Never have I lost so much money in a week or more enjoyed the process of doing so, at least until Mrs Oakley sees the size of the cheque I will be writing my bookmaker. Such is the competitiveness of Royal Ascot, I shall explain, that the only certainty of the week is that the Queen’s will be first of the four carriages across the line in the procession.
For sheer quality, style, panache and professionalism Royal Ascot has no rival on the Flat in Britain: it is our one true international meeting. Ten different racing nations had runners there last week with sprinters from eight countries in the King’s Stand Stakes alone including Australia, Hong Kong, the USA and Japan.
One thing that helps is that Royal Ascot, virtually alone among British race meetings, provides prize money to match the international scale.
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