Preview of Royal Ascot

Over 280,000 racegoers are expected to head to Berkshire over the next five days to enjoy the unique spectacle and experience of Europe’s best-attended race meeting.

Founded by Queen Anne in 1711, Royal Ascot has since seen a further eleven monarchs lend their patronage to the Royal race course. Every year Royal Ascot is attended by Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II and various members of the British Royal Family, arriving each day in a horse-drawn carriage with the Royal procession taking place at the start of each race day along with the raising of the Queen’s Royal Standard.

Over the course of Royal Ascot week, there are a total of 30 races – six each day, with over £ 5m worth of prize money up for grabs.

The meeting is set to start with its softest ground for more than 40 years. On Tuesday morning, the ground was officially described as soft after another 4mm of rain overnight.

Today’s opening day gets off to an impressive start with no less than three Group One races – The Queen Anne Stakes; The King’s Stand Stakes, and The St James’s Palace Stakes, the feature race of the day

The highlight and feature race of the second day is the Group One Prince of Wales’s Stakes, arguably one of the most important races of the Royal Meeting on a day which also sees the running of The Royal Hunt Cup Heritage Handicap, The Queen Mary Stakes and The Jersey Stakes.

Thursday is traditionally ‘Ladies’ Day’ when the designer creations and millinery masterpieces reach the greatest heights. The day’s highlight and feature race is the Group One Gold Cup, a true battle of stamina and determination, and renamed this year in honour of Her Majesty The Queen’s 90th Birthday. The Norfolk Stakes, Ribblesdale Stakes and King George V Stakes are also feature races on what promises to be a bumper day.

The feature race on Friday is the Coronation Stakes, which traditionally brings together the leading three-year-old fillies in Europe. Also on the card is The Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, Commonwealth Cup, Queen’s Vase and The King Edward VII Stakes. The latter was formerly known as the ‘Ascot Derby’ as its conditions mirror those of the Epsom Classic, and was renamed back in 1926 in memory of King Edward VII.

Saturday’s final day is typically busy for it attracts many who are unable to attend during the week as the historic race meeting draws to a close for another year, giving the day much more of a relaxed family feel to proceedings. Feature races on Saturday are the Hardwicke Stakes, Diamond Jubilee Stakes, Wokingham Stakes and the Queen Alexandra Stakes.

Longines is once again the official timekeeper, official partner and watch of Ascot for the flat race season, including Royal Ascot again this year.