The racecourse was established by the Queen in 1711 because she realised that there was potential at Ascot for a racecourse. At the time, she was riding near Windsor and stumbled upon the area of open heath and felt that it looked like a place from which horses could gallop at full stretch. The big day then came on Saturday 11th of August that same year and the unveiling was open to any horse, gelding or mare that was above 6 years old and a 12 stone (76kg) weight was required of each horse to carry. The race came to be famously known as “Her Majesty’s Plate” and was worth 100 Guineas at thi first event, where 7 horses competed.
It became a certified racecourse when the first building was permanently erected in 1794. It would hold a capacity of 1,650 and was used for 50 years. In 1813, Parliament passed an act that declared it a public racecourse, which ultimately secured its future. In 1913, an act was passed in which established the Ascot Authority that has been
managing the racecourse till now.
Ascot Racecourse is located in Ascot Berkshire SL5 7JX, England. The racecourse sits on 179 acres of parkland and is next to Windsor Great Park in a very beautiful wooded countryside. It has 300 meeting rooms , with each going for 250 pounds. It has large dining venues and event spaces that can hold a maximum of 6000 people. The surrounding area has facilities that have a historical feeling to them and can host parties that can accommodate up to 1000 people.
The racecourse has some notable races that take place yearly. The most famous is the Royal Ascot and is attended by the royal family. It runs for 4 days. There is also the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, which has a prize of 1,000,000 pounds.
In 2011, while celebrating its Tercentenary, Ascot held the QIPCO British Champions Day. It was also at the epicentre for the celebrations marking the Queens’ Diamond Jubilee.
In 2012, the world top 4 horses on official ratings ran at Ascot.