Queen Anne is the founder of the Ascot Racecourse. The first race, Her Majesty's Plate was run on the 11th of August in 1711 and had a purse of 100 guineas. There were 7 runners; each bearing a weight of 76kg. The race consisted of 3 heats.

The Parliament passed a piece of legislation in 1813 which decreed that the grounds used for the racecourse would forever remain public property. The Ascot Authority was created in 1913 and to this day still manages the day to day running of the racecourse.

From 1711 until 1945, only the Royal Meeting took place at Ascot. More fixtures have been added since that date, notably the Hurdles and Steeplechase competitions. Ascot now holds 25 full days of racing throughout the year. Flat Racing takes place in May and October.

Facilities

The racecourse closed for almost 2 years in 2004 for a 185 million pounds refurbishment project. It was reopened by Queen Elizabeth in June 2006.

The grandstand however did not prove to be the hit that developers thought it would be. Race views were severely restricted by restaurants and other hospitality facilities. Towards the end of 2006, a further 10 million pounds alteration was announced to improve on these restrictions. The grandstand was completed but there is still less crowd capacity then there was in the old grandstand.

More than 300 000 race enthusiasts attend the Royal Ascot week each year.

Ascot Racecourse - Notable Races

King's Stand Stakes

St. James's Palace Stakes

Queen Anne Stakes

Prince of Wales's Stakes

Ascot Gold Cup

Coronation Stakes

Golden Jubilee

Stakes King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes

Queen Elizabeth II Stakes

King Edward VII Stakes

Ascot Racecourse - Contact Details

The address for Ascot Racecourse is Ascot Racecourse, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7JX. It is located about 50 minutes from London, close to all major highways, as well as to Heathrow Airport.

Tickets can be booked on 0870 727 1234. Email hospitality@ascot.co.uk for all hospitality requirements.

Ascot - Betting

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