Ascot Racecourse
The racecourse in Ascot (Engl. Ascot Racecourse ) is one of the oldest racecourses in the UK.
story
On August 11, 1711, on the initiative of the then Queen Anne, the first races were held in Ascot , Berkshire , south of Windsor . In the races, seven horses, each weighing 76 kilograms, ran over a distance of 6437 meters.
The racetrack was designed and built by a team led by William Lowen and John Grape. The course of the racecourse is triangular (similar to the Düsseldorf racecourse on the Grafenberg) with two connected extension pieces (the Old Mile course with an arch and the Royal Hunt Cup course with an approx. 1600 meter long straight, see British country mile ) . The “Royal Enclosure” spectator area in its present form goes back to King George IV .
In 1813, the House of Commons passed the Act of Enclosure to make equestrian use of Ascot, owned by the Crown , permanent. In 1913 Parliament set up an Ascot authority chaired by Her Majesty's Representative; The head of administration is the Clerk of the Course , who also acts as race director .
In 2005, the Royal Ascot race week could not take place in Ascot due to extensive renovation work in the grandstand area and was therefore relocated to York . At Royal Ascot 2006 the racing course was reopened with a new grandstand by Queen Elizabeth II .
Royal Ascot racing week
The Royal Ascot Race Week is the premier event on the racetrack. The first Royal Meeting took place in 1768 and is still under the auspices of the British royal family to this day. The race week takes place every year in mid-June, around 20 days after the Epsom Derby at the Ascot racecourse.
British Champions Day
British Champions Day has been taking place in October since 2011 , the highlight of the British Champions Series . The event competes for the best horses with the French Arc de Triomphe weekend and the Breeders' Cup .
More races
Outside of Royal Ascot Race Week, horse races are held at Ascot Racecourse all year round. The King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2414 meters, Gr. I) has been held since 1951 at the end of July . In winter, during the National Hunt Season , numerous obstacle races take place.
| month | Day | run | Type | class | distance | Age / gender |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Saturday | Holloway's Hurdle | obstacles | Grade 2 | 3923 m | 4 years old and older |
| January | Saturday | Clarence House Chase | hunt | Grade 1 | 3420 m | 5 years and older |
| January | Saturday | Warfield Mares' Hurdle | obstacles | Grade 2 | 4828 m | 4 years old and older, mares |
| February | Saturday | Reynoldstown Novices' Chase | hunt | Grade 2 | 4828 m | 5 years and older |
| February | Saturday | Ascot Chase | hunt | Grade 1 | 4325 m | 5 years and older |
| February | Saturday | Weatherby's Chase | hunt | Handicap | 4828 m | 5 years and older |
| April | Tuesday | Sagaro stakes | Flat | Group 3 | 3219 m | 4 years old and older |
| April | Tuesday | Pavilion Stakes | Flat | Group 3 | 1207 m | 3 year old |
| April | Tuesday | Paradise stakes | Flat | List races | 1609 m | 4 years old and older |
| May | Saturday | Victoria Cup | Flat | Handicap | 1408 m | 4 years old and older |
| July | Saturday | Summer Mile Stakes | Flat | Group 2 | 1609 m | 4 years old and older |
| July | Saturday | Princess Margaret Stakes | Flat | Group 3 | 1207 m | 2 years old, mares |
| July | Saturday | King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes | Flat | Group 1 | 2414 m | 3 years and older |
| July | Saturday | Pat Eddery Stakes | Flat | List races | 1408 m | 2 years |
| October | Friday | Noel Murless Stakes | Flat | List races | 2816 m | 3 year old |
| October | Saturday | Bengough Stakes | Flat | Group 3 | 1207 m | 3 years and older |
| October | Saturday | Cumberland Lodge Stakes | Flat | Group 3 | 2414 m | 3 years and older |
| October | Saturday | Cornwallis Stakes | Flat | Group 3 | 1006 m | 2 years |
| October November | Saturday | Sodexo Gold Cup | hunt | Grade 3 | 4828 m | 4 years old and older |
| November | Saturday | Ascot Hurdle | obstacles | Grade 2 | 3923 m | 4 years old and older |
| November | Saturday | Amlin 1965 Chase | hunt | Grade 2 | 3822 m | 4 years old and older |
| December | Friday | Championship Standard Open NH Flat Race | NH flat | List races | 3219 m | 4 to 6 years old |
| December | Friday | Noel Novices' Chase | hunt | Grade 2 | 3822 m | 4 years old and older |
| December | Friday | Kennel Gate Novices' Hurdle | obstacles | Grade 2 | 3219 m | 4 years old and older |
| December | Saturday | Wessex Youth Trust Handicap Hurdle | obstacles | Grade 3 | 3219 m | 4 years old and older |
| December | Saturday | Ascot Silver Cup | hunt | Handicap | 4828 m | 4 years old and older |
| December | Saturday | Long Walk Hurdle | obstacles | Grade 1 | 5029 m | 4 years old and older |
Trivia
- A close friend of the Prince Regent , Beau Brummell , developed the dress code for Ascot, which has only changed slightly to this day : men wear a morning dress (consisting of a cutaway and a top hat ), women wear a corresponding " respectable “clothing - although women's fashion has become increasingly revealing in the recent past - and a hat is mandatory.
- For a long time, officially divorced members of society had no access to the Royal Enclosure . In this closed visitor area of the racetrack, only invited persons have access after applying in advance and naming guarantors who are already authorized to enter. However, this convention has not existed for several years - not least because of the divorces within the royal family.
- In Australia , too, there is an “Ascot Racecourse” near Perth .
See also
Web links
- Official website
- Course guidance and others
- Ascot Gold Cup winners list
- Palmares of the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth (Diamond) Stakes
Individual evidence
- ↑ 2011 British Champions Series unveiled . In: Jockey Club . Retrieved July 18, 2016.
Coordinates: 51 ° 24 ′ 59 " N , 0 ° 40 ′ 37" W.