The History of the Royal Ascot

The beginnings of the Royal Ascot Racecourse date back to 1711 when Queen Anne noticed an open area of land at Ascot, then known as East Cote, which she thought was ideally suited to being a venue for horse racing.

Subsequently a race meeting was held that same year in August, and the prize was worth one hundred guineas – a huge sum in those days.There were seven runners and the race was divided into three heats, each of which was around four miles in length, much longer than most races held these days.

Although the course was laid out in 1711, it was not until 1794 that the first permanent building was erected, and in 1813 a law was passed that secured the ground’s continued future as a racecourse. Today the race honours its royal origins by opening with the Queen Anne Stakes, which is a one-mile flat race.