Royal Ascot is the jewel in UK Flat racing’s crown - five days of high-class action staged every June at the Berkshire track.
The track enjoys close association with the Royal Family - it is located just six miles from Windsor Castle - and their attendance at the annual showpiece meeting merely adds to the buzz and glamour it brings.
The meeting, which has a rich and colourful history, now attracts a total attendance of around 300,000 racegoers over the five days.
Royal Ascot takes place on the same grounds as the usual Ascot horse racing events 'Ascot Racecourse' and is recognised as the UK’s most popular horse racing event.
It takes place every year in June and draws in huge crowds, Lords, Royalty and wealth is also flown in from Arabia. Its reputation for high-class is insurmountable, as thoroughbred horse’s line-up to glisten in front of a Champagne-swilling, lobster gouging and berry punnet loving crowd.
The first Royal Ascot race ran in 1711 and has since become one of the most prestigious horse meets in the world. The event has recently drawn in crowds exceeding 300,000, qualifying it for the busiest of all European horse racing events.
Royal Ascot 2019 will take place between Tuesday June 18 and Saturday June 22 inclusive. Racing each day begins at 1430 BST.
The feature races for the 2019 meeting are as follows:
- Tuesday June 18: Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1, 1m)
- Tuesday June 18: King’s Stand Stakes (Group 1, 5f)
- Tuesday June 18: St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1, 1m)
- Wednesday June 19: Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1, 1m2f)
- Wednesday June 19: Royal Hunt Cup (Handicap, 1m)
- Thursday June 20: Ascot Gold Cup (Group 1, 2m4f)
- Friday June 21: Commonwealth Cup (Group 1, 6f)
- Friday June 21: Coronation Stakes (Group 1, 1m)
- Saturday June 22: Golden Jubilee Stakes (Group 1, 6f)
- Saturday June 22: Wokingham Stakes (Handicap, 6f)