Ascot Racecourse, Horse racing venue in Sunninghill and Ascot, England
Ascot Racecourse is a horse racing venue in Sunninghill and Ascot, England, set on land leased from the Crown Estate. The site features a modern grandstand designed to hold thousands of visitors alongside open viewing areas that allow spectators to watch races from multiple points around the track.
Queen Anne founded the racecourse in 1711 after riding out from Windsor Castle and discovering suitable ground for horse racing. The first race held on the new course was won by a horse named Doctor, and the venue has remained closely tied to the British monarchy over the centuries.
Royal Ascot opens with the Queen Anne Stakes over the straight mile, named for the racecourse's founder. The meeting runs four days in June and draws over 350,000 spectators across the week. The Gold Cup, first run in 1807, is the meeting's oldest race; in 2013 Estimate, owned by Elizabeth II, became the first Gold Cup winner owned by a reigning monarch.
Ascot stages 26 race days a year: 18 flat meetings from April to October and 8 jump meetings from October to March. The June Royal Meeting draws over 350,000 spectators across the week, so expect large crowds and plan travel accordingly.
The racecourse hosts more than a third of all top-tier flat races held annually in Britain, along with several of the country's most important jump races. This concentration of high-level competition makes the venue a central stage for British horse racing.
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