The Royal Ascot: Followed by many in the UK
The origins of horse racing in Britain date back to the 1100s when the first Arabian stallions were brought to the country by English knights returning from the Crusades. In the centuries that followed, these elegant creatures were bred locally and crossed with local breeds. It is their offspring that you see running on the racecourse. Royal Ascot, which runs from 15-19 June, will be permitted to host 12,000 spectators each day. That is more than double what the race meeting had been expecting.
A rich history
Horse racing is the second largest spectator sport in Great Britain, and one of the longest established, with a history dating back many centuries. According to a report by the British Horseracing Authority it generates £3.39 billion total direct and indirect expenditure in the British economy, of which £1.05 Billion is from core racing industry expenditure and the major horse racing events such as Royal Ascot and Cheltenham Festival are important dates in the British and international sporting and society calendar.
Ascot Racecourse was opened over 300 years ago by Queen Anne, a great horse lover. It has subsequently been patronised by many monarchs including Queen Elizabeth. The summer meeting received its royal title in 1911 and over the years has become one of the most eagerly awaited sporting events, combining elegance, heritage, chivalry and tradition. Although there will be less spectators this year, it is easy to imagine the stands being packed, having been carefully renovated in 2004 and 2006. With five days of high quality events, Royal Ascot is the highlight of the British horse racing season.
Ascot is visited by around 600,000 people each year, accounting for 10% of all UK racegoers. The racecourse covers 179 acres, leased from the Crown Estate and enjoys close ties to the British royal family , founded in 1711 by Queen Anne and located approximately 9.7 km from Windsor Castle . Queen Elizabeth II visits Ascot several times a year.
Popular with sports betters
If you have been following horse racing for years, you probably know which horses are strong and which stables always provide good racehorses. However, you don't need to be an expert to bet on horses. When it comes to betting, you can simply fall back on the so-called race cards or prepare thanks to Ascot Free Bets & Offers 2021. Any fan of betting will be able to enjoy a number of free bets and the best odds.
Record breaking television viewers
Amongst all the gloom and doom in racing, photo-finishes blurred by the dark, hurdles missed in error, jockeys forgetting to weigh in, it seems there are a few shafts of light after ITV racing recorded a peak of over a million viewers. ITV Racing pulled in the largest average audience and share of television viewers for eight years on the first two days of Royal Ascot this year.
Over 1.1 million viewers have watched each of the first two days of the behind-closed-doors fixture, with an average on day one of 909,000 and on day two of 942,000, representing 12.5 per cent and 12.7 per cent respectively of the television audience. ITV, along with Sky Sports Racing, are the only two television broadcasters able to show the action from Ascot this week, and Ed Chamberlin, lead presenter for ITV Racing, is pleased people have been engaging with the programmes.
