Contacts

Leading Australian sprinter Chain Of Lightning, French heavyweights Big Rock and Facteur Cheval, US challenger Crimson Advocate and Japanese contender North Bridge headline contenders from seven countries for the Group 1 contests and early-closing Group 2 races at Royal Ascot.

Royal Ascot offers a record £10 million in prizemoney in 2024, with all eight Group 1 prizes worth a minimum of £650,000 and no race run for less than £110,000.

Chain Of Lightning is being aimed at the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes over six furlongs, a race her co-trainer Peter Moody won in 2012 with outstanding racemare Black Caviar.

Australian sprinters have a formidable record at Royal Ascot, with seven wins in total across the King Charles III Stakes, formerly the King’s Stand Stakes, and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.

Chain Of Lightning recorded her first G1 success for Moody and Katherine Coleman in a strong edition of Randwick’s T J Smith Stakes at the beginning of April, before finishing sixth at the same track in the G1 All Aged Stakes a fortnight later.

Moody said: “Chain Of Lightning is in good order. She ran at Randwick 10 days ago on a very heavy track and did not handle it, but she has come through the race well. The plan of attack with her at the moment is a little unique. She will have her next and probably only lead up run between now and Ascot in the G1 Doomben 10,000 on May 18. Then she will head to the broodmare sale on May 24, so it depends on who owns her after that but, if she is still in my care, it would be my intention to travel her over for Royal Ascot on June 5.

“She is a strong, robust mare, who is pretty bombproof. She is not as big as Black Caviar, but there is certainly plenty of size and strength about her. She appreciates a little bit of cut in the ground and her form in recent seasons has been curtailed by very firm tracks. Firm by our standards is very firm by UK standards, so I think she will appreciate the surface at Ascot, and she is very good over seven furlongs, which in my opinion is what you need to win over the 1200m there. She does not have the class of a Black Caviar, not too many have, but under the right conditions, I think she can be competitive anywhere.”

Reflecting on Black Caviar, Moody added: “It is quite extraordinary that it was 12 years ago, although when I go out the back and pat her four-year-old son and two-year-old daughter, I suppose it does hit hard for me every now and again!

“I have a lot of good memories after the race, although beforehand it was quite hard with all the expectation. Because I had been over a couple of times before, it was nice to get that success. We were gutted a year earlier when we brought Hinchinbrook and he went amiss on the eve of the race. I think Chain Of Lightning sits in the mould of a Hinchinbrook or a Magnus, who was third in the King’s Stand Stakes, in terms of quality.”

Chain Of Lightning’s compatriot Asfoora arrived in Newmarket last week ahead of the King Charles III Stakes, with Henry Dwyer’s mare due to have a prep run in the G2 Temple Stakes at Haydock Park on May 25.

A dual G2 winner at Caulfield, Asfoora has twice gone close at G1 level, most notably chasing home the world’s highest-rated sprinter Imperatriz in the Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley in September.

Dwyer said: “Asfoora had a quiet weekend after arriving on Thursday night, but she had a saddle on her back on Monday and all went well. She had another canter this morning and I would imagine we will do a bit of pace work with her on Wednesday.

“She is not the easiest to place in that she is one of our better sprinters in Australia – not the best by any means but in the top 10. However, most of our best sprints are over 1200m, whereas in the UK there is a good programme over 1000m at Haydock, Ascot, Goodwood and York, which is why we decided to travel.

“Her last three wins have come over 1100m, but she has form over 1200m and everyone tells me the King Charles III Stakes rides more like a six-furlong race. It won’t be an easy task for her, although it is all relative to the competition. We have bumped into Imperatriz a couple of times and, if we can be semi-competitive with the world’s best sprinter, we are hoping that will translate to the UK.

“It is very exciting to be bringing a runner to Royal Ascot. I have been to the meeting three or four times in the past and it is always a lovely experience. To have a runner there has long been an ambition of mine and hopefully Asfoora can tick that box well.”

Facteur Cheval has already tasted success on the world stage for Jerome Reynier, having overcome a deep field in the nine-furlong G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan earlier this year.

The progressive five-year-old made the frame in four consecutive G1 events in Europe last season, including behind Big Rock in Ascot’s Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (sponsored by QIPCO).

Reynier said: “I have been very happy with Facteur Cheval since he returned from Dubai and it will be interesting to see him back at Ascot, especially now he has proven himself at the highest level on good ground.

“The Queen Anne Stakes is the target as he travels well and likes plenty of pace in the race. We feel that he is a pure miler, who was able to stretch out to nine furlongs in Dubai, and the programme in Europe is very good for a horse like him. After Royal Ascot, he will head back to Goodwood for the Sussex Stakes and then we will consider the second part of the season, although I imagine he will again end up in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

“Dubai was the first time he has been on a plane and in a different environment in the buildup to a race, so we were very pleased with the way he handled everything. He is very mature now and it is possible that he could travel even further afield.”

Connections of last season’s G2 Queen Mary Stakes heroine Crimson Advocate hope she can follow up in the King Charles III Stakes, a double completed by the Wesley Ward-trained Lady Aurelia in 2016 and 2017.

Trainer George Weaver said: “Crimson Advocate is doing well and we would like to be in a position to bring her back to Royal Ascot, given how she performed last year, most likely for the King Charles III Stakes against males.

“We have had trouble getting a race into her this year because a couple of intended engagements have been taken off the turf. The next race we are looking at is the Mamzelle Stakes over five and a half furlongs at Churchill Downs on May 11.”

Fellow US handler Chad Brown is set to make his Royal Ascot debut with G1 Coronation Stakes hopeful Sweet Rebecca, who maintained her unbeaten record in the Memories Of Silver Stakes at Aqueduct last weekend.

Speaking to the NYRA’s media team after the race, Brown said: “It all worked out and I do think this filly might be my first Ascot starter. For right now, I’d say it’s likely her next start would be in the Coronation. She is a serious filly and trains with a lot of power.

“I want to thank Mr John Stewart for purchasing her and transferring her to me and my team. I’m so happy for him. He is new in the game and building an impressive roster of both racehorses and broodmares, and he’s a real pleasure to deal with.”

Interest from Japan covers four entries, including North Bridge (Takeshi Okumura) who was third behind Romantic Warrior in the G1 FWD QEII Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday and has also travelled to Qatar this year. T O Royal (Inao Okada) and Blow The Horn (Tatsuya Yoshioka) are two potentially intriguing Japanese runners in the Gold Cup with the duo having finished first and second in the two-mile G1 Tenno Sho at Kyoto last weekend.

Since 2003, 220 runners from outside Europe have competed at Royal Ascot from 10 different jurisdictions; the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa, Bahrain, the UAE and Qatar.

All eight Group 1 races at Royal Ascot are part of the QIPCO British Champions Series. Four Royal Ascot contests are part of the Breeders’ Cup Win & You’re In Programme – the King Charles III Stakes, Queen Anne Stakes, Prince of Wales’s Stakes and Norfolk Stakes.

For more information, please contact:

Nick Smith – Director of Racing and Public Affairs, Ascot Racecourse

nick.smith@ascot.com / +44 (0) 7771 791 449

Will Aitkenhead – Head of Corporate and Industry Affairs, Ascot Racecourse

will.aitkenhead@ascot.com / +44 (0) 7817 124 115

Ascot Racecourse and the Tote have signed a new agreement which will strengthen and grow pool betting in the UK.

The agreement, which commenced on 1st January 2024, ensures all pool bets placed on racing from Ascot Racecourse will continue to support liquidity in the UK pool which has been operated by the UK Tote Group since October 2019. This includes bets placed oncourse under the “Bet with Ascot” brand, remotely via tote.co.uk, and through bookmakers and third-party partners.

Over the last four years Ascot Racecourse and the Tote have built a positive partnership. Pool betting on racing from Ascot Racecourse is growing year-on-year, and both parties are committed to accelerating this under the new agreement. The growth is due to both the quality and popularity of the racing action on the track and the innovations being brought to pool betting in the UK which are appealing to a growing number of racing fans betting on the sport. Since 2020, remote B2C turnover (British and Irish customers betting on tote.co.uk/.ie) on racing from Ascot has more than trebled, while overseas turnover (international customers) is up 22% over the same period with the help of World Pool.

Internationally, Ascot Racecourse has been central to World Pool since its inauguration at Royal Ascot in June 2019. The Royal Meeting proved a successful template for the World Pool model, whereby Tote operators from 28 countries commingle pools, hosted by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, to significantly increase liquidity and enhance the betting experience. With World Pool days on British and Irish racedays having grown to 17 days in 2023, the sport is benefiting from increased financial income through higher media rights payments, while racing fans enjoy deeper, more stable pools and enhanced competitive returns. For example, a £1 bet with the Tote on every winner on British and Irish World Pool days in 2023 paid £263 more than the industry Starting Price, with the Tote Win overround at 109% versus an industry Starting Price overround of 122%.

Ascot Racecourse, along with other British Racecourses and the Tote, will be working closely with the Hong Kong Jockey Club to help ensure the continued growth of World Pool in 2024. This will be achieved via racecourses making the race fields on World Pool days as competitive as possible, and thus attractive to bet on, while the Tote is continuing to improve the value and experience of pool betting for racing fans.

Alastair Warwick, Chief Executive of Ascot Racecourse, said: “We are delighted have a new agreement in place with the Tote which will allow us to build on what has been achieved domestically and internationally over the last four years. As one of the original architects of World Pool, alongside the Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Tote, we are excited to support the further development of World Pool to ensure both racing fans and the sport benefit from it. We were thrilled to see that Royal Ascot produced five of the top six World Pool days by total turnover in 2023 and also that QIPCO King George Day performed so well after some targeted race planning changes. We will ensure that Ascot’s top-class racing continues to be at the forefront of British racing’s efforts to see that the sport is watched and bet on by a growing domestic and global audience.”

Alex Frost, Chief Executive of the UK Tote Group, said: “The Tote is immensely proud to be a partner of Ascot Racecourse which hosts some of the most prestigious racedays in the sporting calendar. This new agreement ensures Ascot Racecourse and the Tote are perfectly positioned to work together to achieve a strong UK Pool, alongside the continued development of World Pool, which are crucial elements to the future financial sustainability of the sport. I would personally like to thank Alastair and his excellent team at Ascot Racecourse for their ongoing support, and everyone at the Tote looks forward to continuing our partnership with Ascot over the next five years.”

ENDS.

For further information, please contact:

Susannah Gill

Communications and Corporate Affairs Director

UK Tote Group susannah.gill@uktotegroup.com

+44 (0)7751 870 929

Nick Smith

Director of Racing and Public Affairs

Ascot Racecourse

nick.smith@ascot.com

+44 (0)7771 791 449

Notes to editors

About Ascot Racecourse

Ascot Racecourse was founded in 1711 by Queen Anne, who identified the land as being ideal for horseracing when riding out from Windsor Castle. The first four day meeting at Ascot took place in 1768 and at some point in time, the race programme started being referred to as Royal Ascot.

The two tracks, Flat and Jumps, now provide racing all year round and Ascot hosts 26 days of racing each year, including the five days of Royal Ascot. It is Europe’s premier Flat racing meeting, featuring eight Group 1 races and 19 Group races in total. Typically, 300,000 racegoers attend across the five days while the event is broadcast in more than 200 territories with a reach of 650 million households.

As well as world-class racing, Ascot Racecourse is also used as a film and TV filming location and as a venue for conferences, banquets, exhibitions, product launches and weddings, with 300 non-racing events annually. The land on which Ascot Racecourse sits is leased from the Crown Estate, adjacent to Windsor Great Park, covering 179 acres.

For more information please visit www.ascot.com

About UK Tote Group

The UK Tote Group is the proud owner and steward of the Tote, the UK’s leading pool betting operator. The Tote has been a core part of British horseracing since 1928 when it was established by Parliament under Winston Churchill as Chancellor of the Exchequer, to provide the public with a safe way to bet and vital funding for the sport.

The UK Tote Group is committed to fulfilling the Tote’s founding mission through revitalising the 95-year-old British company to ensure it provides better value and an improved experience to customers, as well as increased funding for British horseracing. The UK Tote Group is backed by racehorse owners and breeders from around the world who believe a stronger UK and Irish host pool is an essential component in the successful future of the sport, as is the case in other successful racing jurisdictions.

The Tote is the pool partner to all 85 British and Irish racecourses, and the UK Tote Group is proud to be able to work with them and all of its media rights and bookmaker partners to bring innovations and improvements to all of its customer channels, including those within its digital business, through the Tote website (tote.co.uk/tote.ie) and the Tote App.

The UK Tote Group is a founding member of the World Tote Association and will co-chair the organisation between 2022-24. The UK Tote Group is committed to working with international partners to grow pool betting in a sustainable manner, while showcasing the benefits of the sector to stakeholders, including customers, regulators, national governments, the racing industry and society as a whole.

The Tote employs 200 people who are based in the Tote’s main office in Wigan and its satellite office in London.

For more information please visit www.uktotegroup.com and www.tote.co.uk and follow us @UKToteGroup and @ToteRacing.

Racing and Customer Communications Manager

Senior Corporate & Industry Affairs Manager

Director of Racing and Public Affairs

·    Brought to life under the creative direction of British fashion designer Daniel Fletcher, as he leads the Royal Ascot style direction for the first time. 
·    Celebrates the whimsical world of millinery with 12 bespoke designs created exclusively for Royal Ascot.
·    Features industry luminaries and champions the ‘next generation’ of millinery talent.

Tuesday, April 23rd, 2024, London: Ascot unveils its annual Royal Ascot Millinery Collective, reimagined by the event's first Creative Director, British Fashion Designer Daniel Fletcher.

Originally conceived as an inspirational guide for racegoers to explore the global world of hat design, drawing inspiration from bygone eras as well as innovative techniques and materials, the 2024 Royal Ascot collection features 12 bespoke hats crafted by industry veterans and emerging talents.

Curated by Daniel Fletcher, this year's Collective showcases a diverse array of designers from around the globe, spanning from Dubai to New York, London to Ireland. It aims to spotlight and support the millinery industry's finest creatives.

Among the roster are emerging and international milliners such as Evetta Petty, Rafa Peinador, Nikole Tursi, and Evelyn McDermott, known for their innovative crafting methods, designs, and sustainable practices. Established names including Stephen Jones OBE, Awon Golding, Noel Stewart, Edwina Ibbotson, and Alison Tod, renowned for their traditional practices and extraordinary designs, have previously adorned the heads of royalty and celebrities like Rihanna and Beyoncé.

The campaign imagery was captured by renowned photographer David Vail, who collaborated with Fletcher to create this year’s Millinery Collective. This showcased a stripped back and contemporary approach to millinery through its inspired use of lighting and portraiture format, which focused on the hat, and the incredible artistry behind them.
 
Daniel Fletcher, creative director for Royal Ascot: "It’s been a huge privilege for me to work with some of the world’s best milliners on this year’s Royal Ascot Millinery Collective. Hat design is a unique art, and each of the 12 milliners has brought something different through the pieces they have created.

“Bringing together some of Britain’s most famed milliners with emerging talent, and designers from around the world has resulted in a beautiful collection to inspire racing style for the summer season. It was incredibly important for me to incorporate the work of emerging designers who are leading the way in this field, and I love the innovative and unexpected twist they have added to the overall look and feel of the collection."
 
Alexandra Bertram, brand and creative lead, Ascot Racecourse: "It’s always such a pleasure to work with such talented milliners and to understand how each design is turned into reality. There is such a rich history to hat wearing, and there isn’t another occasion on earth quite like Royal Ascot, where hats are such an iconic part of the landscape. Whether it's a top hat or a finely crafted piece of millinery art, it’s a total joy to see people feel their very best.

“This year’s collective really represents a new approach under the creative direction of Daniel Fletcher. Alongside his first Royal Ascot Lookbook launched in March, I cannot think of a better place for the most trusted source of style inspiration for this summer’s social season!”
 
Royal Ascot takes place from Tuesday 18th to Saturday 22nd June 2024 with tickets starting from £49 per person.
 
-ENDS -

About Daniel Fletcher: 
 
Daniel Fletcher is a London-based fashion designer, who, after graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2015 launched his eponymous label DANIEL w. FLETCHER. Originally from the North West of England, Fletcher has designed for some of the world’s most prestigious houses including Louis Vuitton, Lanvin and JW Anderson and held the role of Artistic Director for Italian label Fiorucci between 2019 and 2023. 
 
DANIEL w. FLETCHER was nominated for the LVMH prize in 2017, was a winner of the European Semi Final of the International Woolmark Prize and was named Breakthrough Designer of The Year in the 2020 GQ Men of The Year Awards. After many successful seasons showing his collections on the London Fashion Week schedule, Fletcher took part in Netflix’s ‘Next In Fashion’ series which saw him make it to the final. 
 
Fletcher produces deeply personal collections that explore British heritage with a focus on tailoring, casual luxury and sustainability. Notable wearers of Fletcher's designs include James McAvoy, Nick Jonas, Tilda Swinton, Alexa Chung, Robert Pattinson, Eddie Redmayne, Ncuti Gatwa, Kit Connor, Nicholas Galitzine, Taylor Zakhar Perez, Emma Corrin, Emerald Fennell and Griff. 
 
For more information, please visit www.ascot.com
For more information, please contact ascot@wcommunications.co.uk
 
NOTES TO EDITORS 
 

2024 Millinery Collective Designers:
 
Alison Tod - https://alisontod.co.uk
Awon Golding - https://awongolding.com
Carol Kennelly - https://carolkennellymillinery.com
Edwina Ibbotson - https://edwinaibbotson.co.uk
Evelyn McDermott - https://www.evelynmcdermott.com
Evetta Petty - https://www.harlemsheaven.com
Jane Taylor - https://janetaylorlondon.com
Jess Collett - https://www.jesscollettmilliner.com
Noel Stewart - http://www.noelstewart.com
Nikole Tursi - https://tursi.art
Rafa Peinador - https://rafapeinador.com
Stephen Jones - https://www.stephenjonesmillinery.com
 
Royal Ascot Dress Code
 
The Royal Ascot Dress Code remains unchanged in 2024. This operates across the Royal Enclosure, Queen Anne Enclosure and Village Enclosure. No dress code applies in the Windsor Enclosure, although a significant majority of guests in that area choose to dress up in the spirit of the occasion. 
 
To view Ascot’s official dress codes, please visit www.ascot.com/what-to-wear The history of fashion at Royal Ascot – Key Dates: 
 
Late 1700s – It was Beau Brummell, a close friend of the Prince Regent, who decreed that “men of elegance should wear waisted black coats and white cravats with pantaloons” and this set the tone for the dress code that is still adhered to by men in the Royal Enclosure. 
 
1830s – Queen Victoria’s visit to Royal Ascot saw her arrive in a pretty lace dress with a full bell skirt and shawl. She also started a craze for the porter bonnet, shielding the wearer from male eyes. 
 
1890s – As the dawn of a new century arrived, fashion took on an almost celebratory tone. Skirts were less full, but silhouettes made a greater statement with angular hips and puffed sleeves. Hats were large and full of feathers and adornments. 
 
1900s – One of fashion's most iconic images; that of Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady was inspired when costume designer Cecil Beaton saw images of Black Ascot, The 1910 Royal Ascot meeting was in full mourning over the death of King Edward. 
 
1920s – Hemlines were shorter and cuts were smaller in the 1920s reflecting a post-war generation’s rebellion against old traditions. Pearls and furs were the accessories of the day. 
 
1950s – Christian Dior’s New Look, a small waist and full skirt, was proving popular however it was when the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth and her stylish sister Princess Margaret wore the style at Royal Ascot that it was cemented in history. 
 
1960s – Royal Ascot’s glamorous profile elevated when Italian actress Sophia Loren was photographed in the Royal Enclosure. In modern times some of the biggest names in Hollywood and fashion have attended. 
 
1970s- Trouser suits became more popular following their introduction to the dress code in 1971. Gertrude Shilling, The Ascot Mascot, delighted the press with her extravagant outfits. One year, one of her son David’s millinery designs outgrew the Shilling’s long-wheel-based Rolls Royce, so the hat had to follow in a van behind. 
 
1980s – Sharp lines and bright colours took centre stage during this decade. With statement hats and pointed heels, there was little room for floaty florals in 1980s glamour. 
 
2012 – Royal Ascot officially launches its Style Guide to racegoers outlining dress code regulations for the Royal Enclosure and Queen Anne Enclosure (formally known as Grandstand). 
 
2017 – The jumpsuit is formally accepted in the Royal Enclosure Dress Code and the Queen Anne Enclosure Dress Code is extended to the new Village Enclosure. 
 
2018 – Royal Ascot introduces Style Guides for the Village Enclosure and Windsor Enclosure. 
 
2020 – Royal Ascot runs behind closed doors for the first time in the event’s history during the global COVID-19 pandemic. 
 
2021 – Navy morning suits were permitted in the Royal Enclosure 

This November, Ascot Racecourse has released its first ever Jumps Season Lookbook – an inspirational guide on occasion wear throughout the Autumn/Winter season.

Shot at the racecourse, the lookbook was officially launched to attendees at the Fireworks Spectacular Family Raceday on Saturday 4th November and across Ascot’s digital channels, kicking off the Jumps Season with a bang.

Styled by slow fashion and racing style expert Sarah Kate Byrne, Ascot’s Jumps Season Lookbook showcases 21 captivating ensembles, to ignite the imagination of racegoers, encouraging them to curate a practical and comfortable, yet stylish and versatile look. Furthermore, the lookbook champions the cause of mindful fashion, ensuring that your style stands the test of time. The five inspirational fashion edits centre around a different concept; heirloom, investment, thrifty, vintage, and green.

With a focus on accessibility, the lookbook encourages the re-styling of outfits worn at previous events and thrifting pre-loved items from second-hand outlets and vintage shops. For those who wish to opt for a new dress or outfit for the season, the lookbook features some price-tag-worthy investment pieces that guarantee higher quality, ethically made items that make a statement and will last a lifetime.

Sarah Kate Byrne, Jumps Season Lookbook stylist, says: “I was thrilled when Ascot asked me to style their inaugural Jumps Season Lookbook. There is a strong sense of occasion which comes from a day at Ascot, and warrants dressing up. We selected pieces that are wardrobe staples and will be trans-seasonal and wearable throughout the year. Mixing suede jackets with floral dresses, corduroy trousers with wool coats or opting for a statement check suit are all practical and stylish looks for the season.”

Felicity Barnard, Ascot Deputy CEO and Commercial Director added: “We’re known the world over for our Royal Ascot style stakes, however, beyond the Royal Meeting, dressing is less formal yet equally stylish. This Jumps Season Lookbook aims to dispel any ambiguity around how to dress for a day at the races, or in fact any autumn/winter event, where British weather can be unpredictable, often feeling like it’s four seasons in one day. A personal highlight for me at each of our race meetings is seeing the style on show, and I have no doubt this lookbook will inspire a fresh take on occasion dressing, in an undeniably ‘Ascot’ way.”

View the full Jumps Season Lookbook here: ascot.com/jumps-season-lookbook

Content & PR Marketing Manager

Senior Content & PR Marketing Manager

Senior Broadcast Production Manager