Ascot Racecourse

Ascot Racecourse is a racecourse in England.

History

It was founded in 1711 by Queen Anne. Its first race, "Her Majesty's Plate," with a purse of 100 guineas was held on August 11, 1711. Seven horses competed, each carrying a weight of 12 stones. This first race was three separate four-mile heats.

In 1813, Parliament passed an act to ensure that the grounds would remain a public racecourse. In 1913, Parliament passed an act creating the Ascot Authority, an entity that manages the racecourse to this day. From its creation until 1945, the only racing that took place at Ascot was the Royal Meeting, a four-day event. Since that date, more fixtures have been introduced to the grounds, notably the Steeplechase and hurdles in 1965.

Contemporary racing

According to publicity, Ascot today stages twenty-five days of racing over the course of the year, as well as sixteen Flat meetings held in the months of May and October, and nine National Hunt meetings held in the months of November and April. The Royal Meeting, held in June, remains a major draw.

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