SAINT IT SWEET
Prestigious fixture expanded to 36-race extravaganza with St James’s Palace & Coronation Stakes moved to final day
ROYAL ASCOT will be bigger than ever this summer after the Queen’s racecourse broke with tradition to serve punters up a whopping 36-race extravaganza.
The glittering fixture is historically limited to six races per day – hosting 30 heats each year since it was expanded to five days in
2002.
But Ascot bosses have beefed up the programme for the June 16-20 jamboree, with seven races apiece from Tuesday to Friday before the action climaxes with an eight-strong finale on Saturday.
Describing the offering as an “exceptional renewal”, Ascot’s Director of Racing and Public Affairs Nick Smith said: “We hope the extra opportunities will be welcomed by horsemen, broadcasters and the public at home.
“We are of course taking nothing for granted in terms of the Government’s final approval to permit behind closed doors sporting events from June 1.”
Newcomers to the party are consolations to the big betting handicaps of royal week, the Silver Royal Hunt Cup (1m) and the Silver Wokingham (6f), to open proceedings on Wednesday and Saturday. The Copper Horse
Handicap (1m6f, Wednesday), the Golden Gates Handicap (10f, Thursday) and the Palace of Holyroodhouse Handicap (5f, Friday) are also new additions, while the seven-furlong Buckingham Palace Handicap, which lost its place to the Commonwealth Cup in 2015, makes a comeback as the meeting’s curtain-raiser on Tuesday.
In a change to the traditional running order, the Group 1
St James’s Palace Stakes and Coronation Stakes will be run on the fixture’s final day to allow runners from the 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas – scheduled to take place on June 6 and 7 – maximum recovery time.
The new look found favour with Frankie Dettori, crowned Royal Ascot’s top jockey for the sixth time in 2019 and the last rider to complete the 2,000 Guineas-st James’s Palace Stakes double.
He said: “I’m praying it all goes ahead as planned – and that I win as many of the races as possible!”