Ascot Races
Ascot Racecourse is visited by approximately 600,000 people a year, accounting for 10% of all UK racegoers. The racecourse covers 179 acres (72 ha) leased from the Crown Estate and enjoys close association with the British Royal Family. Ascot was founded in 1711 by Queen Anne and located approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) from Windsor Castle.
Royal stands have been in use at the sports venue since the late 18th century. The main grandstand has been demolished and rebuilt on many occasions. The first public grandstand was built in 1839 and was again redeveloped over the centuries. Her Majesty Elizabeth II used to visit the Ascot Racecourse quite frequently, and the seating area was reconstructed in 1961 and named in her honour, but the stand was demolished and replaced from 2004.
Ascot currently stages 26 days of racing over the course of the year, comprising 18 flat meetings between April and October, and 8 jump meetings between October and March. The Royal Meeting, held in June each year, remains the highlight of the British summer social calendar attracting over 350,000 spectators for the week. The prestigious King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is run over the course in July.
History
Over its 300-year history, Ascot has established itself as a national institution, with Royal Ascot being the centerpiece of the British summer social calendar and the ultimate stage for the best racehorses in the world.
The racecourse was founded in 1711 by Queen Anne. When out riding from Windsor Castle, she came upon an area of open heath that looked, in her words, 'ideal for horses to gallop at full stretch'. Her plans for a new race meeting were subsequently announced in The London Gazette of 12 July 1711.
Her Majesty's Plate of 100 guineas will be run for round the new heat on Ascott Common, near Windsor, on Tuesday, 7 August next, by any horse, mare or gelding, being no more than six years old the grass before, as must be certified under the hand of the breeder, carrying 12 St., three heats, to be entered the last day of July, at Mr. Hancock's, at Fern Hill, near the Starting Post.
— Announcement of the first race meeting at Ascot, London Gazette (12 July 1711)
That first meeting was held on 11 August 1711, the original date (and a race scheduled for 6 August) having been postponed for reasons unspecified, although it has been speculated that the course was simply not ready. The Queen and a "brilliant suite" drove from Windsor Castle to witness it, with the first race being a seven horse £50 plate, won by a horse called Doctor owned by the Duke of St Albans. The original racecourse was laid out by William Lowen for the first meet.
Queen Anne's gift to racing, founding the Royal Racecourse, is marked by the tradition of opening Royal Ascot with The Queen Anne Stakes run over the straight mile.
The first permanent building was not erected until 1793, and was built by local Windsor builder George Slingsby. Holding 1,650 people, it was used for almost fifty years. In 1813 an Act of Parliament ensured that the Ascot Heath would be kept and used as a racecourse for the public in the future, securing racing at Ascot for future generations. A new grandstand was opened in 1839 at a cost of £10,000.
| Ascot Authority Act 1913 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Act to constitute the Trustees for the purpose of holding and managing Ascot Race Course and the stands buildings and property held or used in connection therewith and to vest in them all property now held or used for the benefit or purposes of Ascot Races and to confer all necessary powers on the Trustees so constituted and for other purposes. |
| Citation | 3 & 4 Geo. 5. c. lxxxiv |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 15 August 1913 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Ascot Race Course Act 1948 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Act to provide for the closing of part of Winkfield Road in the rural district of Windsor in the county of Berks during the Ascot races and for diverting a footpath and other purposes. |
| Citation | 11 & 12 Geo. 6. c. xvii |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 30 June 1948 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The administration of the Royal Racecourse is handled on behalf of the Crown by a representative appointed by the Monarch. Up until 1901, the racecourse was managed by the Master of the Royal Buckhounds. Lord Churchill was appointed His Majesty's Representative in 1901, responsible for running the course and determining entrance to the Royal Enclosure. The Ascot Authority was established in 1913 by a further Act of Parliament, the Ascot Authority Act 1913 (3 & 4 Geo. 5. c. lxxxiv), with His Majesty's Representative becoming Senior Trustee. Today, as Ascot Authority (Holdings) Limited, Ascot has a formal board chaired by Sir Francis Brooke Bt. who also serves as Her Majesty's Representative (Senior Trustee) at Ascot.
Between 1940 and 1943 racing was not run at Ascot. The racecourse was commandeered by the army with the Grandstand providing accommodation for gunners of the Royal Artillery. Racing resumed on 15 May 1943 with an eight-race card. The first post-war fixture was held on 21 May 1945, when the then 19 years old Princess Elizabeth attended Ascot for the first time. The first National Hunt meeting was held at Ascot in 1965, the course having been established using turf from Hurst Park Racecourse, which closed in 1962.
As an owner and breeder of racehorses, Queen Elizabeth II took a keen interest in racing. The jockeys riding the Queen's horses could be identified by her racing colours: purple body with gold braid, scarlet sleeves, and a black velvet cap with gold fringe. The Queen attended the annual Royal Meeting from her Coronation in 1953 to 2021, and traditionally presented The Gold Cup and The Diamond Jubilee Stakes each year. In 2013, The Queen's filly, Estimate, triumphed in Ascot's showpiece race, The Gold Cup – the first time that The Gold Cup has been won by a reigning monarch.
Grandstand redevelopments
1793- 1800s
Before the public stand for the seating of spectators was built, there was a Royal Stand and betting stand. The Royal Stand was redeveloped from its original foundation in 1793 and subsequently replaced in 1822 when King George IV commissioned a newly built Royal Enclosure with a royal box. Then, the first public grandstand at the Ascot Racecourse was erected in 1838, seating about 3,000 spectators. Construction continued, and by 1859, the Iron Stand was built, then the Alexandra Stand extension in 1863, and also there was a colonnade entrance built in 1876. Additionally, in 1896, a clock tower was installed.
1900s
During the reign of King Edward VII, in the 20th century between 1901-02 the three grandstands were demolished, and the Jockey Club, Royal, and Royal Enclosure Stands were built at a cost £57,636 (equivalent to £7,900,000 in 2023). Also, the Five Shilling Stand was built in 1908 for the public to attend races at a cheaper price, later known as the Silver Ring Stand, it cost £30,000. Then, in 1926, the Iron Stand was rebuilt, and the Tote Stand was built in 1929, which is still in use today.
Queen Elizabeth Stand
From the 13th of June 1961, the main grandstand consisting of the Victorian Grand, Alexandra and Iron stands were demolished to make way for a new grandstand named the Queen Elizabeth Stand, which could seat 13,000 people. It was completed within the following 11 months at the then cost of £1,000,000 (equivalent to £28,100,000 in 2023). Also, the Members' Stand was built in 1964.
2004
The Ascot Grandstand was demolished and rebuilt between 2004 – 2006 and was closed for a £220 million redevelopment, the single biggest investment in British Racing. The Racecourse was reopened by the Queen on 20 June 2006. The redevelopment was designed by architect firm HOK (Populous), and was engineered by Buro Happold and built by Laing O'Rourke. The main part of the redevelopment programme was the construction of the 30m x 300m lightweight parasol roof structure of the 480 metre long grandstand for the 30,000 seating arrangement, this was designed and built by Austrian specialist contractor Waagner-Biro. The overall capacity of the grandstand was for 80,000 spectators sitting and standing, and for the racecourse to host over 300,000 attendees during Royal Ascot week. For the 2005 season, the Royal Ascot meet was held as York Racecourse. At the end of 2006, a £10 million programme of further alterations was announced to improve the viewing from lower levels of the grandstand using an innovative steel composite product ("SPS" sandwich plate system) to reprofile the existing concrete terraces.
The seasons – flat and jumps
The first major redevelopment of the racecourse came in 1954, when the straight mile was moved to make more room for spectators. The flat season at Ascot is run from April to October, beginning with Royal Ascot Trials Day and finishing with QIPCO British Champions Day. In all, Ascot hosts 18 days of flat racing each year, totalling roughly 115 flat races each summer. Grass is cut to a regulation 4 inches exactly for flat racing. Ascot hosts 13 Group 1 Flat races each year including The Gold Cup, St James's Palace Stakes, King's Stand Stakes, Commonwealth Cup and The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes. QIPCO British Champions Day holds the greatest number of Group 1 races of any raceday at Ascot with four races at the top level. Ascot has hosted many of the world's most famous flat horses including Frankel, Nijinsky, Sagaro, Yeats, Mill Reef, Grundy, Dancing Brave, Swain, Galileo and Enable.
The first jumps fixture was held at Ascot in 1965. The national hunt course, a right handed triangular shaped course like the flat course, is laid out inside the flat track, and is about 1m 5f round, with ten fences, including two in the straight, and six flights of hurdles. The track is famed for being one of the toughest courses with a 73-foot climb from the lowest point, Swinley Bottom, to the highest point, the Winning Post. Ascot hosts 8 days of jumps racing between October and March, starting with the Fireworks Spectacular Family Raceday and finishing with the Spring Family Raceday. Included are both steeplechase and hurdle races, with around 50 jumps races in all being held at Ascot each season. Grass is cut to a regulation 5 inches exactly for jumps racing. Notable jumps races held at Ascot are The Clarence House Chase, The Ascot Chase and The Long Walk Hurdle, all Grade 1 contests. Ascot has hosted many of the world's most famous jumps horses including Arkle, Desert Orchid, Sprinter Sacre, Sire De Grugy, Kauto Star, Cue Card, Baracouda, Thistlecrack, Cyrname and Altior.
Royal Ascot
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