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Tuesday 20th - Saturday 24th June 2017

M E D I A G U I D E

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CONTENTS

WELCOME TO ROYAL ASCOT FROM HER MAJESTY’S REPRESENTATIVE 3

RACING AT ROYAL ASCOT 4

DOUBLE PROMOTION FOR THE QUEEN’S VASE AT ROYAL ASCOT 5

ROYAL ASCOT 2017 ORDER OF RUNNING AND PRIZE MONEY 6

CASSE, MOTT, PLETCHER & WARD AMONG STRONG US-TRAINED ROYAL ASCOT ENTRIES 8

ECONOMIC AND RACING SNAPSHOT 11

A GLOBAL EVENT (MAP) 12

PLETCHER SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING ROYAL ASCOT CHALLENGE WITH AMERICAN PATRIOT 14

SIR MICHAEL STOUTE - CHASING HISTORY 15

AL QUOZ REPLACES GOLDEN SHAHEEN IN GLOBAL SPRINT CHALLENGE 18

VETERINARY FACILITIES, EQUINE & JOCKEY’S WELFARE 19

DR SVEND KOLD, VETERINARY SURGEON 20

BROADCASTERS AT ROYAL ASCOT 21

NEW AT ROYAL ASCOT 22

ASCOT RACECOURSE UNVEILS “A WORLD LIKE NOWHERE ELSE” SPECIALLY COMMISSIONED GLOBE ARTWORK 23

THE NEW VILLAGE ENCLOSURE 24

ASCOT ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF THREE NEW ON-SITE SHOPS 25

SCULPTURE AT ASCOT RACECOURSE 26

FORMER CHAMPION A P MCCOY WELCOMES NEW INJURED JOCKEYS FUND AND ASCOT INITIATIVES 30

ASCOT RACECOURSE LAUNCHES THREE-YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH BERKSHIRE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 31

PARTNERS & SUPPLIERS 32

QIPCO HOLDING, OFFICIAL PARTNER AND SPONSORS OF THE BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES 33

GIGASET, OFFICIAL PARTNER 34

ASCOT’S OFFICIAL SPONSORS AND SUPPLIERS 35

FASHION & DRESS CODE 38

ASCOT LAUNCHES THE SIXTH ANNUAL ROYAL ASCOT STYLE GUIDE AT THE RITZ 39

THE HISTORY OF FASHION AT ROYAL ASCOT - KEY DATES 40

THE ROYAL ASCOT MILLINERY COLLECTIVE 2017 42

ROYAL ASCOT DRESS CODE 44

FINE DINING AT ROYAL ASCOT 46

ASCOT CONTINUES TO RAISE THE STANDARD IN FINE DINING AT ROYAL ASCOT 47

ASCOT HISTORY 50

ASCOT STORIES AND OTHER PROMOTIONAL FILMS 51

ROYAL ASCOT - THE ROYAL PROCESSION 52

THE BOWLER HAT AND ASCOT 55

ROYAL ASCOT FACTS AND FIGURES 56

ASCOT - ITS HISTORY AND TRADITIONS 57

THE QUEEN AND ROYAL ASCOT 60

THE QUEEN’S ROYAL ASCOT WINNERS 61

ASCOT RACECOURSE KEY DATES 62

RACE HISTORIES & CONDITIONS 65

DID YOU KNOW...? 68

MEDIA & RACING CONTACTS 69

ACCREDITATION & MEDIA SERVICES 69

WELCOME TO ROYAL ASCOT FROM HER MAJESTY’S REPRESENTATIVE

Our showpiece meeting, with the very best racing, fashion and pageantry is an occasion “like nowhere else.” This year we have publicised our unique fixture with a hand-crafted globe, the imagery from which features on the front of this media guide and within these pages. In February, the globe was unveiled at the Goring Hotel, and since then it has been touring various London institutions before coming back to us. It is on display in the Grandstand and I do hope you will enjoy looking for your favourite Royal Ascot memories on it.

The globe celebrates legends old and new, equine and human, including Ryan Moore, whose nine winners achieved at 2015’s Royal Meeting are an all-time record. Ryan is also synonymous with the greatest Royal winner at Royal Ascot – The Queen’s Estimate in the 2013 Gold Cup. Such was the impact of that historic win, that the Royal Mail have this year included Estimate in the collection of eight legendary racehorses for their special stamps collection.

Other horses featured on those stamps were: Frankel, Red Rum, Shergar, Kauto Star, Desert Orchid, Brigadier Gerard and Arkle. Red Rum is the odd one out – the only one not to have won at Ascot!

New here this year is the Village Enclosure in the centre of the track. The first new enclosure to open at Royal Ascot for more than 100 years. It operates from Thursday to Saturday - our busiest days. As well as providing something new and vibrant – it stays open until 9p.m with music after racing - this also enhances customer comfort across our whole site, as we have reduced capacity in two of our other enclosures. There will be 4,500 racegoers in the Village Enclosure.

Fine Dining, like racing and fashion, is synonymous with Royal Ascot and we welcome back Raymond Blanc, Phil Howard and Angela Hartnett to our restaurants. We also welcome, for the first time, James Tanner, who will be presiding over the new Queen Anne Lawn facility, Queen Anne Kitchens, another enhancement for visitors to our premier public enclosure.

This year we run 19 Group Races on our 30-race programme, with the significant promotion of the Queen’s Vase from Listed status to Group Two. Following the successful introduction of our three-year-olds’ championship sprint here in 2015 - The Commonwealth Cup - the racing industry has now worked on strengthening the long-distance category. The two highlight changes are the creation of a truly meaningful early season target for three-year-old stayers this week - the Queen’s Vase - and the promotion of the Goodwood Cup to Group One status in just over a month’s time. We are delighted to be a part of the programme for preserving and rewarding stamina in the thoroughbred.

Royal Ascot is renowned as the world’s premier, and Europe’s most international race meeting. Last year a record 14 winners were trained outside the U.K. These included thrilling American victories for Tepin in the Queen Anne Stakes and Lady Aurelia in the Queen Mary.

A warm welcome to this year’s international challengers and indeed the very strong home team.

Please do visit our new shops on the Cedar Tree lawn, by the Parade Ring and in the Windsor Enclosure. They offer unique products from our Official Licensees as well as our own branded items.

Our thanks to all our Official Licensees for making this new venture possible, and to our Official Partners, QIPCO and Gigaset, our Official Timekeeper, Longines, and our Official Suppliers. New to Ascot in 2017 are Christy (Official Textiles), St. James’s Place Wealth Management (Official Sponsor) and Pernod Ricard (Official Spirits). More details of the invaluable contribution they all make are in this magazine.

Finally, I would like to record two important welcomes and one very special farewell.

Welcome first, to our new British terrestrial television partner, ITV, who are showing all 30 races this week on their main channel. They returned to broadcasting British racing in January and this will be the first time the Royal Meeting has been carried live on ITV. A very warm welcome also to America’s NBC, who are broadcasting live from the racecourse and showing four races each day to our American audience.

Finally, I would like to pay thanks to Mark Davies, who steps down as a Trustee of Ascot this month. Mark has been with us for 15 years and has been fundamental to the progress that Ascot has made both at home and abroad in a period of considerable change for the racecourse. Quite simply, Mark’s contribution has been outstanding.

I hope you have a wonderful time with us this week and that we deliver a unique and thrilling experience right across the racecourse.

Johnny WeatherbyHer Majesty’s Representative

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Following a near two-year investigative project across Europe into how to create an enhanced programme for stayers, it was agreed by the racing authorities in Europe (including our own British Horseracing Authority - BHA) that a marker needed to be put down in the shape of a major long-distance race for three-year-olds at the continent’s flagship race meeting.

This mirrors a similar programme instigated in 2015, which saw a new Group One race for three-year-old sprinters created at Royal Ascot. The result of that innovation was an immediate increase in the profile and quality of sprinting in Europe.

The distance of the Queen’s Vase was reduced to a mile-and-three-quarters from two miles to provide a viable alternative to, or opportunity after, the Derby at Epsom. This created an opportunity for potentially top-class horses needing a greater test than a mile-and-a-half but a slightly less extreme stamina test than was previously the case.

Following consultation carried out by the BHA, many horsemen and industry stakeholders indicated that they felt two miles in mid-June was too far for three-year-olds and that the new trip would provide a better graduation towards races like the Goodwood Cup (two miles) in early August, a race that itself has been promoted from Group Two to Group One.

It is hoped that the winners of the Gold Cup (older horses) and Queen’s Vase (three-year-olds) might meet more regularly in the Goodwood Cup in the same way as so often the winners of the Queen Anne Stakes (older horses) and St James’s Palace Stakes (three-year-olds) meet in the Sussex Stakes.

Nick Smith, Director of Racing Communications for Ascot Racecourse, said:

“Ascot was represented on the BHA’s Stayers’ Review Group and we are now very pleased to be playing our part in implementing the recommendations.

“At Group Two, and at the reduced trip, the Queen’s Vase will hopefully become a true, quality race for developing stayers. It provides, amongst other things, a more coherent pathway to the newly promoted Group One Goodwood Cup, where the Gold Cup winner can now run penalty free.

“The sprinting programme was radically enhanced in 2015 and the BHA and the European Pattern Committee have once again shown vision and flexibility in addressing key issues, this time within the stayers’ division.”

Ruth Quinn, Director of International Racing & Racing Development for the BHA, added:

“It has been the view of the BHA for some time that we need to find ways to grow the strength-in-depth of the stayers being bred, trained and raced in Britain. It is a subject about which many people feel passionately

and we have been exploring the best way to tackle the issues involved. It is extremely promising that we are now in a position to press on and start putting in place steps to safeguard the future of these popular horses here in Britain and Europe.”

Prize money for the Queen’s Vase has increased to £150,000 from £90,000. The Group Two King Edward VII Stakes, run over a mile-and-a-half for three-year-olds, also goes up this year from £200,000 to £225,000. This brings prize money at Royal Ascot up to a record £6,665,000 and follows an increase of £1,000,000 across the programme last year.

Royal Ascot’s 30 race programme consists of 19 Group Races (eight of which are Group Ones); four Listed races (effectively Group Four), six handicaps and the much-loved Queen Alexandra Stakes, a two-and-three-quarter mile Conditions race, which closes the programme.

The Group Three Tercentenary Stakes, named as such to mark 300 years of racing at Ascot in 2011, reverts now to its historical title; The Hampton Court Stakes.

RACING AT ROYAL ASCOT

DOUBLE PROMOTION FOR THE QUEEN’S VASE AT ROYAL ASCOT

The Queen’s Vase, previously a Listed Race, was promoted to Group Two earlier this year, giving it a double promotion to the second tier of global racing.

“AT GROUP TWO, AND AT THE REDUCED TRIP, THE QUEEN’S VASE WILL HOPEFULLY BECOME A TRUE, QUALITY RACE FOR DEVELOPING STAYERS”.

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ROYAL ASCOT 2017 ORDER OF RUNNING AND PRIZE MONEY

TUESDAY 14TH JUNE 2016 TUESDAY 20TH JUNE 2017

The Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) £600,000 The Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) £600,000

The Coventry Stakes (Group 2) £150,000 The Coventry Stakes (Group 2) £150,000

The King’s Stand Stakes (Group 1) £400,000 The King’s Stand Stakes (Group 1) £400,000

The St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1)£400,000

The St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1)£400,000

The Ascot Stakes (Handicap) £80,000 The Ascot Stakes (Handicap) £80,000

The Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed) £80,000 The Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed) £80,000

WEDNESDAY 15TH JUNE 2016 WEDNESDAY 21ST JUNE 2017

The Jersey Stakes (Group 3) £90,000 The Jersey Stakes (Group 3) £90,000

The Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2) £110,000 The Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2) £110,000

The Duke of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2) £175,000 The Duke of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2) £175,000

The Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1) £750,000 The Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1) £750,000

The Royal Hunt Cup (Heritage Handicap) £175,000 The Royal Hunt Cup (Heritage Handicap) £175,000

The Sandringham Stakes (Listed) (Handicap) £80,000 The Sandringham Stakes (Listed) (Handicap) £80,000

ROYAL ASCOT 2017 ORDER OF RUNNING AND PRIZE MONEY

THURSDAY 16TH JUNE 2016 THURSDAY 22ND JUNE 2017

The Norfolk Stakes (Group 2) £100,000 The Norfolk Stakes (Group 2) £100,000

The Tercentenary Stakes (Group 3) £90,000 The Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3) £90,000

The Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2) £200,000 The Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2) £200,000

The Gold Cup (Group 1) £400,000 The Gold Cup (Group 1) £400,000

The Britannia Stakes (Heritage Handicap) £120,000 The Britannia Stakes (Heritage Handicap) £120,000

The King George V Stakes (Handicap) £90,000 The King George V Stakes (Handicap) £90,000

FRIDAY 17TH JUNE 2016 FRIDAY 23RD JUNE 2017

The Albany Stakes (Group 3) £80,000 The Albany Stakes (Group 3) £80,000

The King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2) £200,000 The King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2) £225,000

The Commonwealth Cup (Group 1) £400,000 The Commonwealth Cup (Group 1) £400,000

The Coronation Stakes (Group 1) £400,000 The Coronation Stakes (Group 1) £400,000

The Queen’s Vase (Listed) £90,000 The Queen’s Vase (Group 2) £150,000

The Duke of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap) £80,000 The Duke of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap) £80,000

SATURDAY 18TH JUNE 2016 SATURDAY 24TH JUNE 2017

The Chesham Stakes (Listed) £80,000 The Chesham Stakes (Listed) £80,000

The Wolferton Rated Stakes (Listed) £80,000 The Wolferton Rated Stakes (Listed) £80,000

The Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2) £225,000 The Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2) £225,000

The Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Group 1) £600,000 The Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Group 1) £600,000

The Wokingham Stakes (Heritage Handicap) £175,000 The Wokingham Stakes (Heritage Handicap) £175,000

The Queen Alexandra Stakes (Conditions) £80,000 The Queen Alexandra Stakes (Conditions) £80,000

TOTAL £6,580,000 TOTAL £6,665,000

Adam Kirby and PROFITABLE beat COTAI GLORY (farside) and GOKEN (left) in The King’s Stand Stakes (June 14, 2016).

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£600,000 QUEEN ANNE STAKES

ONE MILE STRAIGHT

Tuesday, June 20 (2.30pm) 22 remaining entries

Royal Ascot gets off to the best possible start with the Queen Anne Stakes for four-year-olds and upwards over the straight mile.

American handler Todd Pletcher, who saddled Always Dreaming to land the Kentucky Derby last month, is set to run American Patriot. The four-year-old son of War Front heads to Royal Ascot on the back of a first G1 victory in the Maker’s 46 Mile on turf at Keeneland on April 14.

Pletcher commented at the time of entry: “American Patriot is in great form and came out of his win at Keeneland really, really well. We have been very pleased with the winter and spring he has had and it seems he is in career-best form at the moment.

Pletcher saddled his first Royal Ascot runners in 2011, with Bridgetown finishing 12th in the G1 King’s Stand Stakes and More Than Real coming home 11th in the G1 Coronation Stakes.

He continued: “Royal Ascot is unbelievable. We hope to do a little better than we did with our runners before but it was still a great experience.

“I have been a few times to Royal Ascot when I haven’t had runners. It is a fantastic event and we look forward to coming back, hopefully with some success this time.”

Also entered from the USA is Royal Ascot regular Miss Temple City (Graham Motion), fourth in both the G1 Coronation Stakes in 2015 and the G2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes last year.

£400,000 ST JAMES’S PALACE STAKES

ONE MILE ROUND

Tuesday, June 20 (4.20pm) 25 remaining entries

Churchill (Aidan O’Brien IRE) has carried all before him so far in 2017 with commanding successes in the mile Classics, the QIPCO 2000 Guineas and Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas.

He is one of nine O‘Brien-trained contenders in the St James’s Palace Stakes for three-year-old colts, with Investec Derby runner-up Cliffs Of Moher also going forward.

The Godolphin-owned pair of Barney Roy (Richard Hannon) and Thunder Snow (Saeed bin Suroor), second behind Churchill at Newmarket and the Curragh respectively, also figure along with the tremendous French 2,000 Guineas and French Derby victor Brametot (Jean-Claude Rouget).

The five-year-old, a three-time G1 scorer, also holds a Duke Of Cambridge Stakes entry again this year.

Heading the British-trained entries is Godolphin’s Ribchester (Richard Fahey), the impressive winner of the G1 Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on May 20, Europe’s first Group One mile race of the year, while the 2016 Coronation Stakes heroine Qemah (Jean-Claude Rouget FR) and Usherette (Andre Fabre FR), who landed the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes 12 months ago, add further spice to the mix.

£400,000 KING’S STAND STAKES

FIVE FURLONGS

Tuesday, June 20 (3.40pm) 26 remaining entries

Lady Aurelia (Wesley Ward USA) put up a superb performance when making all to win the G2 Queen Mary Stakes by seven lengths at Royal Ascot in 2016 and is set to return this year in the King’s Stand Stakes.

Subsequently successful in the G1 Prix Morny at Deauville, the three-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy returned to action this year with a facile victory in the Listed Giant’s Causeway Stakes at Keeneland on April 15.

The star filly worked at Keeneland Racecourse on June 5 before departing for England with the rest of his strong team for Royal Ascot. Lady Aurelia went five furlongs on a fast turf course dampened by morning showers with Bound for Nowhere, set for the Commonwealth Cup, in 1m 0.80s.

Ward commented afterwards: “I was going to go into the work a little easy, but when we got that little bit of rain with the give in the ground I thought it would

£750,000 PRINCE OF WALES’S STAKES

ONE MILE & TWO FURLONGS

Wednesday, June 21 (4.20pm) 26 remaining entries

The 10-furlong Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, the richest race staged a Royal Ascot with prize money of £750,000 on offer, is for older horses over 10 furlongs.

The 26 entries going forward include Highland Reel (Aidan O’Brien IRE), already a G1 winner at Ascot following his success in the 12-furlong King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Sponsored by QIPCO) in 2016. The five-year-old Galileo horse took his G1 tally to five when winning the Investec Coronation Cup over the same trip at Epsom Downs on June 2.

Others in the mix include last year’s winner of the race My Dream Boat (Clive Cox), G1 Dubai Sheema Classic victor Jack Hobbs (John Gosden), G1

Prix Ganay victor Cloth Of Stars (Andre Fabre FR), Decorated Knight (Roger Charlton), who already has two G1s under his belt in 2017 following victories in the Jebel Hatta and Tattersalls Gold Cup, Ulysses (Sir Michael Stoute), a G3 winner on his return to action, and filly So Mi Dar (John Gosden).

£400,000 GOLD CUP

TWO MILES & FOUR FURLONGS

Thursday, June 22 (4.20pm) 27 remaining entries

Last year’s winner Order Of St George (Aidan O’Brien IRE) heads the 27 entries going forward for Thursday’s highlight, the Gold Cup. The five-year-old, who was also a fine third in last season’s G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, is bidding to build on the trainer’s formidable record in the Gold Cup.

Also among the Irish challenge is Torcedor (Jessica Harrington IRE), who got the better of Order Of St George in the G3 Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan in April, while the main French hope is Vazirabad (Alan de Royer Dupre FR), successful in the G1 Prix Royal-Oak last season and a dual G2 winner already in 2017.

Entries with winning form at Ascot still engaged include Sheikhzayedroad (David Simcock), who landed the G2 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup in October, and this season’s G3 Longines Sagaro Stakes scorer Sweet Selection (Hughie Morrison).

Other leading contenders are recent G3 King Henry II Stakes victor Big Orange (Michael Bell), 2016 G1 Prix du Cadran winner Quest For More (Roger Charlton) and the 2015 Gold Cup hero Trip To Paris (Ed Dunlop) as well as the last two winners of the St Leger – Simple Verse (Ralph Beckett) and Harbour Law (Laura Mongan).

A powerful US-trained challenge is in prospect at this year’s Royal Ascot, with intended transatlantic representation in five of the eight Group One races, plus a team of two-year-olds

as usual from the Wesley Ward stable.

THE AMERICANS ARE COMING!

“AMERICAN PATRIOT IS IN GREAT FORM AND CAME OUT OF HIS WIN AT KEENELAND REALLY, REALLY WELL.”

Ryan Moore and ORDER OF ST GEORGE win the Gold Cup (June 16, 2016).

be a good time – two weeks out – to let her skip along, so I changed my plan a little bit. She worked tremendous.”

Ward has saddled seven winners at Royal Ascot since Strike The Tiger got the ball rolling in the 2009 Windsor Castle Stakes.

Reflecting on his success, Ward continued: “Royal Ascot has been so kind to me. It is a point in the calendar that I aim at every year and have been lucky enough to have had some success. Everyone in Britain has always been so kind to us.

“My son was a tiny guy with his top hat over his ears back in 2009 and is now going to college! It is great looking at all the photos of Royal Ascot we have and at how the timeline has developed.”

Last year’s King’s Stand Stakes hero Profitable (Clive Cox) is also engaged along with stable companion Priceless, winner of the G2 Temple Stakes at Haydock Park on May 27. Marsha (Sir Mark Prescott) is another leading contender, having captured the G1 Prix de l’Abbaye in 2016 and gained another victory on her seasonal return in the G3 Palace House Stakes at Newmarket on May 6.

Ireland’s champion Flat trainer Aidan O’Brien has six remaining entries including the unbeaten Caravaggio, who is more likely to go for the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, plus Acapulco, winner of the Queen Mary Stakes in 2015 when trained by Wesley Ward.

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£400,000 COMMONWEALTH CUP

SIX FURLONGS

Friday, June 23 (3.40pm) 31 remaining entries

Having produced champion sprinters in its first two runnings (Muhaarar in 2015 and Quiet Reflection in 2016), the 2017 Commonwealth Cup for three-year-olds is shaping up to be another cracking contest.

The Scat Daddy colt Caravaggio (Aidan O’Brien), successful over the course and distance in the G2 Coventry Stakes in 2016, took his unbeaten run to five when storming away with the G3 Lacken Stakes at Naas on May 21 and is one of six remaining entries for his trainer.

Wesley Ward has left in Lady Aurelia, although she is much more likely to go for the King’s Stand Stakes, and is aiming Bound For Nowhere at the Commonwealth Cup. A son of The Factor, Bound For Nowhere is unbeaten in two outings, having won impressively at Keeneland over an extended five furlongs on turf at Keeneland on April 21.

The trainer remarked: “Bound For Nowhere is getting better by the day and has got a big, long stride.”

The best of the British-trained entries looks to be Harry Angel (Clive Cox). Winner of the G2 Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury in 2016, the Dark Angel colt could not have been more impressive when landing the G2 Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock Park last time out – the same race Quiet Reflection won before her triumph in the Commonwealth Cup last year.

£400,000 CORONATION STAKES

ONE MILE ROUND

Friday, June 23 (4.20pm) 28 remaining entries

Dual 1000 Guineas heroine Winter (Aidan O’Brien) headlines 28 remaining entries for the Coronation Stakes.

American interest in the mille contest for three-year-old fillies is set to come from

La Coronel (Mark Casse USA). Hailing from the same stable as last year’s Queen Anne Stakes heroine Tepin, the daughter of Colonel John has already landed two G3 contests in 2017, most recently capturing the Edgewood Stakes over an extended mile at Churchill Downs on May 5.

Other contenders include Godolphin’s Wuheida (Charlie Appleby) who was unbeaten in two starts last year, including the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac, but has yet to start in 2017, and the John Gosden-trained pair, Daban and Dabyah, who are both owned by Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah and finished third in the 1000 Guineas and won a Newbury G3 respectively.

£600,000 DIAMOND JUBILEE STAKES

SIX FURLONGS

Saturday, June 24 (4.20pm) 28 remaining entries

The highlight of the final day, the Diamond Jubilee Stakes is set to be a cosmopolitan affair again in 2017. The Right Man (Didier Guillemin, FR) got the better of Long On Value (Bill Mott USA) by a nose in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in March and the duo are scheduled to re-oppose at Royal Ascot.

The Right Man will be bidding for a second victory of a necessary three Global Sprint Challenge wins required to win the US$1-million bonus, having won the Al Quoz.

US Hall of Fame trainer Mott, 63, most famous for his handling of the incomparable Cigar, is yet to saddle a runner at Royal Ascot.

He said: “Long On Value travelled very well from Dubai and is back in training. He has been nominated for the Diamond Jubilee Stakes and it is very exciting as I have never been to Royal Ascot before.“

Other overseas challengers include the consistent Signs Of Blessing (Francois Rohaut FR) and Acapulco (Adian O’Brien).

A strong domestic challenge looks set to include last year’s Commonwealth Cup heroine Quiet Reflection (Karl Burke), plus The Tin Man (James Fanshawe), winner of the 2016 QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes, and three-time G1 victor Limato (Henry Candy).

All the G1 contests at Royal Ascot are part of the QIPCO British Champions Series, while the King’s Stand Stakes and Diamond Jubilee Stakes are also two of the British legs of the Global Sprint Challenge.

MORE AMERICAN RAIDERS

Ward has a team of seven two-year-olds coming to Royal Ascot this year. The colts are made up of seven-length Belmont Park scorer Arawak and twice-raced McErin, while the five fillies, Elizabeth Darcy, Fairyland, Happy Like A Fool, Nootka Sound and Princess Peggy, have all won decisively on their only start.

Ward’s Royal Ascot raiding party is completed by Listed Sandringham Handicap contender Con Te Partiro, an eye-catching fourth on her comeback in the Listed Soaring Softly Stakes at Belmont Park last month.

• The very best races and global appeal of Royal Ascot regularly attract top international horses, with 848 horses trained outside the UK running at the meeting since 2006.

• Aside from the £220m redevelopment in 2006, the single biggest investment in British Racing, the Racecourse has continued to invest in top class facilities for racegoers, horsemen and horses alike, with capital expenditure over the past five years totalling around £25m.

• In 2016 Ascot attracted 621,000 attendees, over 10% of the total 6m in British racing. Royal Ascot, which accounted for 295,000 of these, is the best attended racing festival in Europe and in the top three best attended ticketed annual British sporting events.

• While the five days of Royal Ascot attract on average nearly 59,000 per day, Ascot’s other 13 Flat fixtures (including QIPCO British Champions Day) drew average crowds of over 16,000 in 2016.

• Official Partner and Supplier annual sponsorship income per year has risen from £1.4m in 2012 to £5.6m in 2017.

Last year, there were a record 14 internationally-trained winners at Royal Ascot; 47% of all the victors over the week, with 10 from Ireland, two from America and two from France.

• The American bred, owned and trained Tepin (Mark Casse), made history for the USA in the Queen Anne Stakes. Previously all Ascot’s US winners had been two-year-olds or sprinters, trained by Wesley Ward.

• In 2016, nine nations were represented across the programme (474 runners) – UK (370), Ireland (68), France (18), USA (10), Germany (3), Japan (2), Australia (1), Hong Kong (1) and Norway (1).

ECONOMIC AND RACING

SNAPSHOT

1

3

370

68 1

10 18 2

1

1

RUNNERS AT ROYAL ASCOT IN

2016 BY COUNTRY

ROYAL ASCOT RACES

PATTERN RACES (ELITE)

30 RACES

G1

G2

G3

HANDICAPS

CONDITIONS

LISTED RACES

Ryan Moore and TWILIGHT SON win The Diamond Jubilee Stakes (June 18, 2016).

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The overseas-trained runnersand winners at Royal Ascot

since 2000

ROYAL ASCOT’S RACE PROGRAMME MILESTONES SINCE 2000

Queen’s Vase promoted to Group 2 from Listed. The distance has been reduced to one-mile-and-three-quarters from two miles.

Prince of Wales’s Stakes promoted to Group 1 and becomes the fourth Group 1 race at Royal Ascot.

Albany Stakes promoted to Group 3.

King’s Stand Stakes promoted to Group 1.

Queen Anne Stakes promoted to Group 1; Ascot’s proactive international strategy sees first returns with Choisir winning the Royal Ascot sprint double.

Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot inaugurated.

Hampton Court Stakes promoted to Group 3 at Royal Ascot.

Norfolk Stakes promoted to Group 2.

Coventry and Queen Mary Stakes promoted to Group 2; Windsor Forest Stakes (now Duke of Cambridge) inaugurated at Group 2 level.

Royal Ascot extended to five days, Cork & Orrery Stakes promoted to Group 1 and renamed Golden (now Diamond) Jubilee Stakes.

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 20172003 2005 2011 2015

Key Number of Royal Ascot Group 1 races

1514

Leading US trainer Todd Pletcher revealed last month that he is “seriously considering” the £600,000 Group One Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot for American Patriot. The straight mile contest on turf is the first race of the five-day spectacular, taking place at 2.30pm on Tuesday, June 20.

The four-year-old War Front colt landed the biggest victory of his career last time out when getting up close home for a neck success in the G1 Maker’s 46 Mile on turf at Keeneland on April 14.

American Patriot was also a smart performer in 2016, scoring in the G3 Kent Stakes over nine furlongs at Del Mar in July and finishing a close third in the 10-furlong G1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington in August. He is owned by Kentucky-based WinStar Farm, one of North America’s leading thoroughbred racing and breeding operations.

Pletcher, a seven-time recipient of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer, said today: “We have put American Patriot in the Queen Anne Stakes and are seriously considering bring him over for the race.

“The horse is in great form and came out of his win at Keeneland really, really well. We have been very pleased with the winter and spring he has had and it seems he is in career-best form at the moment.

“I feel American Patriot has made a step forward this year. He was a bit unlucky last year in the Secretariat Stakes and has come on well over the winter. He has matured into a big, strong beautiful horse. He has a nice turn of foot and a great disposition to go along with it, so we feel he is a good candidate to take a look at travelling over to England.”

Pletcher saddled his first Royal Ascot runners in 2011, with Bridgetown finishing 12th in the G1 King’s Stand Stakes and More Than Real coming home 11th in the G1 Coronation Stakes.

He continued: “Royal Ascot is unbelievable. We hope to do a little better than we did with our runners before but it was still a great experience.

“I have been a few times to Royal Ascot when I haven’t had runners. It is a fantastic event and we look forward to coming back, hopefully with some success this time.”

The 33 entries for the Queen Anne Stakes also include leading European lights Minding (Aidan O’Brien IRE), who capped a superb 2016 by taking the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes sponsored by QIPCO at Ascot on QIPCO British Champions Day in October, as well as last year’s G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas and G1 St James’s Palace Stakes hero Galileo Gold (Hugo Palmer).

The US-trained challenge could also include Miss Temple City (Graham Motion USA), who may line up at her third Royal Ascot following a fourth in both the G1 Coronation Stakes in 2015 and last year’s G2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes.

Last year’s Queen Anne Stakes was won by a US-trained horse for the first time, when the mare Tepin was successful.

PLETCHER SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING ROYAL ASCOT CHALLENGE WITH AMERICAN PATRIOT

It was one of horse racing’s greatest rivalries – the enduring and engrossing duel for supremacy contested by Sir Michael Stoute and the late Sir Henry Cecil.

From their respective stables in Newmarket, the two men almost seemed to have a monopoly on the British

trainers’ championship through the 1980s and 1990s. Sir Henry, who died in 2013, claimed the title on no less than 10 occasions – a tally matched in 2009 by Sir Michael.

Another record the pair share is that they have both recorded 75 Royal Ascot

One more winner will make Sir Michael Stoute the most successful trainer ever at Royal Ascot. Here, he looks back on some special

memories – and a special rival – from the last 45 yearsWords: Tony Rushmer

CHASING HISTORY

winners, an extraordinary feat given the ruthlessly competitive nature of racing at the globally renowned five-day meeting.

“Henry had a wonderful record at Ascot … one year he had seven winners,” says Sir Michael. “A formidable trainer, one of the greatest of all time – he had such a feel for horses. Gifted … very gifted.”

Stoute also recalls, with a smile, that his great rival – famous for his style and charisma – was seriously competitive. “Nevermind the outward appearance; he was a fierce competitor, H.R.A Cecil!”

Takes one to know one, don’t they

“NEVERMIND THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE; HE WAS A FIERCE COMPETITOR, H.R.A CECIL!”

Julien Leparoux and TEPIN win the Queen Anne Stakes (June 14, 2016).

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Born: 22 October 1945Birthplace: BarbadosBegan training: 1972First winner: Sandal at Newmarket in 1972British champion trainer: 10 times (first in 1981)Royal Ascot victories: 75First Royal Ascot winner: Etienne Gerard, Jersey Stakes, 1977British Classic victories: 15 (including five Derby victories)Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe victory: Workforce in 2010 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (sponsored by QIPCO) victories: Five

say? Stoute has proved as tough-as-teak over the decades. You don’t achieve all he has done in his own illustrious career without blending steeliness alongside intelligence and a sure touch.

MAKING HIS MARKStoute reached that total of 75 Royal Ascot winners last year, thanks to the victory of The Queen’s horse Dartmouth in the Hardwicke Stakes. It was the latest in a series of golden days for the 71-year-old Barbadian at the Royal Meeting – and yet it wasn’t always the case, as he reveals.

“We had our first winner in 1977 – I started in 1972. People kept on banging away at me ‘When are you going to have a winner here?’ So it was a big relief to get

Etienne Gerard. Obviously, you never forget your first one.”

While that was Stoute’s initial success at the Royal Meeting, he had first attended, aged 20, in 1966. Working for Yorkshire-based trainer Pat Rohan as a pupil-assistant, he travelled down with a fancied runner for the King’s Stand. The horse didn’t perform as connections hoped, but Stoute still recalls his excitement at going to Royal Ascot – a feeling that has never left him.

“It becomes more and more special because I think it’s becoming more international,” he says. “And it’s the whole pageantry of the thing. It starts with the Royal Procession and the visitors love it, but so do the indigenous people.”

PLANNING AHEADRoyal Ascot is always a major priority for Stoute, who trains from the historic Freemason Lodge – home to so many equine superstars through the decades. The planning starts months before, although not quite as early as at one Newmarket yard, where a trainer once told me he jotted down his Ascot hopefuls while the Christmas tree was still up!

“He was more forward-thinking than I am,” says Stoute with a grin. “I think it starts to happen when you get them moving again at the start of the flat season.

“You are looking at the team from early on in the season, looking at potential Royal Ascot runners – like Cheltenham with the jumps boys. When you finalise it,

“WE HAD OUR FIRST WINNER IN 1977 – I STARTED IN 1972 … OBVIOUSLY, YOU NEVER FORGET YOUR FIRST ONE”

a horse there.”

The thrill of being associated with a Royal Ascot runner is trumped by only one thing – the unbeatable glow of standing alongside a winner during the week itself. Each race requires a special performance to win it and nothing can be taken for granted, such is the quality of the opposition. It’s why Stoute’s tally of 75 successes is so remarkable.

modest assessment. “It’s a good achievement by men and horses.”

THE GREATEST VICTORYStoute feels all of the victories are special (“because the owners so appreciate a Royal Ascot winner”). But there is one in particular that will never be forgotten – Estimate’s triumph for The Queen in the 2013 Gold Cup. Estimate raised the roof in winning for her owner, whose delight was evident as she watched a thrilling conclusion to the historic two-and-a-half mile race from her seat in the Royal Box. It was the first time the Gold Cup – inaugurated in 1807 – had been won by a reigning monarch.

“I’d have to say that Estimate’s win in the

Gold Cup was a wonderful day,” recalls Sir Michael.

His most special of all? “Yes, I’d think so. The crowd loved it,

the owner loved it – she said afterwards that was the race she most coveted at the Royal Meeting. It’s her meeting – she adores it. She watches every race and follows them all very closely.”

Reflecting on memories of other great days at Royal Ascot, Stoute scans the list of his winners and his eye falls on Shareef Dancer, who strode to glory in the 1983 King Edward VII Stakes.

ABOVESir Michael Stoute’s favourite win – Estimate (Ryan Moore) beats Simenon (right) in the Gold Cup in 2013

“Shareef Dancer gave me a lot of pleasure when he won,” he says. “He then went and won the Irish Derby nine days later. He wasn’t only a good horse, he was a tough, very sound animal. That gave me a big thrill. But look, they all gave me a thrill.”

And to prove the point he immediately goes on to talk about how the rain came just in time for Hellenic to deliver an ultimately telling performance in the 1990 Ribblesdale Stakes.

In the 26 years that have followed, only three times has Stoute returned from the meeting without a winner. It’s a pointer to strongly suggest that it’s a case of ‘when’ rather than ‘if ’ Sir Michael Stoute becomes Royal Ascot’s leading trainer of all time.

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The Al Quoz, which was increased from 1000m to 1200m and run at Meydan Racecourse as part of the Dubai World Cup meeting on 25 March, replaced the Group 1 Golden Shaheen (1200m) this year.

In its short history, the Al Quoz Sprint has proven to be a truly international affair and has been won by globetrotting sprinters JJ The Jet Plane (2009 & 2011), Ortensia (2012), Sole Power (2015) and recently-retired Australian star Buffering (2016).

GSC Committee Chairman, Leigh Jordon, said the Al Quoz Sprint was an exciting addition to the 2017 series.

“The Global Sprint Challenge brings together the premier sprint races from around the world and offers prize money and bonuses in excess of US$12 million to connections of horses that target and perform well in these races,” Jordon said.

“The Al Quoz Sprint is another quality addition to the series and boasts a truly international honour roll befitting of a leg of the Global Sprint Challenge.

“The revamped 1200 metre Al Quoz replaces the Golden Shaheen, also run on Dubai World Cup night, in a move that will see the entire Global Sprint Challenge conducted on turf tracks.

“The inclusion of the Al Quoz Sprint comes 12 months after Hong Kong’s Chairman’s Sprint Prize was added to the series and subsequently won in devastating style by the Team Hawkes-trained gelding Chautauqua who had earlier captured the Black Caviar Lightning at Flemington.”

First conducted in 2005, the GSC provides international recognition to its elite performers, incorporating 10 Group 1 sprint races hosted by five

nations and offering a US$1 million bonus to the owners and trainer of any horse that wins a GSC race in three countries.

Australia’s Flemington Racecourse hosted the opening leg of the 2017 Global Sprint Challenge on 18 February, with the Black Caviar Lightning (1000m), before attention turned to the Dubai World Cup and the Al Quoz Sprint (1200m) on 25 March.

The series then moved to Japan’s Chukyo Racecourse with the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1200m) on 26 March, before shifting to Hong Kong for the Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) on 7 May.

The United Kingdom hosts a trio of sprints in June and July with the King’s Stand Stakes (1000m) on 20 June, the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (1200m) on 24 June, both at Royal Ascot, and the Darley July Cup (1200m) at Newmarket on 15 July.

The Challenge then returns to Japan for the Sprinters Stakes (1200m) on 1 October, before the second Australian leg, the Darley Classic (1200m), is held at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup Carnival on 11 November.

The final chance for sprinters to claim GSC glory comes on 10 December when Hong Kong wraps up the series with the Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin.

AL QUOZ REPLACES GOLDEN SHAHEEN IN GLOBAL SPRINT CHALLENGE

The world’s premier thoroughbred sprinters contest a new-look Global Sprint Challenge (GSC) in 2017 following the inclusion of the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m) in the 10-race series.

GLOBAL SPRINT CHALLENGE RACES

Black Caviar Lightning (Group 1) February 18 Flemington, Australia (TERRAVISTA)

Al Quoz Sprint (Group 1) March 25 Meydan, Dubai (THE RIGHT MAN)

Takamatsunomiya Kinen (Group 1) March 26 Chukyo, Japan (SEIUN KOSEI)

Chairman’s Sprint Prize (Group 1) May 17 Sha Tin, Hong Kong (LUCKY BUBBLES)

King’s Stand Stakes (Group 1) June 20 Royal Ascot, UK

Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Group 1) June 24 Royal Ascot, UK

Darley July Cup (Group 1) July 15 Newmarket, UK

Sprinters Stakes (Group 1) October 1 Nakayama, Japan

Darley Classic (Group 1) November 11 Flemington, Australia

Longines Hong Kong Sprint (Group 1) December 10 Sha Tin, Hong Kong

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 racecourse for the horses, where previously some less experienced runners had occasionally shied at the differing surfaces.

Four specifically qualified equine vets (five for the major meetings including Royal Ascot), led by Senior Veterinary Surgeon, Svend Kold, are on duty every raceday 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 (three for Royal Ascot) 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 jockeys’ facilities at Ascot include a medical treatment room, rest rooms and a dedicated room for physiotherapy. During Royal Ascot, there are six doctors on site, led by Senior Racecourse Medical Officer, Dr Roger Goulds, specifically to deal with any jockey injuries.

A £700,000 project to create a new enhanced unsaddling area, increased in size to accommodate the number of horses that run in races like the Wokingham and Royal Hunt Cup more comfortably and thereby improve equine welfare, was completed in 2016.

The oval lawn now merges seamlessly into the landscaping of the pre-parade ring layout, creating another attractive equine area within the surrounding hospitality lawns, which was reshaped to ensure that horses and their connections return to the most suitable environment post-race.

The Unsaddling Enclosure lawn is positioned to benefit from maximum shade from the crown of an adjacent mature tree as well as a repositioned tulip tree, which sits to the south of the oval, where equine misting fans are available when required.

The gradual curves of the walkways, in tandem with the improved landscaping, make for a more visually elegant route for the Royal Procession before it turns into the Parade Ring.

In order to improve its efficiency last year, the Flat Course Pop-Up irrigation system underwent a £150,000 overhaul. All 300 of the pop ups around the track were replaced and a new filter system fitted to the pump station.

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 Wokingham and the Duke of Edinburgh handicaps.

VETERINARY FACILITIES, EQUINE & JOCKEYS’ WELFARE

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Even after more than 30 years as Royal Ascot’s vet, Dr Svend Kold looks forward to coming back every year

There have been several changes to the racecourse in my time at Ascot. We have these amazing misting fans in the new unsaddling area that are used to blow cold water as mist onto the horses to help them cool down. Part of my daily preparations include checking that these fans are working and that there are large quantities of cold water

I trained to become a vet in Denmark, but I

have worked in the UK for my entire career. My specialism is in equine orthopaedics. In 1984, while I was working at the Equine Research Station in Newmarket, the new Director introduced me to Ascot, as he had worked with Ascot through a veterinary practice in Windsor. I have been on the team since 1985 and have been Senior Vet since 2000. I estimate I’ve done about 800 days at Ascot – a long time – but I love it.

Before Royal Ascot week, I have a scenario planning session with the Clerk of the Course during which we think of the most unlikely things that could happen and plan for them. If you do not think of it, you cannot plan for it.

I live in Tetbury in the West Country and I drive to Ascot every day during the Royal Meeting, starting at 10am. On arrival, I go directly to the stables and make sure all is well there. As a priority, I meet with the Clerk of the Course, who informs me about the going that day, then I visit the horse ambulance and wait for the rest of my team to arrive.

PEOPLE

have to decide whether they can run or should be withdrawn.

We do not have many injuries in flat racing. My team and I consider ourselves to be the ‘fire brigade’ for horses, getting them stabilised and off to the nearest equine centre for treatment. We are there for one reason only – animal welfare.

We are lucky at Ascot as we have been the same team for the last 15 years – we are quite a mature, or should I say ‘experienced’, team! Having the same team is an advantage as we know exactly how each other works and the trainers know who we are.

Royal Ascot is an exciting, high-pressure environment. The stakes are high and I think the horses go that little bit faster. Everyone involved wants it to be a massive success.

For me, the best moment at Royal Ascot came in 2009 when Yeats won his record fourth Gold Cup. I was driving behind him in my car for the last two furlongs, waving my walkie-talkie out of the window, cheering him on. It was brilliant. I have never seen Ascot so emotional.

in place for them.During the Royal Meeting,

sections of the stables are occupied by overseas runners who stay for longer periods. Sometimes a horse runs on Tuesday then again on Saturday, and there may be issues the trainers want a vet to look at in between. Occasionally a horse looks off-colour on arrival and we

BROADCASTERS AT ROYAL ASCOT

Racing UK (Sky 432/Virgin 536/Freeview and YouView 231) will broadcast over 40 hours of live HD coverage around Royal Ascot.

The channel is on air live from Ascot from 9am until 6pm for each of the five days, beginning with the Mark Your Card programme, which sets viewers up for the day with a mix of features and race previews.

The presentation team is set to be led by Lydia Hislop, Stewart Machin, Rishi Persad, Tom Stanley and Alex Steedman, with Dave Nevison bringing you the latest from the betting ring.

Post-racing, Angus McNae will be analysing the top-class action, with the help of touch-screen technology in the Royal Ascot Review programme, while viewers can relive all five days via Sunday Breakfast.

For the first time this year, NBCSN will bring over 20 hours of live coverage from Royal Ascot to the American audience. For five consecutive days between June 20th-24th, the channel will broadcast 4.5 hours daily from 8:30am-1pm ET. All coverage will be streamed simultaneously on NBC Sports Live Extra, NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs. Additionally, NBC’s renowned TODAY Show will provide live coverage of the Royal Procession during event week. Nick Luck will host NBCSN’s coverage from Ascot’s parade ring.

Correspondent Cornelius Lysaght and commentator John Hunt will be on-site all five days. There will be extensive coverage and commentary on 5 live sports extra, with all the big races also integrated into daytime programming on BBC Radio 5 live. Saturday’s 5 live Sport will be presented by Eleanor Oldroyd from Royal Ascot.

Ascot welcomes many other valuable news networks, including Sky Sports News and BBC Radio Berkshire, who are both based on site through the week.

During Royal Ascot, all 30 races will be broadcast live on ITV 1, totalling approximately 30 hours of live coverage across the week.

The Opening Show preview programme will be shown daily at 10am along with daytime coverage starting at 1.3 0pm.

ITV's frontman Ed Chamberlin.

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NEW AT ROYAL ASCOT

Ascot Racecourse unveiled a one-of-a-kind piece of art in the form of a globe, adorned with 30 hand painted illustrations telling the tale of Royal Ascot’s long-standing traditions and rich heritage, earlier this year. The globe, titled ‘A World Like Nowhere Else’, was unveiled at The Goring Hotel in London on 1st March, before embarking on a journey around the capital and the South of England for members of the public to see. It now takes centre-stage at the racecourse for Royal Ascot from Tuesday 20th – Saturday 24th June.

THE GLOBE

London globemakers Bellerby & Co were tasked with bringing to life Royal Ascot’s unparalleled offering in the form of an illustrated globe. One of the most anticipated events in the British summer sporting and social calendar, the five days of world-class racing, excitement, pageantry, fashion and style forms the inspiration for the illustrations, each of which have been hand-painted. The Royal Procession, Ascot’s iconic Greencoats, the finest thoroughbreds running through waves, a statue of Yeats, a fleet of helicopters, well-dressed ladies, a Champagne waterfall, a floating cake stand representing Afternoon Tea and the famous Bandstand are just some of the highlights, that together tell the story of everything that Royal Ascot represents.

Juliet Slot, Commercial Director, Ascot Racecourse says, “Our ‘World Like Nowhere Else’ globe celebrates the rich offering that has and continues to evolve at Royal Ascot for hundreds of years,

bringing relevance and vibrancy to an art form that has been passed through generations. Our customers have told us that when they come to Royal Ascot they take a moment out of the everyday and step into another world. Our aim was to capture this sentiment and bring to life the intricacies of what the world of Royal Ascot is in the form of the globe.”

The making of the globe took just under three months to complete. The illustrations were created, and then Bellerby & Co. used their knowledge to shape the artwork so it could be mapped on to a sphere.

A cartographer then worked with the globemaker, Peter Bellerby, to test that everything was laid correctly on gores, before printing out copies which were then cut by hand, painted and applied to the sphere. The layout was tweaked, printed and tested many times before the final result; because each piece of the “map” is on a surfboard shaped piece of paper, ensuring it is the perfect match that will line up correctly is extremely time consuming and requires both expertise and patience in equal measures. Once this process was completed the painters spent a further two weeks colouring the illustrations to match Ascots requirements.

The design of the base was inspired by a traditional Philips globe from the early twentieth century, hand-turned and polished in London from cherry wood. The brass arm was made to order and hewn from a solid piece of brass before being hand polished.

Peter Bellerby, Bellerby & Co. says, “I was thrilled to be asked to work with Ascot creating the ‘World Like Nowhere Else’ globe. I spent the early part of my childhood in Buckinghamshire and I learnt to ride very early, so it was particularly fitting. In eight years of globemaking, this is the first time a client has put their own world on to a globe, which excited me and the team. I hope it will capture the imagination of the British public in the same way that it did for us.”

THE GLOBE’S JOURNEY

After two weeks at The Goring, the globe embarked on a tour around London and the South-East. Its various stops included the historic British auction house Christie’s to coincide with a Sporting & Wildlife art sale, an appearance at Bond Street department-store Fenwick, an appearance at The Ritz Hotel in Mayfair to celebrate the launch of the Royal Ascot Style Guide, an appearance at Raymond Blanc’s world-famous hotel-restaurant Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and a fortnight at The Hurlingham Club in Fulham.

The campaign is the fourth in Royal Ascot’s ‘Like Nowhere Else’ series, all created by Antidote, with the brand partnering with a different artist each year to create a traditional artform with a contemporary feel. Past campaigns have featured Royal Academician David Mach and San Francisco based embroidery artist Lauren Dicioccio.

Tim Ashton, Executive Creative Director at Antidote said: Our ‘Like nowhere else’ campaign for Royal Ascot is in its fourth year. A truly unique British event deserves a truly unique advertising campaign. This year we have turned to the world’s oldest globe master craftsmen to bring our ‘world like nowhere else’ artwork to life.

ASCOT RACECOURSE UNVEILS

‘A WORLD LIKE NOWHERE ELSE’ SPECIALLY COMISSIONED GLOBE ARTWORK

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Ascot racecourse announced the opening of the new ‘Village Enclosure’ for Royal Ascot 2017, earlier this year. The first new enclosure to open at the Royal Meeting for more than 100 years, it will provide a new perspective on the spectacle of Royal Ascot, located on the inside of the track looking back towards the final furlong with Ascot’s iconic Grandstand as a backdrop. Showcasing the best of contemporary British summertime, the new space has a style and tempo of its own: a ‘pop-up’ summer scene comprising informal boutique dining experiences, innovative bars, and live music throughout the day and into the evening.

The Village Enclosure sits between the Queen Anne Enclosure and Windsor Enclosure in terms of price point and the Queen Anne Enclosure dress code will apply. Its introduction will allow Ascot to reduce capacity in the existing public enclosures, Queen Anne Enclosure and Windsor Enclosure as part of its continued commitment to customer comfort at the Royal Meeting.

A picturesque bandstand is the centrepiece of the village green, along with two other stages where there will be a mix of live brass, jazz and funk throughout the day. In the evenings, the main stage will host sets from live bands and DJs. Confirmed acts include DJ Goldilocks, the Hackney Colliery Band and Choon Chaps.

From on-the-go stalls to sit-down casual dining, there will be a broad food offering. Confirmed partners include Mai Taiko,

Great British Sausage Company, Crispy Duck and Woodfire Pizza. Additional destination pop-ups soon to be announced will include a festival favourite grown-up barbecue eatery and a Champagne and Seafood restaurant. Cocktails, mocktails and Champagne will be served throughout the day.

The Village Enclosure is open on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday of Royal Ascot, with an exclusive after party until 9pm.

Hospitality upgrades are available within the Village Enclosure including The Restaurant in the Village, Villiers in the Village and Gazebos in the Village, the latter which has a private entertaining space for groups of up to 16 guests.

Juliet Slot, Commercial Director, Ascot Racecourse says, “We have gradually reduced the capacity in the Queen Anne Enclosure from 25,000 in 2011 to 19,500 this year and capacity in the Windsor Enclosure from 24,000 in 2011 to 18,000 this year. Opening the new Village Enclosure allows us to continue making these reductions while accommodating the demand for the Royal Meeting and appetite of a section of our customer base for this more contemporary option.

“Placed in a prime position for the thrilling final furlong on the inside of the track, The Village Enclosure celebrates contemporary British summertime with al fresco eateries, creative bars, live music throughout the day as well as a selection of hospitality options including the Villiers Club and the Restaurant in the Village.”

New enclosure to allow Ascot to reduce capacity in existing public enclosures.

ASCOT RACECOURSE INTRODUCES FIRST NEW ENCLOSURE AT ROYAL ASCOT IN MORE THAN 100 YEARS -

THE ‘VILLAGE ENCLOSURE’

ASCOT ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF THREE NEW ON-SITE SHOPS AND LAUNCHES AN EXTENSIVE COLLECTION

OF LUXURY PRODUCTS

Ascot presents a curated edit of the most beautiful gifts, must-haves for a day at the races and keepsakes from a selection of British brands. Products include specially-created items from Christy,

Christys’ Hats, Links of London, Milly Green and Oliver Brown.

Ascot Racecourse has opened three new on-site shops for the summer season, comprising collections of fashion accessories, homeware, food items and gifts, all of which have been designed to capture the uplifting elegance of Ascot. The new collections are available during Royal Ascot at the new Parade Ring and Cedar Tree shops, and in licensees’ standalone, concession and web stores as well as in high-end high street retailers. Ascot shop vouchers are available to purchase at: ascot.co.uk/shop

Men’s, women’s and children’s casual-wear, men’s formalwear, jewellery and accessories sit alongside homeware, gift items and artwork.

Award-winning British jewellery brand Links of London introduced a specially designed collection of charms, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, cufflinks, hat pins and gifts.

Traditional British hat manufacturer Christys’ Hats launched a range of panamas, felts and flat caps for men and women. Also in the fashion category, gentlemen’s outfitter Oliver Brown produced a range of top hats, waistcoats, formal shirts, silk ties, cashmere socks and braces.

In the homeware category, quality towel producer Christy launched a variety of towelling products, picnic blankets, seat pads and linens.

British designer Milly Green released a colourful collection of food gifts, including embossed tins of biscuits, tins of travel sweets, cylinders of biscuits, sachets of fudge, chocolate bars, caddies of tea and sets of teas.

Essentials for a day at the races include umbrellas (of which there are three different styles), beautiful hand fans, lapel pins, a cooler box which transforms into a seat, heel covers, ballet pumps and phone covers decorated with etch drawings of British Thoroughbred racehorses.

Artist Sherree Valentine Daines presents six limited edition paintings of Royal Ascot scenes with greeting cards to match, and illustrator Lucy Stephens unveils three bespoke Ascot designs, on mounted prints and greeting cards.

Merino wool scarves, silk scarves, canvas bags and wicker basket bags sit alongside ties, bowties and pashminas, all of which take inspiration from colourful, vibrant illustrations commissioned by the racecourse showing a day spent enjoying the spectacle that is Ascot. Crystalware, leather goods, homeware and textiles complete the collection.

Ascot’s new shops will be situated in three different locations at Royal Ascot, with two of the shops remaining in place for seven other race meetings, including the King George VI Weekend in July and the finale to the British flat season, QIPCO British Champions Day.

Juliet Slot, Commercial Director at Ascot, said: “Fashion, accessories and food are key facets of everyone’s experience at Ascot, and following customer feedback around our on-site retail offer we have worked hard to create a retail experience for them during their visit to match their expectations. We are delighted so many wonderful brands are working with us both on-site and through high-street retail partners. We are excited to be launching so many ranges.”

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SCULPTURE AT ASCOT RACECOURSE

Young British Sculptor, Charles Elliott works from a studio in Buckinghamshire, producing a wide range of handmade British luxury sculptures, using traditional and modern metal manipulating techniques to create large intricate pieces.

With help and guidance on the equestrian designs, 24 year old Charles and his wife Abbe have designed and created a range of equestrian sculptures using zinc finished mild steel. Their equestrian range, inspired by his wives love of horses, are finished in a progressive bright zinc galvanise finish, protecting from rusting and corrosion.

Each of Elliott’s sculptures are completely unique and built by hand and can been seen online at www.elliottoflondon.co.uk or at their Buckinghamshire Studio in The Vale, Buckinghamshire, HP5 3NZ.

Alongside travelling the world jumping her string of horses professionally, Abbe has a lot of input into the design and building process of the equestrian pieces.

Charles says “I would speak to Abbe 2-3 times a day whilst working on my equestrian sculptures, to ask her about details of muscle layouts and conformation, whilst looking through piles of close ups of horses in motion. She is very critical of my work and a perfectionist when it comes to the horses, metal or real life!”

Charles Elliott 02080503702

Nic Fiddian-Green has been represented by the Sladmore Gallery for over 20 years. His work, from small maquette to massive monumental, is highly prized around the world in public and private collections.

Born in Hampshire in 1963, he graduated from Wimbledon School of Art after a three year degree course in Sculpture. Engrossed in the horse as a subject and working in marble, he was greatly moved by the power, skill and beauty of the Parthenon frieze and the horse as depicted by the Ancient Greeks. In particular the remarkable “Selene” horse.

He next attended St Martin’s School of Art where he learned the skill of casting in bronze. He gained a Diploma in Advanced Lost Wax Casting and then established his own foundry outside London. Work commissioned in Gozo in 1992 allowed him to open a foundry there too. He then divided his time between Gozo and England working in the lost wax technique on a variety of projects.

Through sheer determination and passion for his subject Nic Fiddian-Green has stayed true to the form of the horse’s head for 25 years. The spirit and power of this noble animal, both servant and master to man, has been the artist’s long-term obsession. We have been venerating horses in art as long as we have ridden them and Nic’s sculpture continues the very long line of artists inspired by them. The earliest example of art ever discovered in Britain, was of a horse: a flat bone with a horses head carved into it of 10,000 BC. The startling similarity between Nic’s small marble carvings and the tiny carved stone horse in the recent “Ice Age” show at the British Museum amazed all of us. Through da Vinci’s sketches, the sculpture of Degas, the paintings of Constable and Stubbs, to the work of recent masters, like Frink and Flanagan; Nic’s glorious obsession with the subject is a worthy inheritor of many distinguished forbears

Nic’s recent harrowing encounter with a life-threatening illness has caused an obvious and honest creative re- assessment. There emerges a stronger, deeper and more contemplative vision that permeates the new work. His sculpture is sometimes seen as a form of self-portraiture, even through the form of the horse’s head. He shows us how his spirit and his faith help him triumph over the physical. In

the eyes of his silent horse’s heads we feel pain, strength, fear, wisdom and more as he asks complicated questions of the viewer that give the new work a powerful spiritual and emotional resonance. These inner reflections are as profound as the pieces’ outer beauty and majesty are striking.

In his body of work he continues to show he is an artist of our time, formed and inspired by his recent experience. The early influences of the elegant Parthenon frieze are still apparent, the classical Greek principles of grace, beauty, serenity, and harmony balanced with new sensibilities to create his unique, very modern sculpture.

He uses his imagination and his acute awareness of work from previous centuries to inspire and influence his sculpture. He also works closely with his subject, equine models right there in the studio with him, direct from life. His close relationship with the horse was demonstrated further when his favourite model “George” actually attended a recent Private View inside the gallery.

CHARLES ELLIOTTLife Size Zinc Horse Racing Sculpture

NIC FIDDIAN GREEN“Fire”, 28 ft high, bronze, from an edition of 3

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Mark Coreth was born in London in 1958 and was immediately dispatched to the family farm in the Kenyan highlands where the Equator ran through the house. Black and white Colobus monkeys leapt amongst the branches in the trees behind the house where leopard and cheetah also lived. This idyllic childhood surrounded by exotic flora and fauna fostered Mark’s early and continuing passion for wildlife and the sculpting of it.

After prep school in Kenya, Mark attended Ampleforth public school in the north of England and on leaving joined The Blues and Royals, serving with the Regiment as a regular officer. He has spent time in England, Cyprus, Germany, Ireland and the Falkland Islands during the 1982 hostilities. On his return to England he was commissioned to make a silver sculpture of his regiment’s drum horse “Belisarius”, for the Warrant Officer’s Mess and later a second cast in bronze became the Household Cavalry’s wedding present to The Duke and Duchess of York; his first commission, a taste of many more to come. He held his first exhibition at the Sladmore whilst still a serving soldier, and has now shown with the gallery for over 20 years.

Mark has had no formal art school training; his ability is based quite simply on dedication and hard work coupled with an acute and perceptive eye, drawing heavily on experiences gained during his early years in Kenya, and regular sculptural safaris around the world, with his “Backpack Studio “. His sculptures reflect his instinctive understanding of the behaviour and physicality of the animals he sculpts.

2015 saw Mark complete his life-size bronze of the much loved Race Horse “Frankel”, commissioned by the owner Prince Khalid Abdullah. Her Majesty the Queen unveiled the first sculpture at Royal Ascot in June, with further copies at York Racecourse and the Newmarket Racing Museum to follow.

Yong Ho Ji (June 30, 1978) is a Korean artist who works in sculpture, painting, photography, image work and music. Yong Ho Ji likes to follow the instinct of an artist for his works, such as feeling, sensation, accidental situation, unconsciousness, and intuitiveness, rather than be rational. He is well known for using used tires and various recycling resources for his art works. From 2003, he created the series of mutants which made him one of the influential contemporary artists in Korea. Recently (2012), in contrast to his mutant series, he has been designing his own works in multi-dimensional forms using clam shells, the symbol of material value from the dawn of man.

Yong Ho Ji was born in a small village in Chuncheon, Korea. His house was surrounded by a beautiful river and mountains. However, since his house was in a remote village, he did not have an opportunity to have a proper education in art, so he had to make everything he needed himself. He used to make bows and arrows, crossbows and boomerangs to hunt with his friends on the mountains, and draw pictures on newspapers or on the back of calendar pages. Although there was not much paper available in his home, his mother never discouraged him to draw. Upon entering elementary school, he began to take regular art classes and could develop his hidden talent as he won prizes in competitions for model plane making and robot assembling.

MARK CORETH“Running Ostrich”, Bronze, from an edition of 3, 7ft x 6ft x 3 ft (2.1m x 1.8m x 1m)

YONG HO JI “Roaring Lion”, Unique, used tyres, steel, wood, styrofoam, 11.8 ft x 4 ft x 4 ft (3.6m x 1.2m x 1.2m)

After he entered middle school, he set aside his artistic talent and studied through regular high school due to his father’s objections, but he secretly prepared to apply for art college during high school years without his parents knowing. However, he was more interested in girls than art and eventually failed to get into college, although he applied for 4 different colleges. He thus moved to Seoul and studied art for one more year before he was admitted to Hongik University, the most famous school for arts in Korea.

When Yong Ho Ji was in university, there was no market for art, and only university professors or affluent people could become artists. Not being particularly wealthy, he gave up becoming an artist early and instead managed an art academy. However, he had to close down the academy because his business partner turned his back on him. And it made him concentrate on his studies from then. Yong Ho Ji started the mutant series of tire artworks in his third year of university. As he had participated in several exhibitions until graduation, he, at some point, wanted to present his works in New York. In 2005, he moved to New York and decided to enter graduate school to stay in New York. He entered Studio Art Graduate School of NYU the following year and had a wonderful time meeting great classmates and having diverse experiences. While in graduate school, Yong Ho Ji came into spotlight as his Buffalo Head1 was sold at $40,000 in the Contemporary Art, May sale, Phillips Auction, New York in 2007 and Shark2 at $145,000 in the Contemporary Art, November sale, Phillips Auction, New York the same year. Upon graduation in 2008, he held solo exhibitions in Gana Art Centre in Chelsea, New York and the West Collection in Philadelphia. In 2009, he returned to Seoul, Korea for his works, and held solo exhibitions in Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Netherlands.

During his graduate years in New York (2005-2007), Yong Ho Ji used a large loft, located near Chelsea on the 26thStreet at 6thAvenue, as his lodging and workshop. Unfortunately, he could not work on large-sized projects because his works had to fit in the elevator. He cut and washed tires, the main materials of his works, in Korea and shipped them to New York, and produced the basic framework in the welding studio of NYU. He did his photo works near Soho or in nearby China Town at night, and he even transported them by himself.

After graduate school, he returned to Korea (2009). He currently lives in Seoul, and his workshop is located in a large factory building in Gyeonggi-do. There, he has worked mostly on large-sized works (buffalo, rhino, lion, etc.), which he could not work on in New York, and is currently working on a new series of works.

His famous works are mutant series which describe not just the altered appearance, but also human being’s egotistical desires to create mutants in an artificial manner.

His mutant series sculptures are made with used tires. He used old tires to express the material’s possible modern mutations. The tire itself is made of rubber which comes from trees, a natural product before we transform it into an industrial product. He described his new creation as a mutation of the original rubber. His used tires art works symbolize the modern mutant, with his conscious intention to make these images come alive.

Two different worlds coexist in his mutants – reality and unreality. Realistic animal was selected for mutation, which was not drastically changed from the original. Unrealistic part was a combination form of two or more different animals.

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Together with the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF), Ascot unveiled two state of the art exercise bikes in the jockeys’ changing room earlier this year, which it hopes will encourage jockeys to warm up sufficiently, therefore reducing the potential for injuries.

Former Champion Jockey and President of the IJF, Sir AP McCoy OBE, said:

“As President of the IJF, I am delighted that Ascot have chosen to support the work they are doing in this way and hope the bikes help to reduce the injuries that can be sustained out on the track whilst riding. The charity is very important to me and in the past, helped with my own recovery on numerous occasions.”

Investment in preventative measures is a key new area for the IJF and Ed Stroud, Head of Rehabilitation at the IJF, supported the new additions:

“The Injured Jockeys Fund primarily aims to take a jockey from the point of injury and get them back fit to ride, depending on their injury level. The bikes represent the second facet of what the charity aims to achieve. Injury prevention is high on the list and giving jockeys the resources to warm up correctly here at Ascot, will greatly assist in this.”

Paul Struthers, Chief Executive at the Professional Jockeys Association, added:

“The welfare, wellbeing and fitness of jockeys is paramount to us and we are delighted that Ascot has chosen to invest in this way. It supports the ongoing work in this area by the PJA, Jockeys Employment and Training Scheme and the IJF and demonstrates yet again that Ascot leads the way amongst racecourses in how they view and treat jockeys.”

Ascot also launched a new ambassador programme in its hospitality areas which sees £1 per cover donated to the charity, along with additional on the day donations from racegoers.

This initiative forms part of Ascot’s charitable strategy to support Racing charities and will enable guests to learn more about the sport from a jockey’s perspective. Ascot will be able to provide IJF staff (jockeys and ex-jockeys) with employment in addition to being able to donate to the charity.

The programme will engage four jockeys and ex-jockeys (Emily Jones, David Crosse, John Andrew Reid and Mattie Batchelor) on an ambassadorial basis to deliver overviews of racing to fine dining guests at all 20 Ascot

racedays in addition to those in the Parade Ring, Panoramic, Trackside and On 5 during Royal Ascot.

Jockeys will introduce themselves with a brief summary of the work that the charity does and how it benefits jockeys and their families including how it has benefitted them personally before running through the card and offering tips. Jockeys will be available throughout the day to provide their experience of the racing industry and answer any questions as well as demonstrate riding equipment.

Customers will have the opportunity to visit a fence during the jumps season to experience the action close-up and will be taken to the starting stalls or the Parade Ring, subject to raceday, during the flat season.

FORMER CHAMPION AP MCCOY WELCOMES NEW INJURED JOCKEYS FUND

AND ASCOT INITIATIVES

Sir AP McCoy and flat jockey Fran Berry unveil the exercise bikes at Ascot.

Ascot Racecourse announced the launch of a three-year partnership with the Berkshire Community Foundation earlier this year

The partnership sees Ascot supplement its existing charitable efforts, which have been headlined recently by raising over £750,000 for The Prince’s Countryside Fund over the last two years, with a specific focus on children and young people in the Berkshire area.

The Berkshire Community Foundation (BCF) has been at the forefront of local charitable giving for the last 30 years and aims to strengthen communities, tackle disadvantage and transform lives by connecting people who care with the causes that matter in their local community.

BCF raise funds for, and make grants to, local charities and voluntary organisations addressing identified need across Berkshire. Their annual ‘Vital Signs’ research report highlights the key areas of need affecting Berkshire through

extensive research and community engagement, which enables them to provide informed, strategic support to the areas that need it most.

They ensure that donations go to the heart of the community and are effective in bringing the greatest benefit to those most in need, making a lasting and sustainable difference to the local communities and providing a permanent and growing source of local charitable funding that will support community needs for years to come.

Jim Fyfe, Head of Development at Berkshire Community Foundation, welcomed the new relationship:

“After a record-breaking year of grant-funding in 2016 we are delighted to have the very generous support of Ascot Racecourse as we begin 2017.

“Having the support of such a high-profile and prestigious venue in the heart of Berkshire will have a significant impact on our grant-making. It will ensure that we are able to provide vital support to hundreds of charities, delivering projects to thousands of children in our local community.

“We would like to thank everyone at Ascot Racecourse for their hard work and generosity that has enabled this exciting partnership to get off the ground.”

Guy Henderson, Chief Executive at Ascot Racecourse, added:

“We are delighted to be working with the Berkshire Community Foundation and supporting the positive work they do for those in need within Berkshire.

“Our focus for 2017 is children and young people. Our aim is to make a difference in our home county.”

ASCOT RACECOURSE LAUNCHES

THREE-YEAR PARTNERSHIPWITH BERKSHIRE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Her Royal Highness, Princess Beatrice and the Berkshire Community Foundation staff at their 30th birthday celebration.

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PARTNERS & SUPPLIERS

QIPCO HOLDING, OFFICIAL PARTNER AND SPONSORS OF THE BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES

QIPCO Holding are an Official Partner of Ascot and Royal Ascot, sponsors of the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July and of the QIPCO British Champions Series, culminating on QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot in October.

For the sixth consecutive year, QIPCO will back the coveted top jockey and top trainer awards at Royal Ascot.

Trophies for “QIPCO Royal Ascot Top Trainer” and “QIPCO Royal Ascot Top Jockey” will be presented on the final day of the meeting to the trainer and jockey amassing the most wins during the week, with places counted back in the event of a tie.

Last year’s winners were Aidan O’Brien (7 winners) and Ryan Moore (6 winners).

QIPCO British Champions Day, 21st October, is the richest day’s racing in Britain at £4.3 million.

The day features the £1,300,000 Champion Stakes, the £1,100,000 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, the £600,000 British Champions Sprint Stakes, the £600,000 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, and the £450,000 British Champions Long Distance Cup - all sponsored by QIPCO.

The programme for QIPCO British Champions Day consists of four Group 1 races, a Group 2 and the £250,000 Balmoral Handicap (sponsored by QIPCO), Europe’s most valuable mile handicap.

QIPCO also sponsor the British Champions Series which began with the QIPCO 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas in Spring and culminates on QIPCO British Champions Day.

There are five series race categories. Four categories are by race distance – Middle Distance, Mile, Sprint and Long Distance, and a separate Fillies and Mares category also operates. Royal Ascot, with all eight Group 1 races designated to their appropriate categories, will play a significant part in the series once again, along with the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (sponsored by QIPCO) in July.

QIPCO Holding is a private, family run investment company and one of the leading investment companies in Qatar. Its portfolio of interests includes horseracing, via its subsidiary companies, Qatar Bloodstock and Qatar Racing.

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Gigaset, a leading name in the telecommunications and consumer electronics sector, was announced as Official Partner of Ascot Racecourse and Royal Ascot back in May 2015. As a premier partner of Ascot Racecourse, the Gigaset brand features throughout Ascot’s programme including Royal Ascot.

Gigaset are designated Official Partner and Official Consumer Electronics Partner at Ascot and their Chief Executive Officer Klaus Weßing renewed the positive impact of the agreement in 2017:

“We are very proud to be Official Partner of Ascot and Royal Ascot. This partnership heralds as Gigaset is constantly moving on to develop further technologies. Ascot and Gigaset truly share many things in common such as the way both organisations blend tradition with modernity and demonstrate a shared passion for quality and style.”

Gigaset will once again sponsor two races at meetings later this year: the Gigaset International Handicap Stakes to be run on 29th July, and the Cumberland Lodge Stakes on 7th October.

Guy Henderson, Chief Executive at Ascot Racecourse, said:“We are delighted to have Gigaset as partners. Ascot is about exceptional standards of elegance and traditional values whilst always endeavouring to make the most of modern technological advances for the benefit of our

visitors. Gigaset mirrors our own philosophy with dedication to high quality engineering combined with forward thinking technology.”

Juliet Slot, Commercial Director at Ascot, added:“The announcement of Gigaset as Official Partner, joining QIPCO in the premier tier of our commercial programme, was a genuine landmark moment for us. Gigaset is a new investor in British racing at the highest level and, as a consumer electronics company, also a new sector for us to be involved in.”

Gigaset AG, Munich, is an internationally operating company in the area of communications technology. The company is Europe’s market leader in DECT telephones. The premium supplier is likewise the leader worldwide with around 1,000 employees and sales activities in around 70 countries. Under the name Gigaset pro, the company continues to develop and market innovative business telephony solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises. In the smart home arena, cloud-based security solutions are developed and marketed under the name Gigaset elements. The company also operates in the field of mobile devices, with a focus on smartphones.

Gigaset AG is listed in the Prime Standard of Deutsche Börse and is therefore subject to the highest transparency requirements. Its shares are traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol GGS (ISIN: DE0005156004).

OFFICIAL PARTNER

The Longines’ chronometer will be in position close to the winning post along with an elegant clock in the parade ring throughout the year. Race times appear on ITV, Racing UK and Ascot TV. The winning connections of any horse which breaks a track record at Ascot throughout the flat season will be presented with Longines watches.

OFFICIAL TIMEKEEPER AND WATCH

The Christy legacy dates back to 1850, since when they have epitomised exemplary innovation and craftsmanship which has defined British textiles. Christy were privileged enough to manufacture and supply the first terry towel to Queen Victoria over 165 years ago and have since established a reputation for luxury high end textiles. Today Christy enjoys increasing international success, creating stunning collections of towels and bed linen. Jockeys at Royal Ascot will receive personalised towels and racegoers can purchase Christy products from the Ascot Shop.

OFFICIAL TEXTILES

Created in 1966, Appletiser has no added sugar, colours or preservatives. Appletiser and Apple & Pomegranate are served at bars throughout the racecourse and hospitality guests in the Villiers Club and the Wyndham Club will be welcomed with an Appletiser Pomegranate Martini.

proudly supports

OFFICIAL SOFT DRINK

Champagne Bollinger, the Official Champagne of Royal Ascot is one of the few remaining family owned and independently run Champagne houses and has held a Royal Warrant longer than any other Champagne House. The Royal Warrant was first awarded by Queen Victoria in 1884, following a period where Her Majesty enjoyed drinking Bollinger in the Royal Enclosure at Royal Ascot, a space exclusively reserved for the Royal Family and their guests. To this day Bollinger is still served in the Royal Enclosure and a range of Champagne Bollinger is available across the Racecourse in small and large formats. Guests can also experience the magnificence of Bollinger with the pairings of Bollinger’s prestige cuvees including La Grande Année 2007 in the most prestigious of Royal Ascot restaurants, catered for by Raymond Blanc and Phil Howard with Champagne Bollinger included as part of the ultimate fine dining experiences.

OFFICIAL CHAMPAGNE

ASCOT’S OFFICIAL

SPONSORS AND SUPPLIERS

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Garrard creations have been prized by discerning clients for over 280 years. They have designed and created five key trophies for 2016 – the Gold Cup, the Queen’s Vase and the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot, plus trophies for the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

OFFICIAL TROPHIESAND SILVERWARE

As ‘The Original British Bottled Water,’ Harrogate is internationally-renowned as one of the finest still and sparkling spring waters. Awarded ‘Best Sparkling Water in the World,’ Harrogate is recognised not only for its exceptional mineral balance and purity, but also for its distinctive, classically British style. It is available across the site and bottles will be handed out at some entrances as a part of Ascot’s Responsible Drinking campaign.

proudly supports

OFFICIAL WATER

Steeped in Italian history, Lavazza has been sourcing, roasting and blending to create the highest quality coffees for over 120 years. Today, Lavazza is the favourite and best selling espresso brand in the world. Lavazza coffees can be enjoyed throughout the racecourse; from creamy lattes to delicious and refreshing flavoured iced coffees and much more.

OFFICIAL COFFEE

With its family-owned roots dating back to 1882, the variety of occasion wear at stylish department store Fenwick make it the perfect destination for Royal Ascot millinery. Featuring fashion, beauty, accessories, homeware, food, personal shopping and spa services, the store’s ten branches across England are uniquely British.

OFFICIAL ROYAL ASCOT MILLINERY SPONSOR

Founded in 1983, Dubai Duty Free has grown into one of the biggest travel retail operators in the world with sales turnover of US$1.85 billion in 2016. Now employing over 5,900 people, the operation has consistently raised the benchmark for airport retailing as it continues to grow. Dubai Duty Free supports the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup in August, and have been associated with Ascot since the Shergar Cup’s inception in 2000.

OFFICIAL SPONSOR

“1711 by Ascot” is the new name for Ascot’s Hospitality Business Partnership with Sodexo, delivering outstanding hospitality, fine dining and on-site catering. This enables the operation, which has seen significant growth in catering income, to adopt a new customer facing identity of its own. 1711 by Ascot is responsible for providing catering operations across the racecourse’s 26 annual racedays and further conferences and events at the venue throughout the year.

OFFICIAL HOSPITALITY

Pernod Ricard has built a unique portfolio of Premium international brands within the UK, one of broadest of the wine and spirits industry. Visiting a bar at Royal Ascot has never been more exciting than it is in 2017; bringing an exceptional drinking experience to all racegoers. Pernod Ricard have created the Juniper Garden Gin Bar which is a new addition for Royal Ascot and the flat season.

OFFICIAL SPIRITS

Stella Artois® is part of a Belgian brewing tradition dating back to 1366. It is the No. 1 Belgian beer in the world and is present in over 80 countries. Stella Artois is a bottom filtered, blonde pilsner. It is thirst quenching with a malty middle and crisp finish delivering a full flavour and a hint of bitterness. Stella Artois is best enjoyed served between three and five degree Celsius and should be served in the unique Stella Artois Chalice according to the Nine-Step Pouring Ritual to guarantee a perfect experience of this gold standard lager. Stella Artois is available across the site.

OFFICIAL BEER

At St. James’s Place Wealth Management, placing clients at the centre of everything we do is the very essence of our culture. We believe passionately that, only through building trusted, long-term relationships can we deliver truly bespoke advice that meets immediate needs and shapes future aspirations.

OFFICIAL SPONSOR

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FASHION & DRESS CODE

Ascot launches the sixth annual Royal Ascot Style Guide at The Ritz, with HUGO BOSS and Fenwick named as Official Style Guide Supporters

London globemakers Bellerby & Co Royal Ascot is once again at the forefront of fashion and style for the British summer season.

Ascot partners with HUGO BOSS and Fenwick on the curation of 2017 looks and to amplify the Style Guide across all channels including in-store activation, events and content.

Ascot officially introduces the jumpsuit as an acceptable item of clothing for the Royal Enclosure.

Ascot works with designers including Valentino, Emilia Wickstead, ESCADA, Suzannah and BOSS to curate the 2017 looks, with support from milliners including Noel Stewart, Jess Collett, Emily London and Harvy Santos.

Ascot Racecourse is delighted to announce the launch of the sixth annual Royal Ascot Style Guide for 2017 and Official Style Guide Supporter partnerships with BOSS and Fenwick for the second season.

Royal Ascot is the summer event by which all others are measured in terms of style. Featured looks this year include designs from Valentino, Emilia Wickstead, Suzannah, Escada and BOSS.

The Royal Ascot Style Guide plays a pivotal role in predicting key trends for the summer season and provides inspiration to racegoers keen to dress in style whilst keeping in line with the famous dress code. This season, Royal Ascot officially welcomes the jumpsuit as an acceptable item of clothing for the Royal Enclosure. Harking back to the introduction of the trouser suit in 1971, Ascot continues to recognise key trends in occasion-wear for its fashionable customers.

As Official Style Guide Supporters, experts from Fenwick and BOSS have worked closely with Ascot to curate looks that will be at the forefront of fashion this June.

BOSS has curated one female look for The Royal Enclosure, two male and one female look for the Queen Anne Enclosure, formerly known as Grandstand Admission, available from the flagship store on Regent Street (BOSS Store, 180 Regent Street, London W1B 5TW).

Fenwick will stock a selection of brands included in the Style Guide and will also be working with Ascot to curate The Royal Ascot Millinery Collective, back for a third season later in the spring. The Royal Ascot Style Guide features millinery from the likes of Stephen Jones, Philip Treacy, Jess Collett and Lisa Tan, who are all available at Fenwick.

Juliet Slot, Commercial Director at Ascot said;

“Fashion and style are an important part of the Royal Ascot experience for all of our customers. The annual Style Guide forms a key part of our support for customers to give them inspiration for what to wear to ensure they have a special occasion with us. The inclusion of jumpsuits as part of the Royal Enclosure dress code recognises our customers’ fashion-forward taste and reflects our awareness of seasonal trends. We are delighted to have worked with Damian once again to create our looks for each Enclosure and with BOSS and Fenwick.”

Stephan Born, Managing Director Northern Hub, BOSS said;

“BOSS is excited to be partnering with the Royal Ascot Style Guide, and presenting our BOSS collections for the upcoming British summer season. The BOSS Womenswear collection, designed by Artistic Director Jason Wu, includes occasion-wear and accessories perfectly in keeping with the dress codes for each Enclosure, while our male customer can choose from BOSS formal suiting and a truly personalised experience from the Made-to-Measure service for the Queen Anne Enclosure. We are delighted that Ascot customers are able to see the breadth of product offering by the variety of pieces included in this season’s Style Guide.”

Mia Fenwick, Director of Brand and Communication, Fenwick said;

“Fenwick is incredibly proud to be a supporter of the Royal Ascot Style Guide launch. Royal Ascot is the world’s most iconic race meeting and is the event renowned for showcasing the finest Millinery and fashion occasion-wear. We are thrilled that a number of our leading designers have been included, as racegoers can entrust the offering and service provided at Fenwick for occasion-wear dressing. We are also delighted and honoured to be the Official Royal Ascot Millinery Collective sponsor for the second season as we provide a platform for both established and burgeoning milliners around this prestigious event.”

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1700s

Beau Brummell, a close friend of the Prince Regent, who decreed that “men of elegance should wear waisted black coats and white cravats with pantaloons” and this set the tone for the dress code that is still adhered to by men in the Royal Enclosure.

1830s

Queen Victoria’s visit to Royal Ascot saw her arrive in a pretty lace dress with a full bell skirt and shawl. She also started a craze for the porter bonnet, shielding the wearer from male eyes.

1890s

As the dawn of a new century arrived, fashion took on an almost celebratory tone. Skirts were less full, but silhouettes made a greater statement with angular hips and puffed sleeves. Hats were large and full of feathers and adornments.

1900s

One of fashions most iconic images; that of Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady was inspired when costume designer Cecil Beaton saw images of Black Ascot, The 1910 Royal Ascot meeting was in full mourning over the death of King Edward.

1920s

Hemlines were shorter and cuts were smaller in the 1920’s reflecting a post-war generation’s rebellion against old traditions. Pearls and furs were the accessories of the day.

1950s

Christian Dior’s New Look, a small waist and full skirt, was proving popular however it was when the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth and her stylish sister Princess Margaret wore the style at Royal Ascot that it was cemented in history.

1960s

Royal Ascot’s glamorous profile elevated when Italian actress Sophia Loren was photographed in the Royal Enclosure. In modern times some of the biggest names in Hollywood and fashion have attended.

1970s

Trouser suits became more popular following their introduction to the dress code in 1971. Gertrude Shilling the Ascot Mascot delighted press with her extravagant outfits. One year, one of her son, David’s designs outgrew the Shilling’s long-wheel-based Rolls Royce, so the hat had to follow in a van behind.

THE HISTORY OF FASHION AT ROYAL ASCOT -

KEY DATES:

1980s

Sharp lines and bright colours took centre stage during this decade. With statement hats and pointed heels, there was little room for floaty florals in 1980’s glamour.

2012

Royal Ascot officially launches its Style Guide to racegoers outlining dress code regulations for the Royal Enclosure and Queen Anne Enclosure (formally known as Grandstand).

2017

The jumpsuit is formally accepted in the Royal Enclosure dress-code and the Queen Anne Enclosure dress code is extended to the new Village Enclosure.

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THE ROYAL ASCOT -

MILLINERY COLLECTIVE 2017Royal Ascot and Fenwick has collaborated with eight of the UK’s most exciting milliners to produce

an exclusive eight-piece collection: The Royal Ascot Millinery Collective.

The Royal Ascot Millinery Collective features individual pieces from a mixture of newcomers and world-renowned milliners such as Jess Collett, Harvy Santos, Lisa Tan, Sophie Beale alongside Stephen Jones, Philip Treacy, Vivien Sheriff and Edwina Ibbotson.

Royal Ascot and Millinery go hand-in-hand and the Royal Ascot Millinery Collective provides a platform to celebrate the best of British-based hatters. Each milliner has a strong relationship with Royal Ascot and a clear brand identity, accumulating beautifully in this collection. The ongoing sponsorship from Fenwick further projects the campaign thanks to the exceptionally-curated designer fashion and world-class millinery that this British institute is recognised for.

The contrast between the hats is complemented by a dramatic and elegant colour palette, with each design representing the milliner’s unique handwriting and signature styles.

Juliet Slot, Commercial Director, Ascot Racecourse said, “We are extremely pleased to be working with eight of Britain’s most exciting milliners who have produced unique and exquisite examples that will inspire racegoers in what to wear this season. It is a pleasure to have Fenwick support the campaign once again as their reputation in millinery is held in the highest regard.”

Mia Fenwick, Director of Brand and Communication, Fenwick of Bond Street said, “We are extremely proud to again be collaborating with Royal Ascot to curate the 2017 Royal Ascot Millinery Collective. Working with the brightest millinery talent around the globe, Fenwick is honoured to again showcase their extraordinary level of talent and craftsmanship.”

Iconic British Milliner, Philip Treacy, speaks of his design for this season’s Millinery Collective; “I use contemporary influences, be it sculpture, or art, or whatever is going on in the world today. The swirls in the hat are a little adventurous but amplify the personality underneath. It’s both sexy and fun. Perfect for Royal Ascot!”

Stephen Jones’ statement piece this year is called ‘Radiant’- “as you would be when you’re wearing it!” The hat has a heart of velvet with organza and straw ripple which elegantly glides in motion.

“A carbonated collision of pop art influences and that certain outburst of crazy joy that comes from a sugar rush” is the inspiration behind Harvy Santos’ bold Nora hat. Like Edwina Ibbotson, this is Santos’ second year as part of the Royal Ascot Millinery Collective. “Being part of the Royal Ascot Millinery Collective is such an honour. I get the chance to showcase the fun side of hat wearing, strengthen the millinery industry, plus being with the ‘millinery doyens’ like Stephen Jones and Philip Treacy is just marvellous.”

Celebrating her second season as part of the Millinery Collective, Edwina Ibbotson says “A hat is the essential ingredient of Royal Ascot, allowing race goers both male and female, to dress in all their finery. For 2017, I have chosen a beautiful classic hat, featuring simple lines and silhouette. Trimmed in a striped Petersham bow with band. I chose my hat as it is dramatic but eminently wearable while the sand and ivory colours embrace the feel of summer.”

PHILLIP TREACY

EDWINA IBBOTSON

STEPHEN JONES LISA TAN

JESS COLLETT

VIVIEN SHERIFF

SOPHIE BEALE

Newcomer Sophie Beale’s piece is a unique take on her signature ‘ripple’ style. The inspiration for which “comes from blustery walks along cliffs and feeling the wind through your hair. The colours have been selected to work with the palette of the season and designed to stand out with a metallic flash at Ascot.” Sophie speaks of her involvement as “an absolute treat, a real honour and we’re very proud to be here. Royal Ascot is one of the most exciting and busy dates in our calendar, so we’re thrilled to be part of the Millinery Collective”

Vivien Sheriff joins this season’s collective as an established milliner. Speaking of her involvement, Vivien says “We are thrilled to be a part of the 2017 Royal Ascot Millinery collective to celebrate our passion for hats along with Ascot Racecourse, Fenwick, the race-going public and the talented headwear designers and makers who have also been selected for this prestigious campaign. Our exclusive ‘Golden Haze’ headpiece, signifies the majesty of Royal Ascot with its 24 karat gold leaf foiled feathers as well as the splendor of British millinery symbolized through our statement feathers which are the crowning glory of the piece”.

Lisa Tan, who celebrates her first year as part of the Millinery Collective says “I’ve always been an avid racing fan and long-time Royal Ascot attendee, so it’s an incredible honour and privilege to be involved with the most prestigious racing carnival in the world via the Royal Ascot Millinery Collective. In keeping with the grandeur and tradition of Royal Ascot, I wanted my design to be something spectacular which could be made with traditional techniques. Created in sinamay straw, the majority of this design was hand-dyed, hand-sculpted and hand-stitched, while the hot fuchsia hue ensures it’s both eye-catching and feminine.”

Another newcomer to this year’s Millinery Collective is London-based designer, Jess Collett. Speaking of the appointment, Jess says “I am delighted to be a part of the Royal Ascot Millinery Collective. Royal Ascot is a unique display of the nation expressing itself through hats – elegant, crazy, playful and stylishly chic – it’s all there to see.

“My piece, ‘La Dolce Vita picture Hat’, is part of a collection inspired by Fellini’s classic and the evocative fashions of modern Cafe Society, SS17 is all about 1960’s glamour, the decadence of Bohemia and an unapologetic celebration of the beauty of womanhood. Royal Ascot is the one occasions these days where men and women can really dress up and as long as the tradition stands then millinery will thrive. I am in hat spotting heaven!”

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FULL DRESS CODEThe dress code set out below is designed to help racegoers to dress appropriately for the occasion. Please note that a different dress code applies for each enclosure.

ROYAL ENCLOSURELADIES

Ladies are kindly reminded that formal day wear is a requirement in the Royal Enclosure, defined as follows:

Dresses and skirts should be of modest length defined as falling just above the knee or longer. Dresses and tops should have straps of one inch or greater.

Jackets and pashminas may be worn but dresses and tops underneath should still comply with the Royal Enclosure dress code.

Trouser suits are welcome. They should be of full length and of matching material and colour.

Jumpsuits are welcome. They should be of full-length to the ankle, with regulations matching that for dresses.

Hats should be worn; a headpiece which has a base of 4 inches (10cm) or more in diameter is acceptable as an alternative to a hat.

Ladies are kindly asked to note the following:

Strapless, off the shoulder, halter neck, spaghetti straps and dresses with a strap of less than one inch (2.5cm) are not permitted.

Midriffs must be covered.

Fascinators are not permitted in the Royal Enclosure; neither are headpieces which do not have a base covering a sufficient area of the head (4 inches / 10cm).

GENTLEMEN

Gentlemen are kindly reminded that it is a requirement to wear either black or grey morning dress which must include: A waistcoat and tie (no cravats).

A black or grey top hat.

Black shoes.

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. The customisation of top hats (with, for example, coloured ribbons or bands) is not permitted in the Royal Enclosure.

CHILDREN (ADMITTED ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY ONLY)

Girls (aged 10-17) should be dressed in accordance to the Ladies’ dress code. However they may wear a headpiece or a fascinator as an alternative to a hat, without any size restrictions.

Boys (aged 10-17) should either dress in accordance with the gentlemen’s dress code or alternatively may wear a dark-coloured lounge suit with a shirt and tie.

OVERSEAS VISITORSOverseas visitors are welcome to wear the formal National Dress of their country or Service Dress.

SERVING MILITARY PERSONNELServing military personnel are welcome to wear Service Dress or equivalent.

QUEEN ANNE ENCLOSURE & VILLAGE ENCLOSURELADIES

Ladies within the Queen Anne Enclosure enclosure are encouraged to dress in a manner as befits a formal occasion.

Ladies are kindly asked to take particular note of the following:

A hat, headpiece or fascinator should be worn at all times.

Strapless or sheer strap dresses and tops are not permitted.

Trouser suits and jumpsuits must be full length and worn with a top that adheres to the guidelines above (i.e. strapless or sheer strap tops are not permitted).

Jackets and pashminas may be worn but dresses and tops underneath should still comply with the Queen Anne Enclosure admission dress code.

Midriffs must be covered.

Shorts are not permitted.

ROYAL ASCOT -

DRESS CODERoyal Ascot is a unique, stand alone event in the sporting and social

calendar and dressing accordingly is part of the experience.

GENTLEMEN

Gentlemen are required to wear a suit with a shirt and tie.

CHILDREN (ADMITTED ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY ONLY)

Girls (17 or under) should be dressed for a formal occasion. Smart summer dresses are suggested. Hats, headpieces or a fascinator may be worn but are not compulsory.

Boys aged (13-17) should wear a suit or jacket with a shirt and a tie. Younger boys (12 or under) should be dressed smartly but are not required to wear a jacket or tie.

GENERALAll Royal Enclosure compliant attire, as defined in this media guide, is welcome in the Queen Anne Enclosure.

WINDSOR ENCLOSUREWhilst we encourage racegoers to wear smart clothes, no formal dress code applies in the Windsor Enclosure except that replica sports shirts are not permitted.

GENERALIn addition to the specific guidance in this document, please note that fancy dress, novelty and branded/promotional clothing is not allowed on site.

Ascot Racecourse recognises that there may be instances where a degree of discretion is required in determining compliance with our dress code. In such instances, reasonable judgement will be exercised.

DRESS CODE ASSISTANTS – ROYAL ENCLOSURE AND QUEEN ANNE ENCLOSUREOnce again, a specially trained team of Dress Code Assistants will be on hand outside the racecourse to help visitors with any last minute concerns over their attire and provide helpful suggestions.

A selection of waistcoats, ties, pashminas and other items will be available for purchase at the turnstiles for those who need them.

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FINE DINING AT ROYAL ASCOT

Ascot continues to Raise the Standard for Fine Dining at Royal AscotRaymond Blanc OBE and Phil Howard to play key roles in 2017

Jockeys to be present in selected restaurants to deliver an insight into racing for guests

Two of the nation’s most respected and esteemed chefs are taking the helm at Ascot Racecourse this year for Royal Ascot. Raymond Blanc OBE and Phil Howard will host the Panoramic Restaurant and On 5 respectively, after both chefs’ involvement in previous years were marked as exceptionally successful and memorable Fine Dining experiences. Both will work alongside Ascot’s award-winning in-house team led by Executive Chef, Gemma Amor.

For the first time, a jockey will also be joining Raymond and Phil in each restaurant to give guests an insight into the day’s racing and accompany them to the starting stalls. This is part of a new initiative between Ascot and the Injured Jockey’s Fund (IJF) which sees five jockeys and ex-jockeys (Emily Jones, David Crosse, John Andrew Reid, Andrew Thornton and Mattie Batchelor) engaged on an ambassadorial basis to deliver overviews of racing to Fine Dining guests at all 20 Ascot race days in addition to those in the Parade Ring, Panoramic, Trackside and On 5 during Royal Ascot.

Bringing with him a wealth of expertise, Michelin-starred chef Raymond Blanc OBE started working with Ascot in 2014 catering for the Private Boxes before taking up residency in the prestigious Panoramic Restaurant in 2016. Here he has tailored the menu, service style and all training to create a restaurant which today provides one of the finest gastronomic experiences at the Royal Meeting.

His partnership with Ascot has been strengthened further this year with the launch of the inaugural Raymond Blanc Chef Scholarship Programme. One chef -Matthew Shipley - has been selected from the racecourse’s in-house culinary team to be mentored by Raymond throughout 2017. He is expected to receive Blanc’s endorsement at the end of the 12-month programme. Beyond the Chef Scholarship Programme, Raymond will also participate in Ascot’s Service Academy for the second year running. Focusing on the front of house managers, Raymond and his team will work with these Ascot managers to deliver impressive service standards, with the programme even including hands-on training at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Raymond’s two Michelin star restaurant and hotel in Oxfordshire.

Speaking about his work with Ascot Racecourse, Raymond Blanc said;

“I am honoured to return to Royal Ascot for another year with a fresh new menu. The standard and expectations are always high at such an iconic event but I know my team and I can deliver. The Ascot Service Academy is something I am equally excited about as it is a wonderful opportunity to grow and develop the talented front of house team and really make a difference to our guests’ experience. While in the kitchen I will be working closely with scholar Matthew Shipley - the very first candidate selected for the new Chef Scholarship Programme. It is hard to believe that in three short months we will all be welcoming our guests to Royal Ascot once again.”

“I AM HONOURED TO RETURN TO ROYAL ASCOT FOR ANOTHER YEAR WITH A FRESH NEW MENU. ”

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For 17 years, Phil Howard held two Michelin stars at his co-owned restaurant, The Square. His achieved accolades also include winning the prestigious Great British Menu in 2012; with a desire to pursue cleaner and lighter dishes resulting in Elystan Street, his new Chelsea outpost which has reaped critical acclaim.

Praised for his previous stints at Ascot, Phil returns to On5 with a spectacular menu which remains faithful to his own cooking philosophy, championing the best of British produce.

Speaking about his decision to host On5 at Royal Ascot this year, Phil Howard said:

“I’m thrilled to be a part of Royal Ascot in 2017. Following on from the success of 2015 and 2016, there is a lot of pressure to impress once more, but I feel prepared and enjoy rising to the challenge. When planning the menu, seasonal British produce was at the forefront of my mind to create dishes that are both delicious and visually stunning – in keeping with such a prestigious occasion. It’s a privilege to have my dishes served at the Royal Meeting once again.”

Speaking about Fine Dining at Ascot Racecourse this year, Juliet Slot, Commercial Director, Ascot Racecourse said;

“Having worked with both Raymond Blanc and Phil Howard before, I am delighted to have them back on board for 2017. Their knowledge and understanding of food is so inspiring to the whole team. Raymond Blanc hosted the Panoramic Restaurant last year and his dishes were a great success. The Ascot Service Academy has also proved extremely effective as a core part of our continued efforts to raise the standard in our Fine Dining services year-on-year. Guests who are lucky enough to secure a table in the Panoramic Restaurant during the Royal Meeting, which Raymond will be hosting, are in for a real treat.

“Having Phil Howard back for another year is another culinary highlight for Royal Ascot in 2017. He is such a talented chef and his dishes last year received exceptional feedback from our customers. His technical ability and knowledge of food is brilliant and we’re delighted that he will be joining us once again.”

The Royal Ascot Fine dining experience also extends to private boxes, where guests can enjoy a champagne reception, four course menu and private service in their own private space.

For Royal Ascot 2017, Bollinger Champagne, Royal Ascot’s Official Champagne partner, will have two exclusive bars in the Royal Enclosure Gardens and the Bollinger Lounge on the Motivator Lawn. Bollinger Champagne is also available at all bars throughout the racecourse.

Also new for this year is the 1768 Grill and Tearooms located on the Queen Anne and Pavilion Lawns which will serve a formal single course lunch and afternoon tea for guests in the Queen Anne Enclosure. This, along with the enhanced Furlong Club offering gives racegoers the chance to enjoy a seated lunch.

Award-winning chefs work across 13 restaurants at Royal Ascot, each offering individual flavours and menus that cater to an

array of tastes and budgets. Restaurants include:

THE PARADE RINGAscot’s most prestigious restaurant with views overlooking the Parade Ring and its own private trackside viewing area.

TRACKSIDERight at the centre of the activity and popular with racing purists, Trackside has a 40m balcony running

adjacent to the track.

WINDSOR FOREST An intimate setting considered by regulars as one of the

hidden gems of the Royal Meeting. The Windsor Forest directly overlooks the Winning Post.

CARRIAGESNamed after the historic landaus of the Royal Procession,

Carriages is a stately restaurant with stunning views down the final straight from its own viewing balcony.

SANDRINGHAMTaking its name from Her Majesty’s Royal Estate, the

interior is inspired by the orchards the Sandringham Estate is well known for.

RESTAURANT IN THE VILLAGE

Ascot’s take on British eccentricity – the Restaurant in the Village is located on the Heath near to the track and looking

back towards the Grandstand.

THE PAVILION With a private balcony overlooking the Plaza Lawns and

traditional singing around the Bandstand, the Pavilion is the place to soak up the atmosphere at Royal Ascot and watch

racegoers pass by in their finery.

OLD PADDOCKAn intimate restaurant over-looking the pre-parade ring

and just a short walk from the Grandstand.

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ASCOT HISTORY

ASCOT STORIES AND OTHER PROMOTIONAL FILMS

Ascot Racecourse has produced a collection of Royal Ascot stories to celebrate the diversity of activity around the Royal Meeting and the people, past and present, which make it an event like no other. Presented here is an online collection of stories (broken into sections about Racing, Style, Pageantry and Fine Dining) which give a glimpse into the personalities, anecdotes and history that make the Royal Meeting so special.

www.likenowherelse.co.uk

A number of films that capture the essence and passion of what makes Royal Ascot, Like Nowhere Else, have also been produced:

Films include:

Royal Ascot, a place Like Nowhere Else: https://youtu.be/XksNvz1sOtg

Explore The Royal Enclosure: https://youtu.be/CthlWCrY9Ao

Explore The Queen Anne Enclosure: https://youtu.be/o2v2TFPE6-0

Explore The Windsor Enclosure: https://youtu.be/N__fuqVbxXI

The new Village Enclosure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8szT3BPidE

2017 Royal Ascot Style Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hC2XSfmHnM

Making of the Globe - our 2017 Royal Ascot campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P66fMZMMNA8

2017 Royal Ascot promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1UwXFovAAc

PLUS a selection of shorter edits bringing the stories behind the Royal Meeting to life:

The finest thoroughbreds battle it out for one of racing’s most prestigious prizes: https://youtu.be/crZJHZF5PWQ

The Bandstand: https://youtu.be/9GX5IPrawpE

Frankie Dettori and his 50 Royal Ascot wins: https://youtu.be/KPDr7Ttfz0Y

Food Provenance at Royal Ascot: https://youtu.be/VAYbkHf18Ec

Women’s fashion over the years: https://youtu.be/FOuzW2fbS0Y

Men’s fashion over the years: https://youtu.be/RIjuXzTS-HQ

The Making of the Gold Cup: https://youtu.be/hOK4s_Sf6ic

Royal Ascot from the perspective of a jockey: https://youtu.be/uZjvaWkS0Ms

Raymond Blanc on excellence in service at Royal Ascot: https://youtu.be/DGX5xvxaIII

Menswear in the Royal Enclosure: https://youtu.be/CfigMyNUjwU

The Royal Procession: https://youtu.be/EPlvKu0FDqk

Four-time winner Yeats: https://youtu.be/1uwc90_jcdQ

A Royal Ascot cocktail: https://youtu.be/3LaIgHRqzWQ

How to read the Royal Ascot racecard: https://youtu.be/WrEztb_xnfo

Sea of Champagne: https://youtu.be/XuSe7vS-uLg

Afternoon Tea: https://youtu.be/MPxI2QTjEtM

Food in Numbers at Royal Ascot: https://youtu.be/XRCkRFaboWw

New films will continue to be produced and published in the build up to this year’s event.

@Ascot, the racecourse’s Twitter handle, has over 80,000 followers and throughout the Royal Meeting it will provide up to date results, news and information along with racing previews, discussion and fashion commentary.

Once again our hashtag will be #RoyalAscot during the event.

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THE ROYAL PROCESSION is the traditional appetiser for those at Royal Ascot to see The Queen and other members of the Royal Family, before feasting on the day’s rich menu of top-class racing.

It was in 1711 that Queen Anne drove from Windsor Castle with her entourage for a day’s sport … and Ascot Racecourse was born. Since those 18th century days, 12 monarchs have given their patronage to the annual highlight of the flat season.

The Royal Procession itself dates back to 1825 and King George IV. Then, it was known as the Royal Drive or Royal Parade.

Now a highlight of the Royal Meeting, Terry Redhead looks back at how the Royal Procession came into being

A PROCESSION THROUGH TIME

King George V and Queen Mary visiting the racecourse at Ascot in 1927

“The King drove up the course in the first coach of four, the Duke of Wellington sitting by his side. There were three other carriages and four, and a phaeton after him and 20 servants in scarlet on horseback. The whole thing looked very splendid,” wrote diarist Thomas Creevey in a letter dated 3 June 1825.

Having only taken place on one day before, the Royal Procession was first planned to take place on all days of the 1919 meeting, in celebration of victory in the First World War.

In 1925 Queen Mary commissioned Sir Alfred Munnings to paint her a scene of the Royal Procession.

PROCESSION

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh in the Royal Procession in 1977; Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, and King George VI arriving at Royal Ascot in 1947; The Queen Mother and The Queen in the Royal Procession in 1982

“Two scarlet-coated outriders on white horses were in the lead; next the King’s carriage drawn by four greys. For me, the glorious part was the colours of the royal livery, too magnificent to describe,” wrote Munnings.

On rare occasions the Royal Procession has not happened. In 1929 King George V was absent with illness, while bad weather on the last two days of the 1964 meeting and the first day of the 1971 meeting saw its cancellation. Our present Queen’s first visit to Royal Ascot was in 1945 and she has been there every year since. However, in 1959 The Queen left mid-meeting for a trip to Canada. Finally, in 1970 a General Election on the Thursday and in 2001 the State Opening of Parliament meant no procession.

Even when the new stand was being built and the meeting was transferred to York in 2005, the Royal Procession took place.

One of the most notable processions was on the opening day of the 2002 event when 11 European Royals were guests in recognition of the Golden Jubilee.

Each day of Royal Ascot, The Queen and her guests leave Windsor Castle at 1.35pm and are driven by car to the Ascot Gate of Windsor Great Park, where they transfer to horse-drawn carriages for the drive along the straight mile from which the procession turns under the Grandstand and into the Parade Ring.

There are two breeds of horses, Windsor greys and bays, mainly Cleveland Bays,

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PROCESSION

in the Royal Procession. The horses are trained as carriage horses. They begin at four years old and work for approximately 15 years. Windsor greys are not a breed but are a name applied to a group of horses specially selected for ceremonial duties, according to appearance and temperament. Cleveland Bays are a breed which originated in England in the 17th century and have frequently been close to extinction, but the population is now stronger thanks to passionate breeders and advocates, including The Queen. The horses are named after their colour and the Cleveland district of Yorkshire.

The pomp and ceremony of the Royal Procession is the public’s first chance to see The Queen and remains one of the most popular traditions of the institution that is Royal Ascot.

“THE ROYAL PROCESSION ITSELF DATES BACK TO 1825 AND KING GEORGE IV. THEN, IT WAS KNOWN AS

THE ROYAL DRIVE OR ROYAL PARADE”

The stars of the Royal Procession – the Windsor greys and Cleveland Bays; The Queen during the Royal Procession in 2015

THE BOWLER HAT AND ASCOT

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 introduced as an attempt to address slipping standards and met with threats of a strike when bought in, in the 1950s.

There are many theories as to why Holkham’s gamekeepers first came to wear ‘Bowler’ or ‘Coke’ hats, as they were commonly known in Norfolk. The original story is that in August 1849, William Coke, a nephew of the first Earl of Leicester of the second creation, commissioned his hatter James Lock, to design a close-fitting, low crowned hat. William stressed that the hat must

be extra strong; in order to protect his gamekeepers’ heads from low hanging branches, while out horse riding. The relationship with horse riding and bowler hats is continued at Ascot.

Having approved the original ‘Coke’ hat, William started the trend and today the Bowler hat, named after the Bowler brothers who designed the original, is still going strong.

There is no doubt that Holkham’s present team of keepers wear the ‘Coke’ hat with as much pride today. The privilege of wearing a traditional bowler hat is earned after one year’s service at Holkham.

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ROYAL ASCOT

FACTS AND FIGURES

• Attendance at Royal Ascot in 2016 was 295,007 (293,303 in 2015).

• Queen Anne Enclosure capacity has been phased down by 5,500 since 2011. 25,000 ticket holders were previously using the public Queen Anne Enclosure area and the maximum on any given day now is 19,500. Additionally 1,000 of those ticket holders actually use The Furlong Club, the private Queen Anne Enclosure upgrade area. Windsor Enclosure capacity has been phased down from 24,000 to 18,000 in tandem. The combined effect is an enhanced experience for ticket holders.

• The capacity in the new Village Enclosure is 4,500.

• All 30 races at Royal Ascot will be shown live on ITV and Racing UK and, through Pitch International and GBI Racing, pictures are distributed to approximately 200 countries worldwide.

• 330 Chefs will work across 15 restaurants and the 214 private boxes at Royal Ascot 2017, providing 40,000 covers.

• At Royal Ascot 2016 racegoers enjoyed:51,000 bottles of champagne; 160,000 glasses of Pimms; 131,000 pints of beer; 5,000 kilos of salmon; 6,000 Cornish  crabs; 4,900 lobsters; 3,400 kilos of beef sirloin; 10,000 Angus steaks; 89,000 bottles of mineral water42,000 bottles of wine

• 45,000 guests taking afternoon tea last year consumed 1,000 kilos of clotted cream along with 45,000 Battenberg, 40,000 dundee cakes

and 7,000 punnets of berries.

• Across 105 bars and restaurants, a record 160,000 rounds of drinks were served in 2016.

• If you stacked the loaves of bread served on top of each other, they were taller than the BT Tower in 2016!

• There are 175 stable boxes at Ascot Racecourse to accommodate an average of 100 runners per day but the boxes are nearly always full 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 400 helicopters and 600 limos descend on Royal Ascot every year.

• There are 3,000 cleaners working on a 24-hour cycle during the week and there are 300 mobile toilet facilities installed temporarily for the week.

• 22,000 people signed into Ascot’s free WiFi at last year’s Royal Meeting and 30,000 tweets were logged using the hashtag #RoyalAscot.

• Over Royal Ascot 2016, over 5.5 million posts, check ins and likes were recorded on Ascot’s Facebook page.

• In 2016, Ascot Racecourse recycled 673 tonnes of waste during the year as part of its commitment to being a green and sustainable environment by reducing its impact on the carbon footprint. Ascot Racecourse is a 0% to landfill site and has been since 2008. Non-recyclable products are incinerated and turned into energy.

• Car Park One has 600 berths and a waiting list of nearly 400 people.

The first race meeting ever held at Ascot took place on Saturday, August 11, 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 perma-nent 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 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 not been manufactured. 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. Trophies to keep are only awarded for three races at the Royal Meeting, the other two being the Queen’s Vase, inaugurated in 1838 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s accession, and the Royal Hunt Cup (1843). For all other races, 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 conceived 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.

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.”

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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 Johnny Weatherby (as Her Majesty’s Representative).

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 a Chief Executive, a Chief Operating Officer, a Finance Director and a Commercial Director (from the executive team), supported by Her Majesty’s Representative (Chairman), two further trustees 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 2005 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.

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. There is currently a waiting list of 400 names.

Ascot’s much loved tradition of “singing around the bandstand” or “community 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 Royal Ascot as the meeting expanded to five days to mark The Queen’s Golden Jubilee. In addition, one race name was changed as the newly promoted Cork & Orrery Stakes became the Golden Jubilee Stakes (renamed the Diamond Jubilee Stakes in 2012).

The racecourse closed for redevelopment in September 2004 – with the Finale Meeting ending with singing around the bandstand, the only time this has been done outside Royal Ascot.

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 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. 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 1 races have increased from three in 1999 to eight, with the addition of the Commonwealth Cup in 2015).

The new Ascot 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. A statue to commemorate his achievements now stands in the Parade Ring.

2011 saw Ascot celebrate its tercentenary and 2012 was another exciting landmark occasion for the racecourse as the Royal Meeting played its part in The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations. On the track, the great Frankel won the Queen

Anne Stakes and Black Caviar made her only appearance outside Australia, winning the Diamond Jubilee Stakes.

There was a Royal winner in 2012 when Estimate won the Queen’s Vase. That horse went on to provoke scenes of unbridled joy from the crowd when winning the following year’s Gold Cup.

Estimate’s jockey in 2012 was Ryan Moore, who continued his success at Royal Ascot in 2015 with a record breaking nine winners across the week.

In 2016, The Queen’s success continued with Dartmouth winning the Hardwicke Stakes.

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THE QUEEN AND ROYAL ASCOT

When the Diamond Jubilee Royal Ascot of 2012 was lit up by Estimate’s win in the Queen’s Vase, who would have thought that 12 months later, The Queen’s filly would be back to etch her name onto the greatest Ascot roll of honour by winning the Gold Cup.

That emotional moment was the highlight of a memorable week and thousands of racegoers cheered from the moment winning jockey Ryan Moore saluted the Royal Box to the presentation of the trophy to The Queen, which she received from her son, The Duke of York.

Estimate provided The Queen’s 22nd Royal Ascot winner. Her 23rd winner came last year when Olivier Peslier rode Dartmouth in the Hardwicke Stakes.

The last few years have been something of a golden period for The Queen as an owner as, in addition to Estimate’s double, her Carlton House was second to the great former Australian-trained So You Think in the 2012 Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

The Queen’s previous Royal Ascot winner had come on the final day of the 2008 meeting when Free Agent came from a seemingly impossible position to win the Chesham Stakes, ending a blank period stretching back to 1999.

The Queen’s involvement with racing began in 1952 and her first winner, Monaveen, owned jointly with her mother, won a humble Fontwell jumps race.

Upon 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 returned 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’S ROYAL ASCOT WINNERS

YEAR RACE HORSE JOCKEY

1953 Royal Hunt Cup CHOIR BOY D Smith

1954Hardwicke Stakes AUREOLE E Smith

Rous Memorial Stakes LANDAU Sir Gordon Richards

1955 King George V Stakes JARDINIERE D Smith

1956 Royal Hunt Cup ALEXANDER W H Carr

1957Ribblesdale Stakes ALMERIA W H Carr

New Stakes PALL MALL W H Carr

1958Rous Memorial Stakes SNOW CAT E Smith

King Edward VII Stakes RESTORATION W H Carr

1959St James’s Palace Stakes ABOVE SUSPICION W H Carr

King Edward VII Stakes PINDARI L Piggott

1961 Coronation Stakes AIMING HIGH L Piggott

1968 Hardwicke Stakes HOPEFUL VENTURE A Barclay

1970 Ascot Stakes MAGNA CARTA G Lewis

1979Queen’s Vase BUTTRESS W Carson

Ribblesdale Stakes EXPANSIVE W Carson

1992 Royal Hunt Cup COLOUR SERGEANT D Harrison

1995 Ribblesdale Stakes PHANTOM GOLD F Dettori

1999 Duke of Edinburgh Stakes BLUEPRINT G Stevens

2008 Chesham Stakes FREE AGENT R Hughes

2012 Queen’s Vase ESTIMATE R Moore

2013 Gold Cup ESTIMATE R Moore

2016 Hardwicke Stakes DARTMOUTH O Peslier

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ASCOT RACECOURSE

KEY DATES

Summer, 1711It was Queen Anne who first saw the potential for a race-course 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, 1711Charles, 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 1711The 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.

September 17, 1711The success of Her Majesty’s Plate in August meant the second meeting followed soon after in September.

July 31, 1727John Cheny published a prototype form book, which evolved into the Racing Calendar, recording the conditions of each race and the prize.

1744The 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.

1752The 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’.

1762The first use of racing colours was introduced, although it wasn’t mandatory for another two decades.

1768The first four-day meeting took place.

1773James 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, 1791The 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, in theory, equal chances.

1793The first permanent building was erected by George Slings-by, a Windsor builder. It held 1,650 people and was used until 1838.

1807The 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. In the modern era, three-year-olds do not run in the race.

1813Parliament 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.

1820George 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.

1822The 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.

1825King 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’.

1837Turf on the track was relaid by the Clerk of the Course, William Hibburd, to improve the ground. Rails and posts were constructed along the track.

1838Queen 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 (now two miles).

1838Horses were numbered in the racecard.

July, 1838A 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.

1839For 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.

1856The 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).

1861Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, died and Queen Victoria did not return to Ascot again.

1862A new race at the meeting was named after Prince Albert: The Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

1863Prince 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.

1873Ascot witnessed the first victory for the riding phenomenon Fred Archer. Over 14 years, he rode 80 winners at the racecourse.

1896The Grandstand had a clock tower erected.

1901Racing at Ascot took place in sombre mood to mark the death of Queen Victoria. Prince Albert ascended the throne as King Edward VII.

1901The 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.

1901All 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.

1902A 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.

1908The ‘Five Shilling Stand’ was built – later known as the Silver Ring Stand at a cost of £30,000.

1912Racegoers began to arrive by car and for the first time, motor cars were allowed to park on the Heath.

1913The 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.

1926The 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.

1929The 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.

1936George 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 Wallis Simpson.

1937George VI & Queen Elizabeth attend their first Ascot race meeting.

1940Racing at Ascot cancelled. The racecourse was commandeered by the army, the Grandstand providing accommodation for gunners of the Royal Artillery.

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15 May 1943Racing at Ascot resumed, with an eight-race card.

May 21, 1945Ascot staged its first post-war fixture and the 19-year-old Princess Elizabeth attended for the first time.

1946Major 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.

1946The Ascot fixture list extended to include racing in July, September and October.

1953Queen Elizabeth II crowned on June 2 (ascended the throne on February 6, 1952).

1955The 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.

June 13, 1961The 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 state-of-the-art facility at the time, accommodated 13,000 people and had 280 private boxes.

1975The BBC outside-broadcast staff picketed and there was no television coverage.

April, 1998Lord Hartington, Her Majesty’s Representative, revealed that changes to the racecourse were being contemplated.

2001In 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.

2002Plans were announced to redevelop Ascot Racecourse. The existing Queen Elizabeth II stand was to be replaced and the course realigned. The Golden Jubilee was celebrated. Royal Ascot extended from four to five days.

September, 2004Ascot held its last meeting with the old facilities. Demolition of the stand began and the redevelopment programme commenced.

June, 2005Royal Ascot was staged at York Racecourse.

June, 2006The new Ascot stand was opened on time and on budget.

June, 2009 Yeats won his fourth Gold Cup, beating Sagaro’s record, set in the 1970s.

2011Ascot celebrated its Tercentenary.

June, 2012The country celebrates The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The Golden Jubilee Stakes becomes The Diamond Jubilee Stakes and is won by Black Caviar.

2010 to 2012Frankel, officially the greatest horse since ratings began, makes five appearances at Ascot, winning at two, three and four. He retired unbeaten with 14 wins.

2013Channel 4 Television covered Royal Ascot for the first time with the highlight of the week being Estimate’s victory for The Queen in the Gold Cup.

2014In the Grandstand, the new “On5” Restaurant was opened.

2015The world class Parade Ring Restaurant was renovated.

June, 2015Following an extensive review of the European sprinting programme, a new Group 1 six furlong race, the Commonwealth Cup, is added to the Royal Ascot programme.

June, 2015Frankel Statue unveiled by The Queen.

April, 2016Her Majesty The Queen celebrates her 90th Birthday.

2016Renaming of Ascot Enclosures and New Unsaddling Enclosure is unveiled.

January, 2017 The Queen’s Vase is promoted to Group 2 status.

2017The new Village Enclosure opens and the jumpsuit is introduced to the Royal Ascot dress code.

2017ITV Racing becomes the host broadcaster and Ascot opens three new shops on site.

The Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1)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 3 status in 1971, becoming Group 2 in 1984. The race, attracting Europe’s top older milers, achieved the highest three-year average rating of any Group 2 race in Britain from 1999 to 2002 according to the then International Classifications and was elevated to Group 1 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 Coventry Stakes (Group 2)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 2 status.

The King’s Stand Stakes (Group 1)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 1.

The St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1)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 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 four 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 three-year-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.

The Jersey Stakes (Group 3)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 1 or Group 2 race, but have often competed at that level, including in the Guineas.

The Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2)Named after the consort of King George V, this race was first run in 1921. It is 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 1 level. It was promoted to Group 2 status in 2004.

The Duke of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2)Until 2013 run as the Windsor Forest Stakes, this race 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 2 race, Group 1 winners carry a penalty, so the option of the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes, where no penalties are carried, is still open to the very best fillies.

The Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1)The Prince of Wales’s Stakes, first run at Royal Ascot in 1862, is 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 1 status and restricted to four-year-olds and upwards.

RACE HISTORIES & CONDITIONS

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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 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.

The Norfolk Stakes (Group 2)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 2 status in 2006.

The Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3)The Tercentenary Stakes became the new name for the Hampton Court Stakes in 2011, when the racecourse celebrated 300 years since its inauguration. It was also promoted from Listed to Group 3 in tandem. 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 and reverts back to the Hampton Court Stakes in 2017.

The Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2)This race, mirroring the Oaks, is 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 1)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 in Eu-rope. Many horses have distinguished themselves with dual Gold Cup wins, enhancing the race’s reputation as a special-ists’ event. Sagaro won three times in the 1970s but Yeats did better still, becoming a four-time winner in 2009. The Queen’s Estimate won the 2013 Gold Cup, providing her with her 22nd Royal Ascot winner.

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 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 Meet-ing, before the race was transferred to Royal Ascot in 1948. It is for three-year-olds.

The Albany Stakes (Group 3)This race was first run in 2002 as the Henry Carnarvon Stakes, honouring The Queen’s late racing manager, and proved so successful that it was promoted to Group 3 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 2)Formerly known, and still colloquially referred to as the Ascot Derby, this race was inaugurated in 1834 and regular-ly 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, it still attracts horses that have competed in the Derby.

The Commonwealth Cup (Group 1)The Commonwealth Cup was a completely new race in 2015 and joined the King’s Stand Stakes and Diamond Jubilee Stakes to become the third Group 1 sprint at Royal Ascot. The race, run over six furlongs, is restricted to three-year-olds and was put in place as a Europe-wide measure to create a better Pattern for young sprinters and improve the quality of sprint races across the continent. Several races in the run up to the Commonwealth Cup were promoted in tandem, including the Pavilion Stakes at Ascot, in April to Group 3.

The Coronation Stakes (Group 1)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 Queen’s Vase (Group 2)Promoted to Group Two this year, the race was named to hon-our 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 Queen Elizabeth II. Run over a-mile-and-three-quarters, this contest provides a test of stamina for three-year-olds and winners of this race often go on to compete in the Gold Cup in future years. Estimate com-pleted the double in 2012 / 2013.

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 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.

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 Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2)Named after the fifth Earl of Hardwicke, Master of the Buckhounds between 1874 and 1879, the race was first run in 1879. The Group 2 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 QIPCO) in July. It is run with no Group 1 or 2 winners’ penalties as a quasi Group 1 race with regular Group One rated horses competing.

The Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Group 1)Formerly known as the Cork and Orrery Stakes, Royal Ascot’s most prestigious sprint was given a new name – the Golden Jubilee Stakes - and elevated to Group 1 status to celebrate The Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002. Ten years later, it assumed the mantle of Diamond Jubilee Stakes. First run in 1868, this six-furlong contest was originally named after Lord Cork, another Master of the Buckhounds. In 2005, the race became the second British leg of the Global Sprint Challenge and last year, it became a race for four-year-olds and upwards, as the three-year-olds have the Commonwealth Cup option.

The Wokingham Stakes (Handicap)The inaugural running of the Wokingham 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 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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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, Scenic Blast and Black Caviar 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!”

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.

In the days before actors were allowed in the Royal Enclosure, King Edward VII asked the actor Charles Hawtrey if he

would be seeing him at Royal Ascot. Hawtrey 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!”

It is said that when Queen Anne was in residence at Windsor Castle, she imported a large quantity of green velour

material from France, in which she dressed her “Yeoman Prickers,” who were armed with pikes to move people out of the way at the races! That particular practice doesn’t sit comfortably with the modern day customer service ethic but the outfits are remembered with today’s “Greencoats”, the ceremonial guard for The Queen at Ascot, wearing the livery.

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 April 27, 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.

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.

MEDIA & RACING CONTACTS

Nick Smith Director of Racing and Communications:01344 878524 & 07771 791449nick.smith@ascot.co.uk

Chris Stickels, Head of Racing and Clerk of the Course:01344 878502 & 07970 621440chris.stickels@ascot.co.uk

Ashley Morton-HunteCorporate and Racing Communications Manager01344 878508 & 07803007997ashley.morton-hunte@ascot.co.uk

Francesca BeechingContent Marketing Manager:01344 878430 & 07803 201232francesca.beeching@ascot.co.uk

Kirsty SargeantOwners & Trainers Manager 01344 878529 & 07717 516066 kirsty.sargeant@ascot.co.uk

ACCREDITATION & MEDIA SERVICES

• For press facilities information & accreditation enquiries please email pr@ascot.co.uk

• For general editorial enquiries during the week of Royal Ascot please call o1344 631202

• For photographs please contact Getty Images: 0800 376 7977

• 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

• There will be press conferences after every race in the lawn level media centre

• Complimentary catering is provided in all media facilities