A day at the races is a truly British tradition and one of the most lovely ways to spend a sunny day. While most of the racecourses in the UK are outside of London, a couple of the most luxurious ones reside just a short journey from the centre.
The one we’ll feature today is Ascot, famous for the Royal Ascot festival, one of the most prestigious events in the flat racing calendar. This guide will teach you how to get to the course, what outfit you could put together, and what to expect from a day’s racing. So, if you fancy living like a member of the landed gentry, keep reading.
How To Get There
If you’re travelling from central London, the best station to depart from is London Waterloo, where you can catch a Southwestern Rail train that takes just fifty minutes. There are also direct trains from Clapham Junction, Richmond and Twickenham.
It’s possible to drive to the course, but the roads can be busy during the festival, and parking is at a premium. The train stops right next to the racecourse entrance, making it the most convenient option.
What to Wear
The dress code for most events at Ascot is smart/casual for the public areas, so you can dress up as much or as little as you like. Generally speaking, smart shoes and a shirt are a good option for men, whilst a dress or trouser suit works well for women. Shorts, sleeveless shirts and trainers don’t go down well.
If you’re buying entry to specific enclosures, the dress code will vary, with top hats being mandatory in the most exclusive ones! You’ll find all the dress code information you need on the racecourse website.
The Parade Ring
The parade ring is the first place you’ll want to visit when you arrive at the racecourse. It’s here that the horses walk around before the race, helping them to get used to the environment and giving prospective punters a chance to look at them.
Some people look for signs of fitness, stress, and overall well-being in the parade ring and will use this information to inform how they bet. This is called paddock judging and can be a fun way to try to pick winners.
Once you’ve seen the horses parade around and the jockeys mount, they’ll head down to the starting gates, and you can go and place your bets.
How To Place a Bet
Placing a bet is really simple, even if you’ve never done it before. There are bookmakers on the course who display their prices on boards. Placing a bet on the winner is simple; just state how much you want to bet on the name of the horse of your choice. In races with enough entries, you can place a bet on the horse you think will finish first, second or third; this is called an each-way bet and will cost twice your stake.
If you’re looking for information on free bets, racingtv.com has an exhaustive guide, including a brief rundown of the terms and conditions so you can be sure of what you’re doing. Online betting is the only way to take advantage of free bets, with the added bonus of being able to be from anywhere on the course.
Racing and The Winner’s Enclosure
Horses will race around the track until they reach the winning post. The first past the post wins the race and will be taken to the winning enclosure to await the weighing-in of the jockey.
Once the weights are confirmed, the horse will be awarded the race’s victory. It’s lovely to head to the winner’s enclosure and congratulate the race winners, even more so if your horse is victorious!
