving it
to the last minute could cost you in the style stakes!
Orange
Every girl‟s worst nightmare is streaky tan lines – a total fashion faux pas
and there‟s no excuse!
Paparazzi
Royal Ascot is one of the “must attend” events for photographers from all
over the world. Literally hundreds of snappers representing the papers and glossies descend on
Ascot every June, and some even photograph the horses!
The Queen
Betting on the colour of The Queen‟s hat on Gold Cup Day is available
from any bookmaker worth his salt. Just be wary of believing all the post arrival hype about leaks
from the Palace and betting coups being landed by insiders. It‟s a novelty market and they never
take more than pennies and the “we were hit for thousands!” story is becoming a Royal Ascot
tradition in itself!
Rainy Days
Don‟t get caught out in the unpredictable summer showers – a trusty
umbrella can also double up as the ultimate fashion accessory to complement your outfit.
Summer Sun
Sun protection cream is a must – nobody can make sunburn look good!
Toppers
grey is much safer.
Black or grey are equally acceptable but if you‟re not going the silk route,
Urban Myths
For the very last time! Rod Stewart was NOT ejected from the Royal
Enclosure. He was looking for his hospitality area and a very kind, if admittedly slightly
frightening Royal Enclosure steward, was snapped pointing him in the direction of his suite. A
free gift for the paparazzi? Yes.
Vehicular Egress! Ladies, the easiest way to exit a vehicle is to take a firm hold on the back
hem of the skirt, twist your body with your legs together until your legs are toward the exiting
door of the vehicle, and then stand.
What Not To Wear Everyone has experienced their own personal fashion disaster at some time
in their life. The ultimate ladies‟ nightmare is surely getting home from a day at the races to find
you‟ve been singled out by the BBC Fashion Team, who take absolutely no prisoners!
The X Factor
… if you‟re truly carried away with your partner‟s immaculate appearance,
the pink benches at Ascot are there for proposals!
Yeats
...the most stunning visitor to Royal Ascot was the winner of four Gold
Cups from 2006 to 2009. Whatever you wore, however much you spent, this supreme athlete
always stole the show on the ultimate catwalk - and he wore the same outfit every time!
Zips
Gentlemen, ensure these are always done up. A simple schoolboy error
can spoil even the most distinguished of outfits!
13
EATING AND DRINKING AT ASCOT
THE DEFINITIVE ‘A TO Z’ GUIDE!
A
is for Afternoon Tea: The quintessentially English experience is a firm favourite with
racegoers at Royal Ascot. In 2010, visitors to the racecourse enjoyed 30,000 chocolate and coffee
éclairs and 35,000 strawberry scones.
B
is for Birdcage: an exciting venue in the Royal Enclosure Garden being hosted on
Ascot‟s behalf by Guy Pelly, Jake Warren and Astrid Harbord. This year, a horse, as yet to be
purchased, will run in the name of the Betfair Birdcage Partnership. The venture was launched in
Pelly‟s nightclub, Public, in April.
C
is for Champagne: Just shy of 50,000 bottles were drunk at Royal Ascot 2010.
D
is for Dishes: New and exciting signature dishes have been created this year by Steve
Golding, Executive Chef for Ascot Racecourse, including Roasted Fillet of Aged Kettyle Beef
and Parmesan and Basil Popcorn.
E
is for English: Locally sourced produce will be used for a variety of the many delectable
dishes on offer this year, including English local asparagus spears, English beef and rumps of
English lamb.
F
is for Fashion Show: The Royal Ascot Fashion Show in the Bessborough Restaurant
hosts the return of top British designers including Vivienne Westwood, Stephen Jones, Amanda
Wakeley and House of Hardy Amies.
G
is for Guests Galore: During Royal Ascot 2010, the racecourse hosted almost 300,000
guests including over 19,000 in the fine dining restaurants and over 6,000 in the public
restaurants and private members clubs.
H
is for Ascot Hospitality: The UK‟s leading caterers Sodexo Prestige have overseen the
Ascot catering operation since 1998, trading as Ascot Hospitality. They have just been
reappointed as the racecourse‟s official provider of hospitality for the next five years.
I
is for Official Image: Britain‟s queen of fashion, Vivienne Westwood, has teamed up
with celebrated milliner, Stephen Jones, and photo-illustrative photographer, Simon Procter, to
create a single image for Royal Ascot in the racecourse‟s tercentenary year that embodies 300
years of racing and fashion. Look out for the image on billboards and newspaper advertisements
– it features fashions from the three centuries of Ascot‟s history set against a background of
Ascot dating back to 1818.
J
is for Jobs: The racecourse employs 330 chefs and up to 500 waiting staff per day.
K
is for Kilos: In 2010, racegoers consumed 390 kilos of fresh prawns, 1,400 kilos of
smoked salmon and 600 kilos of crab meat.
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L
is for Lobster: Guests indulged in a total of 1,400 lobsters in 2010 and this year the
Parade Ring Restaurant menu includes an Ascot Bento Box, featuring Tempura Lobster Kuckle,
Boniato Mash and Thai Cured Beef Salad.
M
is for Ascot Bloody Mary: Served with horseradish and celery salt straws, guests of the
Parade Ring Restaurant will be able to kick start their day with a delicious shot of this Petit
Dejeuner cocktail.
N
is for Naughty but Nice: Crème Caramel with Sauternes Jelly, Pear Ice Cream and
Caramel Cream and Warm Tiramisu Doughnuts are just some of the treats in store across the fine
dining restaurants.
O
is for Pimms O’Clock – some 8,000 bottles are drunk during the week.
P
is for Picnic – an Ascot institution, especially the celebrated affairs in Number One Car
Park. P is also for Popping Candy – over 40,000 packets of white chocolate popping candy were
consumed during Royal Ascot 2010.
Q
is for Quality and Quantity: It‟s easy to over-indulge at Royal Ascot with that mix!
R
is for Royal Blush: The official cocktail of the Royal Meeting and widely available
across the site.
S
is for Sandwiches: the humble sandwich is just as popular at Ascot as anything else on
offer, with 35,000 rounds served over the week.
T
is for Triple Decker Marquee: Often mistaken for a permanent structure, this exquisitely
luxurious marquee houses the Bessborough, Carriages and Sandringham Restaurants and is fully
equipped with a production kitchen and lifts.
U
is for Umbrellas: Come rain or shine, there are over 300 parasols around the Racecourse
to shield you from the elements.
V
is for Variety: Over 50 dishes have been created for Royal Ascot 2011.
W
is for the Waterside Inn at the Panoramic: The culinary legend Alain Roux will be
based in the Panoramic Restaurant bringing a taste of the Waterside Inn, with its three Michelin
Stars, to the most sophisticated restaurant connoisseur.
X
is for Xpensive (sort of), and not necessarily: This year Ascot offers a pie and a pint meal
for just £5 in Grandstand Admission.
Y
is for Yeast: From sun dried tomatoes to black olive bread, over 50,000 bread rolls and
bread sticks are served during Royal Ascot.
Z
is for Zest: Four tonnes of fresh fruit will be served in a variety of drinks, including 1.5
tonnes of limes and 1.5 tonnes of lemons.
15
THE QUEEN AND RACING AT ASCOT
There were jubilant scenes on the final day of Royal Ascot 2008 as The Queen‟s Free Agent
came from a seemingly impossible position to win the Chesham Stakes, bringing her total
number of winners at Royal Ascot to 20 and ending a blank period stretching back to 1999.
The Queen‟s involvement with racing began in 1952, with her first winner, owned jointly with
her mother, Monaveen in a humble Fontwell jumps race.
On the death of her father, King George VI, The Queen inherited the Royal string of Flat horses,
which at the time were mainly trained by Cecil Boyd-Rochford and Noel Murless. It didn‟t take
long for her first top horse to come along.
Aureole, by the great Hyperion, was second to Pinza in the 1953 Derby and he must rank as one
of The Queen‟s best horses, with victories in the 1954 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes
and Hardwicke Stakes. Aureole went on to be champion sire in Britain.
The Queen‟s first Royal Ascot success came when Choir Boy landed the 1953 Royal Hunt Cup,
one of 11 successes during the 1950s, with others including 1957 Ribblesdale Stakes winner
Almeria, who went on to finish second in the King George, and Pall Mall, who took the 1957
New Stakes en route to victory in the 2,000 Guineas the following year.
The 1960s were a quieter time for the Royal thoroughbreds, although Aiming High landed the
1961 Coronation Stakes and Hopeful Venture the 1968 Hardwicke Stakes.
But The Queen‟s racing fortunes entered another golden period in the 1970s, helped by the
brilliant Dick Hern-trained filly Highclere, who won the 1,000 Guineas and French Oaks in 1974
before finishing second to Dahlia in that year‟s King George.
As Silver Jubilee celebrations were being held throughout the land in 1977, a filly came along
that would ensure a year of tremendous success for the Royal colours, with Dunfermline winning
both the Oaks and St Leger.
The Queen has not since had another Dunfermline but there have been successes, including
Colour Sergeant in the 1992 Royal Hunt Cup, Phantom Gold in the 1995 Ribblesdale Stakes and
Blueprint in the 1999 Duke of Edinburgh Stakes.
2002 saw the country celebrate The Queen‟s Golden Jubilee and the Royal Meeting was extended
to five days to mark the occasion, but it was also the year that The Queen Mother passed away.
Since then, her jumps horses have raced in The Queen‟s colours and the chaser Barbers Shop has
run with great credit in the Royal silks.
In 2005, the Royal Party relocated to York and attended all five days of the Royal Meeting in the
Roman city. On June 20th, 2006, The Queen, who had visited Ascot several times during the
redevelopment works, formally reopened the racecourse.
Next year is The Queen‟s Diamond Jubilee and nowhere will this be celebrated more
passionately than at Royal Ascot.
16
ASCOT - ITS HISTORY AND TRADITIONS
It was Queen Anne who first saw the potential for a racecourse at Ascot, which in those days was
called East Cote. Whilst out riding in 1711, she came upon an area of open heath, not far from
Windsor Castle, that looked an ideal place for “horses to gallop at full stretch.”
The first race meeting ever held at Ascot took place on Saturday 11th August 1711. Her
Majesty‟s Plate, worth 100 guineas and open to any horse, mare or gelding over the age of six,
was the inaugural event. Each horse was required to carry a weight of 12st and seven runners
took part.
This contest bore little resemblance to racing seen at Ascot today. The seven horses were all
English Hunters, quite different to the speedy thoroughbreds that race on the flat now.
The race consisted of three separate heats which were four miles long (each heat was about the
length of the Grand National), so the winner would have been a horse with tremendous stamina.
Sadly, there is no record of the winner of the first Plate.
The racecourse was laid out by William Lowen, who was assisted by a team of helpers; William
Erlybrown, a carpenter, Benjamin Cluchett, a painter, and John Grape, who prepared the
paperwork for racing. The first permanent building was erected in 1793 by George Slingsby, a
Windsor builder. It held 1,650 people and was used until 1838.
In 1813, Parliament passed an Act of Enclosure. This Act ensured that Ascot Heath, although the
property of the Crown, would be kept and used as a racecourse for the public in the future.
Racing at Ascot was now secure.
The precise origin of the Royal Meeting is unclear. It was an event that evolved, perhaps, rather
than was introduced at a specific time, but the first four-day meeting took place in 1768.
Arguably, the meeting as we know it today started to take shape with the introduction of the Gold
Cup in 1807.
Gold Cup Day is the third day of Royal Ascot. Although you won‟t find it in any marketing or
promotional literature, Thursday is colloquially known as Ladies’ Day.
The term Ladies’ Day seems to be have been first used in 1823, when an anonymous poet
described the Thursday of the Royal Meeting as „Ladies‟ Day, when the women, like angels, look
sweetly divine.‟ In the formative years, Thursday was certainly the dominant day in terms of the
racing, attracting the largest crowds and, it must be assumed from the emergence of the term,
more ladies!
Almost every racecourse markets a Ladies’ Day now, but the great charm of the original is that it
has evolved rather than been created. It is the public, not the racecourse, who call it Ladies’ Day.
The Gold Cup is Ascot‟s oldest surviving race, and the winning owners receive a gold trophy
which becomes their property. Perpetual trophies are only awarded for three races at the Royal
Meeting, the other two being the Queen‟s Vase, inaugurated in 1838 to commemorate Queen
17
Victoria‟s accession, and the Royal Hunt Cup (1843). For all other races, Challenge trophies are
awarded, which are returned to Ascot and presented each year.
It was at around the time of the first running of the Gold Cup that the roots of today‟s traditional
Royal Enclosure dress code emerged.
Beau Brummell, a close friend of the Prince Regent, decreed that men of elegance should wear
waisted black coats and white cravats with pantaloons. Over the years, this has evolved into the
wearing of morning suits and equally formal clothes for ladies, who must wear hats.
Although a Royal Stand dates back to the 1790s, the Royal Enclosure that current regulars are
used to at Ascot was born in 1822 when King George IV commissioned a two-storey stand to be
built with a surrounding lawn. Access was by invitation of the King.
In 1825, the Royal Procession as an annual tradition began. The King, leading four other coaches
with members of the Royal party, drove up the centre of the racecourse in front of the crowds and
this has continued to the present day.
The administration of Ascot has always been handled by a representative appointed by the
Monarch. The racecourse was run on behalf of the Sovereign by the Master of the Royal
Buckhounds up until 1901 when Lord Churchill was appointed as the first official Representative
of His Majesty, a post held today by the Duke of Devonshire.
In 1913, when the Ascot Authority was established by an Act of Parliament, His Majesty‟s
Representative became Senior Trustee of the Authority with the Clerk of the Course acting as
Secretary. Today, as Ascot Authority (Holdings) Limited, Ascot has a formal board comprising
the Chief Executive, the General Manager and the Finance Director (from the executive team),
supported by a Chairman, Her Majesty‟s Representative and a further trustee and non-executive
director.
In 1955, the rules of divorce were relaxed and divorcees were able to enter the Royal Enclosure.
However, a redevelopment of the Enclosure shortly before this had added the new Queen‟s Lawn,
which was by invitation and the Court rules governing divorce still applied.
Ascot‟s first major redevelopment came to fruition in 1954, with the relocation of the straight
mile north to allow more space behind the stands. This was the second such move and even this
time around, they didn‟t go quite far enough as the track was moved a further 42 metres north as
part of the recent redevelopment! Prior to the second move, the straight track cut right through
the existing Number One Car Park into the current site of Heatherwood Hospital.
The Queen Elizabeth II Grandstand, built by Wimpey, was erected between the 1960 and 1961
Royal Meeting and the Members‟ Stand went up between Royal Ascot 1963 and 1964.
The Car Parks at Ascot almost certainly play more part in the event than at any other venue – they
are far from merely functional with lavish picnics, including butlers, candelabra and silver service
not uncommon, especially in Number One and Two Car Parks. In 2006, a Country Life survey
found that Royal Ascot is the South of England‟s most popular picnic spot and the most popular
sporting occasion at which to picnic in the country.
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Although Ascot likes to think it runs Number One Car Park, it is far from uncommon for berths
in this sought after spot to be passed down formally from generation to generation.
Ascot‟s much loved tradition of “singing round the bandstand” or “community / traditional
singing” began in the 1970s under the stewardship of Lady Beaumont, wife of the then Clerk of
the Course, Captain Sir Nicholas Beaumont. The now unmissable sing song of British favourites
and flag waving after racing was an immediate success with thousands of racegoers staying on
and making it an integral part of their day. Now, traditional singing is listed as part of the day‟s
formal proceedings in the racecard and song books and flags are handed round.
2002 saw plenty of change to the established pattern at the Royal Meeting with additional races
named after Royal breeding centres introduced as the meeting expanded to five days to mark The
Queen‟s Golden Jubilee.
In addition, one race name was changed permanently as the newly promoted Cork & Orrery
Stakes became the Golden Jubilee Stakes. The racecourse was decked out in red, white and blue
flags as the five days in June played a major part in the country‟s celebrations.
The racecourse closed for redevelopment in September 2004 – with the Finale Meeting ending
with singing round the bandstand – the first time this tradition has been extended to a non-Royal
Ascot day.
The 2005 Royal Meeting was staged in York, providing the city with its biggest ever sporting
event. The city, region and racecourse threw themselves into the extravaganza, which saw
expansion into the Knavesmire so as to accommodate circa 50,000 people each day.
Royal Ascot at York took place with a Royal Enclosure dress code and Royal Procession every
day. The bell used to instruct jockeys to mount at Ascot travelled up along with the Brown Jack
statue commemorating the Ascot legend. Even the “Greencoats,” who form the ceremonial guard
for The Queen at Royal Ascot, came to York. Their garb rather speaks for itself and it is
rumoured that the original velvet uniforms were made from material left over from curtains in
Windsor Castle.
Historically, Ascot Racecourse redevelops every 50 years or so, once a generation, and
throughout considerable changes the Royal Meeting has maintained its position as a much loved
event at the heart of the national sporting and social calendar. Ascot‟s traditions remain as strong,
strictly observed and loved now as they ever were, whilst the racing goes from strength to
strength (Group One races have more than doubled to seven since 1999).
The new Ascot, designed by HOK Sport, was officially reopened by The Queen, on time and to
its £220 million budget, on 20th June 2006.
The modern era immediately had a new equine legend in Yeats, who won an unprecedented four
Gold Cups before retiring in 2009. This year a statue of the great stayer will be unveiled at the
Royal Meeting.
2011 sees Ascot celebrate its tercentenary but next year will be just as exciting a landmark for the
racecourse as the Royal Meeting plays its part in The Queen‟s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
19
ASCOT RACECOURSE KEY DATES
Summer 1711 – It was Queen Anne who first saw the potential for a racecourse at Ascot, which
in those days was called East Cote. Whilst out riding she came upon an area of open heath, not
far from Windsor Castle, that looked an ideal place for “horses to gallop at full stretch.”
June 1711 – Charles, Duke of Somerset instructed Sir William Wyndham, Master of the Royal
Buckhounds, to have the open heath cleared of scrub and gorse in preparation for a race meeting.
11 August 1711 – The first race meeting ever held at Ascot took place. Her Majesty‟s Plate,
worth 100 guineas and open to any horse, mare or gelding over the age of six, was the inaugural
event. Each horse was required to carry a weight of 12st and seven runners took part.
17 September 1711 – the success of Her Majesty‟s Plate in August meant the second meeting
followed soon after in September.
31 July 1727 – John Cheny published a prototype form book, which evolved into the Racing
Calendar, recording the conditions of each race and the prize.
1744 – The Yeoman Prickers were formed. Employed by the Master of the Buckhounds, their
distinctive livery of forest green coats with gold facings are worn today by the Ascot Greencoats,
who attend Royal Ascot each year.
1752 – The popularity of attending the racing at Ascot was becoming apparent in social circles,
prompting the Duke of Bedford to write that when arriving in London „I could find no soul to
dine or sup with.‟
1762 – The first use of racing colours was introduced, although it wasn‟t mandatory for another
two decades.
1773 – James Weatherby, Keeper of the Match Book (the book of records for match races) was
authorised by the Jockey Club to publish a racing calendar. James Weatherby began a family
firm, still in existence today. Weatherbys are the secretariat of horse racing in Britain.
June 1791 – The Oatlands Stakes was run at Ascot – an important landmark race as it was the
first handicap race, where the weights of the runners were adjusted according to their form to
give them equal chances.
1793 – The first permanent building was erected by George Slingsby, a Windsor builder. It held
1,650 people and was used until 1838.
1807 – The inaugural running of the Gold Cup for three-year-olds and upwards. It is significant
that the first Gold Cup was won by a three-year-old, this was an event designed to attract horses
bred to compete much younger than had been the case the previous century.
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1813 – Parliament passed an Act of Enclosure. This Act ensured that Ascot Heath, although the
property of the Crown, would be kept and used as a racecourse for the public in the future.
Racing at Ascot was now secure. The Master of the Buckhounds continued to manage the races
and the racecourse – just as it was more than 100 years before.
1820 – George III died and the Prince Regent ascended the throne as George IV. He immediately
ordered alterations to be made to the Royal Stand by John Nash. Nash‟s alterations did not satisfy
the King and so, in 1822, Nash designed a brand new Royal Stand, erected in just five weeks.
1822 – The Royal Enclosure was born when King George IV commissioned a two-storey stand to
be built with a surrounding lawn. Access was by invitation of the King where he entertained his
friends in style.
1825 – King George IV‟s greatest legacy to Royal Ascot was the Royal Procession. The King
leading four other coaches with members of the Royal party drove up the Straight Mile in front of
the crowds. A diarist of the day commented; „the whole thing looked very splendid.‟
1837 – Turf on the track was relaid by the Clerk of the Course, William Hibburd, to improve the
ground. Rails and posts are constructed along the track.
1838 – Queen Victoria made her first visit to Ascot as sovereign. To mark her first visit, the
Queen inaugurated a new race over one and a half miles, known today as the Queen‟s Vase.
1838 – Horses were numbered in the racecard.
July 1838 – A decision was made to construct a new stand between the betting stand and the
Royal Stand. The new stand took 10 months to build and was warmly welcomed when it opened
on May 20, 1839. The lower half of the stand could hold about 3,000 people and contained a
betting hall.
1839 – For the first time at Ascot, the judge hoisted the number of the winner onto a large
blackboard, thus putting an end to the disputes as to which horse had won.
1856 – The railway was brought to Ascot with the opening of the Staines to Wokingham line.
1861 (approx) – Racing in the mid-19th century was becoming more professional with Ascot
appointing its first official Clerk of the Scales, James Manning (whose family stayed in the post
until 1970, latterly working for the Jockey Club).
1861 – Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, died and Queen Victoria did not return to
Ascot again.
1862 – A new race at the meeting was named after Prince Albert: the Prince of Wales‟s Stakes.
1863 – Prince Albert, eldest son and second child of Victoria and Albert, known as Bertie,
attended his first Ascot meeting aged 21 and continued to lend his support to the Royal Meeting
with enthusiasm. He restored the Royal Procession and revived the custom of inviting overseas
visitors to Ascot.
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1873 – Ascot witnessed the first victory for the riding phenomenon Fred Archer. Over 14 years,
he rode 80 winners at the racecourse.
1896 – The Grandstand had a clock tower erected.
1901 – Racing at Ascot took place in sombre mood to mark the death of Queen Victoria. Prince
Albert ascended the throne as King Edward VII.
1901 – The role of Master of the Buckhounds was disbanded and a new role created, that of the
King‟s representative. The first man to undertake this role was Viscount Churchill.
1901 – All three stands in the Royal Enclosure were demolished under the instruction of King
Edward VII and two new stands were built between September, 1901 and May 1902. The total
cost was £28,350.
1902 - A third stand was built at a cost of £27,636. This stand included lifts, the first to be
installed on a British racecourse. In order to have the work completed by May 1902, some 500
men were employed on the task, working day and night shifts.
1908 – The „Five Shilling Stand‟ was built – later known as the Silver Ring Stand at a cost of
£30,000.
1912 – Racegoers began to arrive by car and for the first time, motor cars were allowed to park
on the Heath.
1913 – The Ascot Authority was established by an Act of Parliament. His Majesty‟s
Representative became Senior Trustee of the Authority with the Clerk of the Course acting as
Secretary.
1926 – The Royal Enclosure buildings were extended and a new Iron Stand was erected. Ascot
began to install a new watering system, with the facility to dispense around two million gallons of
water onto the turf.
1929 – The Tote building was constructed (still standing today, beside the Pre-Parade Ring). The
designs had been agreed by the Racecourse Betting Control Board (RBCB), the authority
overseeing wagering at this time.
1936 – George V died and was succeeded by his eldest son, who became Edward VIII. The new
King was a keen follower of horseracing but he never attended the Royal Meeting as reigning
monarch. By the end of the year Edward VIII had abdicated in order to marry Mrs Wallis
Simpson.
1937 – George VI & Queen Elizabeth attend their first Ascot race meeting.
1940 – Racing at Ascot cancelled. The racecourse was commandeered by the army, the
Grandstand providing accommodation for gunners of the Royal Artillery.
15 May 1943 – Racing at Ascot resumed, with an eight-race card.
22
21 May 1945 –Ascot staged its first post war fixture and the 19-year-old Princess Elizabeth
attended for the first time.
1946 – Major Crocker Bulteel was appointed as the Clerk of the Course, regarded as „the
outstanding racing administrator of his day.‟ The Duke of Norfolk was appointed as the King‟s
Representative, it was his ambition to „make Ascot second to none among European
racecourses.‟
1946 – The Ascot fixture list extended to include racing in July, September and October.
1953 – Queen Elizabeth II crowned on 2nd June (ascended the throne on 6th February 1952).
1955 - The rules of divorce were relaxed and divorcees were able to enter the Royal Enclosure.
However, a redevelopment of the Enclosure shortly before this had added the new Queen‟s Lawn.
Entrance was by invitation only and the Court rules governing divorce still applied.
13 June 1961 – The Grandstand was demolished and the Queen Elizabeth II Stand was built. It
took 11 months to build, with 550 workers at a cost of £1 million. The stand represented a stateof-the-art facility at the time, accommodated 13,000 people and had 280 private boxes.
1975 – The BBC outside-broadcast staff picketed and there was no television coverage at Royal
Ascot.
April, 1998 – Lord Hartington, Her Majesty‟s Representative, revealed that changes to the
racecourse were being contemplated.
2001 – In order to facilitate the redevelopment, Ascot incorporated as Ascot Authority (Holdings)
Limited, the most significant milestone in its structure since the 1913 Act of Parliament.
2002 – Plans were announced to redevelop Ascot Racecourse. The existing Queen Elizabeth II
stand was to be replaced and the course realigned.
September, 2004 – Ascot held its last meeting with the old facilities. Demolition of the stand
began and the redevelopment programme commenced.
June, 2005 – Royal Ascot is staged at York Racecourse.
June, 2006 – The new Ascot stand is opened on time and on budget.
June, 2009 – Yeats wins his fourth Gold Cup, beating Sagaro‟s record, set in the 1970s.
2011 – Ascot celebrates its Tercentenary.
23
RACE HISTORIES & CONDTIONS
The Queen Anne Stakes (Group One)
Founded in 1840, the Queen Anne Stakes commemorates the monarch who established racing at
Ascot in 1711. Run as the Trial Stakes until 1929, the Queen Anne Stakes was first awarded
Group Three status in 1971, becoming Group Two in 1984. The race, attracting Europe‟s top
older milers, achieved the highest three-year average rating of any Group Two race in Britain
from 1999 to 2002 according to the then International Classifications (now World Thoroughbred
Rankings) and was elevated to Group One status accordingly in 2003. At that time, it moved
from the traditional opening race on the card to the fourth race. However, in 2008 it reverted to
its traditional slot, opening the meeting.
The King’s Stand Stakes (Group One)
A Stand Plate was first run on the round course in 1837, becoming the Royal Stand Plate in 1858.
The race was re-named the Queen‟s Stand Plate in 1860 for two-year-olds, over the sprint
distance of four furlongs, finally becoming the King‟s Stand Plate in 1901. Today the race
remains a sprint, although now run over the minimum trip of five furlongs for three-year-olds and
upwards. In 2005, it became the first British leg of the Global Sprint Challenge and in 2008 it
was promoted to Group One.
The St James’s Palace Stakes (Group One)
Named after the Tudor Royal residence, the inaugural running of the St James‟s Palace Stakes in
1834 was a walkover for the Derby winner Plenipotentiary. This race features the best male
milers from the Classic generation, often attracting horses that have run in the English, French
and Irish 2,000 Guineas.
The Coventry Stakes (Group Two)
First run in 1890, the race was named after the ninth Earl of Coventry, Master of the
Buckhounds, between 1886 and 1892. This is the first Group contest of the year for juveniles.
Many top class horses win this race before going on to achieve greatness and, in 2004, the race
was promoted to Group Two status.
The Ascot Stakes (Handicap)
First run in 1839, the Ascot Stakes is run over two and a half miles. Like the Gold Cup and
Queen Alexandra Stakes, this race provides a thorough test of stamina. It is one of just three races
at the Royal Meeting in which the field passes the winning post twice. The race attracts horses
that have run in the early season staying handicaps, most notably the Chester Cup.
The Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed)
First run in 1839 over the straight mile course, this race was originally designed to attract threeyear-old colts and fillies that had competed in the early season Classics. It is now run over the
minimum distance of five furlongs and restricted to two-year-olds.
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The Jersey Stakes (Group Three)
The Jersey Stakes replaced the second leg of the Triennial Stakes in 1919. Named after the
fourth Earl of Jersey, who was the Master of the Buckhounds between 1782 and 1783, this
specialist seven-furlong contest is framed for three-year-olds who have yet to win a Group One or
Group Two race, but have often competed at that level, including in the Guineas.
The Windsor Forest Stakes (Group Two)
The Windsor Forest Stakes was a new addition to the Royal Meeting in 2004 and part of an
industry wide initiative to encourage connections of the leading Classic generation fillies from
the previous year to keep their stars in training. Run over the straight mile course, it is open only
to fillies and mares aged four or over. As a Group Two race, Group One winners carry a penalty,
so the option of the Group One Queen Anne Stakes, where no penalties are carried, is still open
to the very best fillies.
The Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Group One)
The Prince of Wales‟s Stakes was first run at Royal Ascot in 1862, named after the son of Queen
Victoria (later to become King Edward VII). Originally staged over a mile and five furlongs, the
race often attracted horses that had participated in the Classics. There was no Prince of Wales‟s
Stakes from 1946 until 1968, a year before the current Prince of Wales‟s investiture in 1969,
when the distance changed to one mile and two furlongs. In 2000, the Prince of Wales‟s Stakes
was upgraded to Group One status for the first time and restricted to four-year-olds and upwards.
The Royal Hunt Cup (Handicap)
The Royal Hunt Cup always provides one of the greatest spectacles of the Royal Meeting as a
maximum field thunders up Ascot‟s straight mile course for one of the biggest betting races of
the season. First run in 1843, it was originally staged over seven furlongs and 155 yards. The
current distance of a mile was established in 1955 when the straight course was re-aligned as part
of the previous redevelopment.
The Queen Mary Stakes (Group Two)
Named after the consort of King George V, this race was first run in 1921. The first major race of
the season exclusively for two-year-old fillies, the Queen Mary Stakes is run over the minimum
distance of five furlongs and provides a useful opportunity to assess their ability and potential to
perform at Group One level. It was promoted to Group Two status in 2004.
The Sandringham Stakes (Listed Handicap)
Originally registered as the Fern Hill Stakes, this race was part of the traditional Heath Day card
on the Saturday after Royal Ascot. It was renamed the Sandringham Stakes, after the royal
residence, as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002. This is a competitive Listed
handicap over a mile, limited to three-year-old fillies only.
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The Norfolk Stakes (Group Two)
First run in 1843, this race was formerly known as the New Stakes and staged over a distance of
just under four furlongs. It was renamed after the Duke of Norfolk, Her Majesty‟s Representative
at Ascot between 1945 and 1972, in 1973. For two-year-olds, it was promoted to Group Two
status in 2006.
The Ribblesdale Stakes (Group Two)
Named after the fourth Baron Ribblesdale, Master of the Buckhounds between 1892 and 1895.
First run in 1919, this race was originally staged over a mile for three and four-year-olds. It is
now restricted to Classic generation fillies and run over the longer distance of a mile and a half.
The Gold Cup (Group One)
Founded in 1807, the Gold Cup (which, contrary to popular opinion is not called the “Ascot Gold
Cup”) is the oldest and one of the most prestigious races at Royal Ascot. Staged over the
marathon trip of two and a half miles, the race is a stiff test of stamina and attracts the very best
staying horses. Many horses have distinguished themselves with dual Gold Cup wins, enhancing
the race‟s reputation as a specialists‟ event. Only one horse has won three times, Sagaro in the
1970s, but Yeats did better, becoming a four-time winner in 2009.
The Britannia Stakes (Handicap)
First run in 1928 over the straight mile of the Royal Hunt Cup course and run under similar
conditions today. Open to three-year-old colts and geldings only, the Britannia is almost as
popular these days as the Royal Hunt Cup.
The Tercentenary Stakes (Group Three)
The Tercentenary Stakes is the new name for the Hampton Court Stakes, the name having been
changed to celebrate the racecourse‟s milestone in 2011. It has also been promoted from Listed to
Group Three this year. The race was originally part of the Saturday Heath Day card, under the
title of the New Stakes, and joined Royal Ascot as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations in
2002. This 10-furlong event is restricted to three-year-olds.
The King George V Stakes (Handicap)
Like the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, this is a handicap for middle distance performers, staged
over one and a half miles. The inaugural running was in July, 1946 as part of the first fixture
staged at the racecourse after the Royal Meeting, before the race was transferred to Royal Ascot
in 1948. It is for three-year-olds.
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The Albany Stakes (Group Three)
This race was first run in 2002 as the Henry Carnarvon Stakes, honouring The Queen‟s late
racing manager, and has proved so successful that it was promoted to Group Three status in 2005.
Restricted to two-year-old fillies, the six-furlong event provides one of the first opportunities of
the season for promising types to prove their ability and go on to harbour Guineas aspirations.
The King Edward VII Stakes (Group Two)
Formerly known, and still colloquially referred to as the Ascot Derby, this race was inaugurated
in 1834 and regularly featured horses of both sexes that had competed in the middle-distance
Classics. First run as the King Edward VII Stakes in 1926 and now restricted to three-year-old
colts and geldings only, it has attracted horses that have competed in the Derby.
The Coronation Stakes (Group One)
First run in 1840, the Coronation Stakes was founded to commemorate the crowning of Queen
Victoria in 1838. This mile event is the fillies‟ equivalent of the St James‟s Palace Stakes and
attracts horses that have run in the English, Irish and French 1,000 Guineas.
The Wolferton Handicap Stakes (Listed)
First run in this form in 2002 as part of the five-day Royal Ascot meeting to celebrate The
Queen‟s Golden Jubilee, this is a Listed handicap over 10 furlongs for four-year-olds and
upwards.
The Queen’s Vase (Group Three)
Named to honour Queen Victoria and first run in 1838, this race became the King‟s Vase in 1903
and reverted to its original name of the Queen‟s Vase on the succession of Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth II. Run over two miles, this Group Three contest provides a thorough test of stamina
for three-year-olds and winners of this race often go on to compete in the Gold Cup in future
years.
The Buckingham Palace Stakes (Handicap)
Another race introduced as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002. Staged over seven
furlongs, it is a tricky and competitive handicap for three-year-olds and upward, with aspirations
to compete at Listed level.
The Chesham Stakes (Listed)
Named after the third Baron Chesham, who was the last Master of the Buckhounds from 1900 to
1901. First run in 1919, the Chesham Stakes replaced the first leg of the Triennial Stakes, which
had been run over five furlongs for two-year-olds. Now a Listed contest, the race takes place over
the longer distance of seven furlongs.
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The Hardwicke Stakes (Group Two)
Named after the fifth Earl of Hardwicke, Master of the Buckhounds between 1874 and 1879, the
race was first run in 1879. The Group Two contest continues to attract the best older middle
distance horses today, and is often an informative guide to the King George VI & Queen
Elizabeth Stakes (sponsored by Betfair) in July.
The Golden Jubilee Stakes (Group One)
Formerly known as the Cork and Orrery Stakes, Royal Ascot‟s most prestigious sprint was given
a new name and elevated to Group One status to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen‟s Golden
Jubilee in 2002. First run in 1868, this six-furlong contest was originally named after Lord Cork,
another Master of the Buckhounds. In 2005, the Golden Jubilee Stakes became the second British
leg of the Global Sprint Challenge.
The Wokingham Stakes (Handicap)
The inaugural running of the Wokingham Stakes took place in 1813, making this race the oldest
handicap at Royal Ascot. This famous sprint is named after the market town seven miles from
Ascot Racecourse, and the first dual winner was appropriately also named Wokingham (1881 and
1882). Over the years the race has developed a reputation as a fiercely competitive handicap and
one of the major betting heats of the season.
The Duke of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap)
Originally the Bessborough Stakes, named after the fifth Earl of Bessborough, who was Master of
the Buckhounds between 1848 and 1866, the race was renamed the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes in
1999. First run in 1914 as a five-furlong event for two-year-olds, it has now evolved into a
middle distance handicap for three-year-olds and upward.
The Queen Alexandra Stakes (Conditions)
Run over the marathon trip of two-and-three-quarter miles, the Queen Alexandra Stakes is not
only the longest race of the meeting, but also the longest contest run under flat racing rules.
Named after the consort of King Edward VII, the race was first run in 1864 as the Alexandra
Plate over three miles. It will always be associated with Brown Jack, arguably Royal Ascot‟s
greatest equine legend, who won this race on six consecutive occasions between 1929 and 1934.
The Queen Alexandra Stakes always closes the meeting and although, or perhaps because of its
extreme distance in a time when so much emphasis is on speed, it has become a national
institution and is affectionately supported by regulars.
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SECURITY AND COMFORT
FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS
The racecourse is conscious that Royal Ascot affects people living in the area and continues to
take steps to minimise inconvenience where possible.
Car and coach parking plans are in place to stream as many people as possible from car parks to
the course via routes on racecourse premises so as to reduce pedestrian congestion on the High
Street. Pedestrian routes will be clearly signed.
Ascot Racecourse and the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead (RBWM) are in constant
communication on all issues relating to the Royal Meeting and produce a coordinated cleaning
programme involving racecourse and council staff.
The racecourse has a strong relationship with Thames Valley Police and the emergency services
and works with them throughout the planning for Royal Ascot.
The security operation during Royal Ascot is a joint venture between the police and Ascot‟s own
security staff. Among 6,000 staff on duty for every day of Royal Ascot, there will be 250 police
personnel and 750 stewards and security staff on site.
Regular patrols are made around all areas of the racecourse by security personnel and both
uniformed and plain clothed police officers and quick response teams will be in place to react to
any antisocial incident on any part of the racecourse.
Ascot catering and bar staff can refuse to serve alcohol to anyone who appears to be intoxicated,
and Ascot Racecourse security staff will stringently endeavour to prevent racegoers from leaving
the racecourse with drinks purchased on site, in support of the alcohol ban on the High Street.
The racecourse management is mindful that touts trading from areas close to the racecourse
entrances can cause a nuisance. RBWM and Ascot Racecourse, supported by the police, work
together to manage touts who are acting unreasonably or those who are persistently causing a
nuisance or an obstruction. The Police and Ascot security teams will move touts on from the
front of the turnstiles, and from all entrances and exits.
Advice announcements will be made at Ascot Railway Station and by a mobile messaging unit
recommending that visitors do not purchase tickets (or racecards) from touts or unofficial outlets.
Notices will be placed on the Station Path and other approaches and RBWM enforcement
officers will be present.
Ascot Racecourse has worked in partnership with South West Trains to increase the level of rail
services provided during the busy periods at Royal Ascot in recent years.
Services will be provided on the Thursday and Friday of the Royal Meeting, including an
extended service through until 23.40hrs. On the Saturday, services will be available from
10.00am until 23.40hrs, to ease transport congestion.
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TRAFFIC PLAN FOR ROYAL ASCOT
In 2011, there will be no drop off facility for taxis or otherwise on the High Street or in the
lay-by opposite the Grandstand. The new drop off position is within Car Park 4.
Arrival Phase
 Southbound one way system is in place from 1030 until 1400, traffic permitting:
 on A332 Windsor Road from Peanut Roundabout (junction of Mounts
Hill and A322 Sheet Street Road) to Heatherwood Roundabout (western
end of the A329 Ascot High Street)
 Two way traffic from Shepherds White Roundabout (junction of A330 Winkfield
Road and A332 Windsor Road) to the new course underpass at Holloway‟s.
 Two way traffic from Library Roundabout on the High Street (junction of A3329
High Street and A330 Winkfield Road) to the entrance to the course underpass,
by the Royal Ascot Golf Club delivery Road, on Winkfield Road, to the
roundabout, where traffic will turn left onto the A322 Windsor Road.
Departure Phase
 Northbound one way system is in place, (reversing the arrangements in place for
the arrival phase) - 1630 hrs until 2000 hrs, traffic permitting
 On the A332 Windsor Road northbound from the junction with Burleigh
Road to Peanut roundabout Mounts Hill
 On the A330 Winkfield Road northbound from the new entrance to the
course underpass, by the Royal Ascot Golf Club delivery Road.
 On New Mile Road (heading West to East) to the junction with Cheapside
Road.
 Times of the above arrangements may vary
 Coach Route is through Cheapside and Watersplash Lane to coach parks.
 Coaches are not permitted on the High Street from the roundabout at the top of
Station Hill to Heatherwood Roundabout.
General Advice
 Follow the temporary AA signs and allow plenty of time for your journey.
 Do not try to arrive via other routes or by using Satellite Navigation as these will
not take into account road closures and temporary traffic management.
 Have your vehicle parking label clearly displayed once you have arrived in the
Ascot signed area. This will speed entry to the course and reduce congestion.
 Please allow plenty of time for your transfer to the enclosure entrances where
there are search and ticket check points.
 Check on your iPhone app to get the latest travel advice
 New for 2010 are taxi drop off points in Car Parks 1, 4, and 6.
 BBC Radio Berkshire will be providing traffic and travel bulletins every 15
minutes throughout the meeting on 95.4FM.
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ROYAL ASCOT FACTS AND FIGURES
 4,140 metres of crowd barrier and 610 metres of Heras Fencing are installed temporarily for
the Royal Meeting.
 13 big screens will be on site during Royal Ascot, the biggest being 100 square metres.
 There are 175 stable boxes at Ascot Racecourse to accommodate an average of 100 runners
per day but the boxes are nearly always full all the time with runners for the next day‟s racing
(approximately 60) also accommodated.
 700 bales of shavings and 500 bales of paper are used for stable bedding over the week.
 Approximately 1,000 members of the worldwide media are accredited to Royal Ascot.
 There are 13,398 car parking spaces at Ascot over 10 Car Parks.
 About 1,000 temporary signs go up for the week, when the racecourse is transformed from its
51 weeks a year format to become the backdrop to this Royal occasion.
 250 in house stewards, many of whom traditionally choose to wear bowler hats, and 600
stewarding staff supplement the circa 80 permanent Ascot staff for Royal Ascot.
 Approximately 400 helicopters and 1,000 limos descend on Royal Ascot every year.
 There are 2,400 cleaners working on a 24-hour cycle during the week and there are 298
mobile toilet facilities installed temporarily for the week!
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DID YOU KNOW...?
 Since Queen Anne founded Ascot Racecourse back in 1711, a further 11 monarchs have
acceded to the British throne.
 Mrs Gertrude Shilling was undeniably the premier indefatigable sartorial dame of Ascot
(nicknamed The Ascot Mascot), but she has met with competition from all over the world,
including in 1976 when Australia‟s Dame Edna Everage, alias Barry Humphries, attended
with a four foot Sydney Opera House perched on “her” head. Following the successes of
Choisir, Takeover Target, Miss Andretti and Scenic Blast on the track, Royal Ascot is as
much an institution in Australia as at home these days, but back then Dame Edna said to the
assembled press that she: “wasn‟t aware it was a racing event until the other day. I always
thought it was an exhibition of gas water heaters!”
 The wearing of Bowler Hats by the Ascot Stewards is one of the most endearing and defining
sights of Ascot, and not just at the Royal Meeting. Ironically, given that the tradition is now
so proudly protected and maintained by the longer serving stewards, the dress instruction was
met with near mutiny when it was introduced in the late 1950s in an attempt to address
slipping standards. The trustees had to give pay rises at the time to stop the staff striking over
the issue. When the racecourse closed for redevelopment in 2004, one of the assurances that
the management had to give at the time was that there were no plans to alter the much loved
“uniform” when everyone returned in 2006.
 Viscount Churchill was appointed as the first sovereign‟s representative at Ascot in 1901. He
is reputed to have taken personal charge of vetting applications for entrance into the Royal
Enclosure, sorting letters into three baskets marked „Certainly‟ „Perhaps‟ and „Certainly Not.‟
Viscount Churchill loved this task and became notorious for recognising faces in the Royal
Enclosure and challenging those who should not be there. For this purpose he was granted
special access to the Divorce Registry, as those on it were not permitted access to the Royal
Enclosure.
 Many people were sympathetic to the Ascot Authority in June, 1964 after the Royal Meeting
had to be curtailed due to severe rain, thus blighting the opening of the new Royal Enclosure
Stand. None more so than the old lady who sent the Authority £1 because she was so
distressed to hear of the course‟s bad luck. The Duke of Norfolk, Her Majesty‟s
Representative at the time, responded with equal magnanimity, thanking the lady and inviting
her to a day‟s racing
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 In the days before actors were allowed in the Royal Enclosure, King Edward VII asked a
young Charles Hawtrey, father of the actor who later became famous for his part in the
“Carry On” films, if he would be seeing him at Royal Ascot. Hawtrey, also an actor,
explained that rules prevented it, whereupon the King took it upon himself personally to send
Hawtrey the necessary badge. When Ascot came, Hawtrey entered the Enclosure to the great
surprise of Lord Churchill, His Majesty‟s Representative at Ascot, who said: “I don‟t
remember sending you a badge.” Hawtrey explained that this was not surprising as he hadn‟t
– “King Edward did!”
 There are four races run at Ascot commemorating racehorses – The Brown Jack Stakes,
Hyperion Stakes, Sagaro Stakes and the Reynoldstown Chase.
 In the early 1920s, Lord Lonsdale drove every day from his rented house adjoining the
Winkfield Road crossing, up the High Street to the racecourse entrance with outriders, drivers
and footmen, all wearing his distinctive yellow livery. The proceedings were so grand that
critics claimed he was trying to rival the Royal Procession.
 The Duke of Norfolk must have been dismayed to read in The Times and The Telegraph on 27
April 1971 that Ascot would permit „hot pants‟ in the Royal Enclosure! The next day he
corrected the misinformation in no uncertain terms.
 Back in 1954, The Queen had a famous Royal Ascot triumph with the brilliant Aureole, who
had suffered a minor eye injury a few days before the Meeting. When visiting the paddock
just before the race, The Queen asked her jockey, Eph Smith, who wore a hearing-aid,
whether he would win. The reply came: “Well, Ma‟am, we are rather handicapped. The horse
is blind in one eye and I‟m deaf!”
 King Edward VII‟s mother, Queen Victoria, was known to have frowned upon her son‟s
general and unparalleled enthusiasm for good living and, of course, racing, but on his
accession in 1901, the new King closed the Royal Stand completely for the Royal Meeting
due to the death of his mother and requested that all those who attended within the Royal
Enclosure wear black.
 Due to the knock on effects of the General Election, the 2001 Royal Procession was restricted
to two days as the horses and carriages were required to convey The Queen to Wesminster for
the State Opening of Parliament on the Wednesday and had to be in place for a practice on
Tuesday. The Royal Party, including The Queen, came by car on both days and arrived in
time for racing.
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 Sir John Crocker Bulteel was Clerk of the Course from 1946 until his death in 1956. A figure
of great importance in the history of Ascot Racecourse, Sir John Crocker Bulteel was known
as an outstanding racing administrator but it was his love of racing that he is most famous for.
It is due mainly to the dedication of Sir John that today Ascot stages more than just the Royal
Meeting. The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, initially run as the Festival of
Britain Stakes, was his brainchild. The race was first run in 1951 and did more than any other
race to change the face of top-level racing in this country and, ultimately, the world. It
promoted the cause of international inter-age competition and more often than not, its winner
is the seasonal champion.
 During the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001, the management suggested that ladies bear in
mind the precautionary foot and mouth disinfectant mats on all entrances to the racecourse
when considering their footwear. Not everyone listened which made for some interesting
pictures in the likes of “Hello” and “Harpers” that year!
 In 1964, Trelawny was to bid for a third consecutive Ascot Stakes / Queen Alexandra Stakes
double. He was beaten in the Ascot Stakes but would have walked over in The Queen
Alexandra on Friday had the meeting not been abandoned due to waterlogging. This is the
answer to a question which appeared in the Racing Post Christmas quiz in 2001 and resulted
in numerous calls to all departments at the racecourse!
 In 2005, Ascot auctioned some 300 lots of memorabilia associated with the old stand. The
auction raised £389,965 with Racing Welfare the primary beneficiary with the bulk of this
coming from a bid of £280,000 for the wrought cast iron entranceway from the track to the
winners‟ enclosure, purchased by leading owner Bill Gredley. The crowd fell silent as the bid
just kept going up and up from an original reserve of just £20,000 - £30,000!
 Jockeys at Ascot are called to mount by a bell in the parade ring and, unique to Ascot, a bell is
also rung as the horses swing into the straight for races run on the round course.
 A familiar sight at Royal Ascot is the arrival of horse-drawn carriages along the High Street,
to the sound of hunting horns. These carriages belong to members of the country‟s carriage
clubs, who stable their horses during racing whilst they enjoy their club facilities on course
prior to departure.
 In the 1920s, women were still forbidden to smoke in the Royal Enclosure. Now everyone is!
Inside at least.
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THE ASCOT BOARD
Duke of Devonshire KCVO, CBE, DL - Her Majesty’s Representative
The Duke of Devonshire has been a Trustee at Ascot since 1982. In 1997, the year that he was
made a Commander of the British Empire for services to the British racing industry, he became
Her Majesty‟s Representative at Ascot. From 2001, on the incorporation of the racecourse, until
2008, he also acted as Chairman of the board of Ascot Authority (Holdings) Limited. During the
early 1990s, as Senior Steward (Chairman) of the Jockey Club, he organised the transfer of
governance of British Racing from that body to the British Horseracing Board, which he chaired
until 1996. The Duke steps down as Her Majesty‟s Representative and from the board after Royal
Ascot.
Johnny Weatherby, Chairman
Johnny Weatherby succeeded the Duke of Devonshire as Chairman in 2008, having been a
Trustee at Ascot since 1997. He joined the family firm of Weatherbys, administrators to the
racing industry since 1770, in 1979. He was seconded to the Jockey Club as Director from 1990
to 1992 before, in 1993, being appointed Chairman of Weatherbys. Johnny Weatherby succeeds
the Duke of Devonshire as Her Majesty‟s Representative after Royal Ascot.
Charles Barnett, Chief Executive
Charles Barnett joined Ascot Racecourse in 2007 having been Managing Director of Aintree
Racecourse since 1993. Following a degree in Law at Christ Church, Oxford, he commenced a
career in Marine Insurance and qualified as a solicitor. In 1984, he joined Haydock Park as
Managing Director, graduating to the same role at Aintree in 1993. He was also Chief Executive
of Chester Racecourse during the period 1993 to 2000. During his 15 years at Aintree, he
oversaw several major developments culminating in a £35 million redevelopment programme.
Mark Davies, Trustee
Mark Davies was Chief Executive of GNI, a large broking business, from 1972 to 1994. He was
Chief Executive of Gerrard Group plc from 1995 to 2001. Currently, Mark Davies is Chairman
of FF&P Asset Management Ltd, a Director of Fleming Family & Partners Ltd and Chairman
of Thornhill Holdings in addition to a wide portfolio of other directorships. He is a Jockey Club
steward and a Director of Racing Welfare. He joined Ascot in February 2002.
Justin Dowley, Non Executive Director
Justin Dowley joined the board in January 2008. He is a partner at Tricorn Partners LLP, an
independent, partner-owned corporate finance advisory firm established in 2003. Prior to setting
up Tricorn, he was formerly both head of M&A and co-head of European Investment Banking at
Merrill Lynch. Before joining Merrill Lynch in 1996, Dowley was a director and head of UK
investment banking at Morgan Grenfell where he worked for 15 years after qualifying as a
chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse in 1980. Dowley has a wide interest in sport and in
addition to his Ascot role, he is on the committee at Lord‟s.
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Alan Flitcroft, Finance Director
Alan Flitcroft joined Ascot as Finance Director earlier this year. He was previously Chief
Operating Officer and Finance Director of Cardiff City Football Club and, prior to that, was a
partner at Ernst & Young, where he headed up the firm‟s Media and Entertainment group.
Alastair Warwick, General Manager
Alastair Warwick joined the management team as General Manager in 2008. He has worked for
over 12 years in horseracing including at Aintree, Cartmel, Chester, culminating in four years as
Chief Executive of Hamilton Park Racecourse, before joining Ascot.
KEY ROYAL ASCOT CONTACTS
For information on policy and all general aspects:
Charles Barnett
Chief Executive, Ascot
01344 878501
For racing, international, media and public relations enquiries:
Nick Smith
Head of Communications
& International Racing, Ascot
01344 878524
07771 791449
For non racing media and public relations enquiries:
Karen Smith
Public Relations Manager, Ascot
01344 878430
07717 851566
For going information, stabling and racing issues:
Chris Stickels
Clerk of the Course, Ascot
01344 878502
07970 621440
ACCREDITATION & MEDIA SERVICES
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For press facilities information & accreditation enquiries please contact Karen Smith
on 01344 878430 or email karen.smith@ascot.co.uk
For photographs please contact RPM: 020 8735 5100
During Royal Ascot, Racenews are contracted to provide up to the minute press
releases to the press rooms, to broadcasters, to public notice boards on site and to their
email database.
A separate facility will be provided for non racing photographers in Car Park Two.
There will be press conferences after every race in the lawn level media centre.
Complimentary catering is provided in all media facilities.
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