What makes Royal Ascot so popular worldwide?

It's one of the world's most famous horse racing meetings of the flat season, where once a year the greatest horses, trainers and jockeys converge on Ascot Racecourse. Royal Ascot is where the racing public mingles with royalty, and where the best equine talent takes each other on in some of the most valuable races in the world.

So what makes Royal Ascot so popular in the world of racing?

The best horses from around the globe

Whereas races like the Epsom Derby and the 2000 Guineas are contested by British and Irish horses in the main, Royal Ascot attracts the best that flat racing has to offer from countries such as Australia, the USA, France and Japan. This not only makes for the most competitive races of the year but also garners the attention of racing fans around the world.

At Royal Ascot 2023, Artorious will make the long trip from down under to contest the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, a race for which he currently heads the betting market at a price of 11/4. The same price is available for the USA's main hope, American Rascal, whose nation will also be represented by Classic Causeway and Cynane earlier in the week.

The royal procession

It is not just in the UK that the Royal Family enjoys unbridled popularity. People from around the world are enthralled by the Windsors, and at Royal Ascot fans have the chance to get up close and personal with them, beginning with the famous royal procession that marks the start of the meeting.

Unfortunately, in 2023 Royal Ascot will be missing one of the biggest supporters there has ever been, as Her Majesty The Queen is no longer with us. The Queen was a huge supporter of racing in the UK, and Royal Ascot, in particular, was one of her favourite meetings of the year.

Who can forget the sheer joy on her face as she cheered home her horse, Estimate, to win the coveted Ascot Gold Cup back in 2013? She will be hugely missed this year, but King Charles III has taken over the mantle at the head of his beloved mother's racing empire, and he is sure to be proud to lead the procession on the opening day.

Top hats and tails

Dressing up for a day at the races is part and parcel of the enjoyment of a day at races in every corner of the world but at Royal Ascot, the dress code is taken to a new level. Each enclosure at the meeting will have its own dress code, but, in the main, top hat and tails are expected to be worn by men.

It is rare for female racing fans to turn up at any meeting throughout the year without fancy attire, but as with their male counterparts, there are also stricter rules when it comes to Royal Ascot. Women must wear a solid hat with a minimum base of 4 inches, whilst dresses must not be any shorter than just above the knee.

It may seem like an archaic exercise for many, but the smart dress code at Royal Ascot plays a big part in the instant recognition and popularity of the famous meeting, and it simply wouldn't be the same without it.  

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