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 racecourse was founded by Queen Anne in 1711, but jump racing didn't arrive until 1965, more than 250 years later.
The jumps course was established using turf from Hurst Park racecourse, which had closed in 1962.
The Grade 2 1965 Chase, run each November, is named in honour of that first season of jump racing at Ascot.
Ascot stages eight days of jump racing between October and March, including three Grade 1 races: the Long Walk Hurdle, the Clarence House Chase and the Ascot Chase.
The Long Walk Hurdle takes its name from the Long Walk, the famous tree-lined avenue in nearby Windsor Great Park.
The grass is cut to exactly 5 inches for jump racing.
Ascot has hosted many of the greats of jump racing, including Arkle, Desert Orchid, Kauto Star, Sprinter Sacre, Thistlecrack and Altior.
The jumps course reopened in 2006/07 after the major redevelopment of the racecourse, and improved drainage means the ground rarely gets as testing as it used to.
The jumps course is a right-handed triangle laid out inside the Flat course, with ten fences per circuit.
There is a 73-foot climb from the lowest point, Swinley Bottom, up to the winning post, making the uphill finish a real test of stamina.
The fences are stiff and come in quick succession down the back straight, so the course rewards a fluent, accurate jumper.
Horses that race prominently and can freewheel down the hill into Swinley Bottom tend to do well, and with such a demanding test, the top-rated runners are usually hard to beat.

Similar Courses

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

Kempton
Hereford
Huntington
Ludlow
Folkestone
Taunton
Wincanton