Ascot Racecourse

From 2026, Royal Ascot Trials Day will move from its current Wednesday slot to the Friday of the same week, Ascot Racecourse announced on Tuesday. A fixture exchange with Musselburgh Racecourse has facilitated the move, with the approval of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and the Flat Pattern Committee. The meeting, Friday, May 1 in 2026, will also feature live on ITV Racing as part of their coverage of the opening day of the Guineas Festival from Newmarket. Nick Smith, director of racing and public affairs at Ascot Racecourse, said,...

Ascot Racecourse announced on Monday that Jonathan Gregory has been appointed chief commercial officer. Gregory joins Ascot from the Goodwood Group, where he has been since September 2020, first as commercial director and then as chief commercial officer from October 2024. He previously served as commercial director at Leicester City Football Club and Fulham Football Club, as well as gaining experience in senior commercial roles at leading venues worldwide, including Wembley Stadium and the Bahrain International Circuit. "I'm thrilled to join Ascot Racecourse, one of the most iconic sporting venues...

It was announced on Wednesday that Ascot Racecourse, the Jockey Club and Churchill Downs have agreed an extension of the 'wild card' entry initiative launched last year that ties together Royal Ascot, the Betfred Derby Festival at Epsom and the Kentucky Derby meeting at Churchill Downs. Last year a runner from each of the GII Edgewood Stakes for three-year-old fillies and the GII American Turf Stakes for three-year-old colts received an entry for the Betfred Oaks and Betfred Derby, respectively. That will again be the case this year, while an...

Ascot, Goodwood and York, three of Britain's largest independent racecourses, announced today the 'British Midsummer Bonus', a new initiative designed to incentivise connections of horses trained outside of Europe to target three of the most prestigious Group 1 races in the British Flat racing calendar. Up to £1 million in bonuses will be available to connections who saddle international runners in both the £1.5 million King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot and £1 million Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, which are run days apart from each other,...

Ascot Racecourse announced on Sunday that prize-money at the track will reach a record £17.75 million in 2025, with the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes scheduled to be run for £1.5 million to make it the richest race ever staged at Ascot. The King George, which was worth £1.25 million in 2024, will also become a 'Run For Free' race, with connections of all horses that run (except supplementary entries) refunded their entry fees in full. Ruth Quinn, director of international racing and development at the British...

Ascot Racecourse announced on Tuesday that Felicity Barnard has been appointed as chief executive, with Alastair Warwick set to stand down from the role at the end of the year for personal reasons. Barnard currently serves as deputy chief executive at Ascot, alongside her role as commercial director. Sir Francis Brooke, chairman and His Majesty's representative at Ascot Racecourse, said, "Alastair has played a major role in the success of Ascot Racecourse since he joined the business in 2008, most recently as chief executive where he has overseen two very...

Owners Club hosted the world's first-ever virtual Champions Day race at Ascot on Saturday. Over 10,000 players participated from across the UK, with 600 qualifying for the tournament, 60 making the finals and the top 12 participating in the live race, broadcast live on all screens across the racecourse. The virtual race was called by announcer Mike X, with In Her Majesty's Service, the virtual horse, winning for owner Vermdrago. The virtual race was powered by Owners Club's AI and Web3 technology. Each horse in the game boasts unique genetics,...

James Fanshawe trainee and G1 King's Stand Stakes fourth Kind Of Blue (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}--Blues Sister {GB}, by Compton Place {GB}) was acquired by Wathnan Racing after a posting a second-place finish in last month's G1 Haydock Sprint Cup and provided an immediate return on investment with a brave success in Ascot's G1 Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes. The 10-1 chance and 'TDN Rising Star' employed patient tactics from flagfall and settled off the tempo through halfway. Cruising into contention at the quarter-mile marker, he was ridden to the...

Two weeks on from completing a facsimile of his banner 2022 season by notching a second victory in ParisLongchamp's G1 Prix du Cadran, Europe's dominant stayer Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Polished Gem {Ire}, by Danehill) added lustre to a perfect 2024 campaign with a decisive success in Saturday's G2 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot. Ballydoyle's star went postward as the 8-11 favourite to gain compensation for a neck defeat in this two-mile contest last year and stalked pacesetting stablemate The Euphrates (GB) (Frankel {GB}) until turning for home....

A total of 40 networks, covering over 170 territories, will broadcast QIPCO British Champions Day. Racecourse Media Group (RMG) and HBA Media (HBA), working with QIPCO British Champions Series, have secured global coverage of the £4.1m raceday, which includes four Group 1 races. Fox Sports US will showcase the full card for the first time on Fox Sports 1, while ESPN / Disney + and SuperSport will broadcast to their significant South American and African audiences. The Green Channel (Japan) and HKJC, Cable TV, TVB and Now TV (Hong Kong)...

Over 300 delegates among the racing industry attended the Racing Foundation Conference at Ascot Racecourse on Wednesday, Oct. 2. The main themes of the conference were to build understanding and prompt collaboration around racing's social licence challenges. Bob Langert, the former vice president of corporate social responsibility and sustainability at McDonald's, TedTalk speaker and author, delivered the keynote address. Langert said, "During my time at McDonald's, we faced many detractors in the form of activist campaigns, books and movies and media coverage on multiple issues...One central reason for McDonald's not...

Aidan O'Brien trainee Ballet Slippers (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), the first foal produced by multiple Group 1-winning distaffer Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), shed maiden status at the third attempt in Friday's Wesco Anixter EBF Fillies' Novice Stakes at Ascot. She had previously encountered the 'TDN Rising Star' displays of Red Letter (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Falling Snow (Ire) (Justify) in outings at the Curragh in July and August and, without anything of that calibre in opposition, justified 1-4 favouritism with a one-length defeat of Music Piece (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the...