This week is the running of Ascot horse races, one of the major events of England's social calendar. Located in Ascot, Berkshire, it is the most famous English thoroughbred racecourse, hosting nine of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races. The course is about six miles from Windsor Castle.
Ascot stages twenty-six days of racing each year, with eighteen flat meets between May and October. It also features the jump racing events in the winter, but the Royal Meets are held in June, the major draw, with the highlight event known as the The Gold Cup! The most prestigious race is the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes held in July.
The racecourse was founded by Queen Anne in 1711, with the first race called "Her Majesty's Plate", with a purse of 100 guineas. It was held on August 11, 1711, with seven horses in the race. The race had three separate four mile heats! In 1813 Parliament passed an act to insure the racecourse grounds would remain for that purpose. A new grandstand costing about £10,000 was erected in 1839 for the 'glitterati". Even today, Elizabeth II not only makes her appearance in a horse-drawn carriage, but she does have her own horses in the race. She is the consummate horsewoman, who wins and loses gracefully, whose interest in the welfare of her horses and the sport is legend.
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