ASCOT Racecourse

A practical guide to ASCOT Racecourse, including its track layout, jumping test and the courses most likely to provide useful form clues.

About ASCOT Racecourse

Ascot is probably better known for its flat racing particularly the Royal meeting which is held in the summer. However their Winter National Hunt Meetings are excellent events and perhaps more for the racing purists, rather than the pomp and glamour of Royal Ascot.

Key Characteristics

The Ascot course is a large galloping track of 14 furlongs circumference with a 2 Furlong run in. The course is triangular in nature with 10 fences per circuit. The large sweeping turns and galloping nature of the course mean that it tends to suit large galloping chasers. Nowadays the ground in the straight drains quicker than the rest of the course so going descriptions can vary. It is thought that front runners are favoured at Ascot, due to the nature of the turns and the short run in.

Course Summary

Track: Galloping right handed track with an easy finish.

Fences: Quite difficult.

Interesting Facts

Ascot was founded by Queen Anne in 1711 after she identified the heath as a suitable place for horses to gallop.
The Gold Cup, first run in 1807, is the oldest surviving race at Royal Ascot.
National Hunt racing began at Ascot in 1965, with the new jumps course laid using turf from the closed Hurst Park Racecourse.
In 2013, Estimate became the first horse owned by a reigning monarch to win the Ascot Gold Cup.

Similar Courses

Form from the following courses may be particularly relevant when assessing runners at ASCOT:

Kempton
Hereford
Huntington
Ludlow
Folkestone
Taunton
Wincanton