Ascot Racecourse

Ascot Racecourse and the Crown Estate welcomed a total of 70 schools at a ceremony to celebrate 70 new oak trees planted as part of The Queen's Green Canopy 'Plant a tree for the jubilee' project at Windsor Great Park. The trees have been planted next to the Royal Procession route from Windsor Castle to Ascot Racecourse, along Duke's Lane. Nick Smith, Director of Racing and Public Affairs at Ascot Racecourse, said, "We were thrilled to welcome all 70 schools to the ceremony in celebration of this project which will...

Winless in seven starts since capturing ParisLongchamp's 2020 G1 Prix du Cadran, last term's G1 Gold Cup runner-up Princess Zoe (Ger) (Jukebox Jury {Ire}) bounced back in style on seasonal return to claim a thrilling victory in Wednesday's two-mile G3 Longines Sagaro S. at Ascot. The 7-year-old mare claimed a rail position after the early strides and raced third passing the judge first time. Biding her time throughout, the 17-2 chance was bustled along to find an open lane off the home turn and stayed on relentlessly under a drive...

British racecourses are doing their part in the Queen's Green Canopy initiative with the goal of planting more than 700 trees by the end of 2022. The Queen's Green Canopy, which marks her Platinum Jubilee, invites people from across the UK to "Plant a Tree for the Jubilee". A total of 23 British racecourses have confirmed their participation, with the official tree-planting season taking place between October and March, and then beginning again in October through to the end of the Jubilee year. Ascot Racecourse and the Crown Estate jointly...

Lisa Perrin has been appointed a Non-Executive Director of Ascot Authority (Holdings) Limited by Ascot Racecourse. Her role will begin after Royal Ascot (June 14-18). She replaces Guy Davison, who started in his Non-Executive Director role in July of 2015. Currently the Managing Director of International Production for ITV Studios which she has held since 2020, Perrin is responsible for their production labels across France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, the Nordics and Israel. Perrin had previously held senior leadership roles at Endemol Shine Group culminating in her position as CEO,...

A bespoke Ascot world feed has been added to a new two-year agreement extension between Ascot Racecourse and RaceTech. The agreement covers a full range of high grade technical and broadcast services , such as photo finishes, across all 26 racedays in the calendar, including Royal Ascot in June. There will also be live tracking and timing graphics on Ascot TV. The world feed, which will be available on all five days of Royal Ascot, QIPCO King George Diamond Day and QIPCO British Champions Day, will be distributed to various...

Crowd capacity numbers will be reduced at Royal Ascot beginning in 2022, Ascot Racecourse announced on Thursday. After feedback from racegoers attending the smaller scale Royal Ascot in 2021, attendance caps will be instated across the Royal Enclosure, Queen Anne Enclosure, and Windsor Enclosure for the five-day meeting from June 14-18, 2022. In addition to reducing capacity in the Royal Enclosure by 1,000 guests (-7%) to 12,500, a new area for circulation has been added-the Royal Enclosure Gardens. The Queen Anne and Windsor Enclosures have been reduced by 4,150 (20%)...

Vivien Currie, who has been chief executive of Hamilton Park Racecourse since 2008, will success Guy Henderson as chief executive of Ascot Racecourse following next year's Royal Ascot meeting. Currie led the development of a commercial focus at Hamilton, which included improving the racecourse experience for participants and fans and the building of an award-winning hotel on course. Currie, who is trained as a chartered accountant and spent time with Ernst & Young and Damovo, was also previously chief executive of Livingston FC. Sir Francis Brooke Bt., The Queen's representative...

Ascot Racecourse will offer record prizemoney of £15.64-million across its flat and jumps programmes in 2022, up nearly £2-million (14.4%) on 2019, the last year that planned prizemoney was distributed before the pandemic. These figures exclude the industry partnership QIPCO British Champions Day. Royal Ascot on June 14 to 18 will offer £8,652,500, up 18% on 2019. Royal Ascot Tuesday will be the meeting's first-ever card to reach £2-million in prizemoney, and the G1 Prince of Wales's S. and the G1 Platinum Jubilee S. (formerly the Diamond Jubilee S.) will...

Throne Hall (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Strozzi (Ger) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), both consigned by Godolphin, brought identical bids of £50,000 to share joint-topper honours during Thursday's Tattersalls Ascot November Sale. Held at Ascot racecourse for the first time since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the sale grossed a record £603,500 for 77 sold (83%). The average was £7,838 and the median was £4,600. Blandford Bloodstock purchased lot 66, Throne Hall. A dual winner, the 4-year-old gelding is from the family of globetrotting Group 1 winner Flintshire (GB) (Dansili...

The catalogue for the Tattersalls Ascot November Sale was released on Tuesday. Slated for Nov. 4, the 99 lots are divided between 27 fillies in/out of training, 57 colts and geldings, four point-to-pointers, five yearlings and six stores. It will be the first sale held at Ascot Racecourse since December of 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the vendors are Bedford House, Beckhampton House, East Everleigh, Godolphin, Jackdaws Castle, Park House, Seven Barrows, Somerville Lodge, The Old Malthouse and West Ilsley. Some of the lots on offer are: Kingdom...

Unbeaten in five prior starts heading into Saturday's G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. at Ascot, Shadwell Estate Company's Baaeed (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) fought back a stellar field in the one-mile Breeders' Cup "Win And You're In" contest to stay perfect with a commanding performance over the track's straight mile. Backing up a Leicester maiden win and a 7 1/2-length novice rout at Newmarket in June, he went three-for-three with a four-length tally in the July 8 Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. back at Headquarters before producing an explosive...

Godolphin's G3 Jersey S. hero Creative Force (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) had failed to strike in three outings since registering that June 19 Royal Ascot triumph and went postward for Saturday's G1 British Champions Sprint back at the Berskhire venue coming off a three-length sixth in last month's G1 Sprint Cup at Haydock. Notable as Charlie Appleby's first Champions Day contender, he kept jockey William Buick's jockeys' championship hopes alive with a decisive victory in the six-furlong dash. The €400,000 Goffs Orby yearling had sealed a run of four straight wins...