The first ever meeting held at Ascot was on the 11th of August 1711 after Queen Anne came across an area of open heath near Windsor Castle when out riding.

Racing has continued at Ascot ever since 1711 with parliament passing an Act of Enclosure in 1813 which meant that the heath (although the property of the crown) could be used as a racecourse for the public.

In the modern era high fashions are always on show over the whole meeting in particular Ladies Day on the Thursday. Each day there is a royal parade held before racing where the royal procession comes down the track to the Royal Box, with the meeting being many people's social and racing highlight of the season.

Betting over the five days sees millions changing hands in bets with the racing of the highest quality. Over the meeting there are six Group 1 contests, seven Group 2s and three Group 3 races - the most Group races at any meeting of the year.

Tuesday 16th June:

The opening day of the 2009 meeting sees no fewer than three consecutive Group 1 races on offer to kick off the festival in style. Firstly there is the Queen Anne Stakes, run over 1 mile and featuring the worlds top milers aged 4 and over. Saeed Bin Suroor’s Godolphin team have an excellent recent record in the Queen Anne, having claimed the race 7 times in the last 13 years. Next up is the King’s Stand Stakes, which draws an international cast of sprinters for the 5 furlong dash and forms part of the ‘Global Sprint Challenge’ series. The top 3 year old milers get their turn afterwards with the prestigious St James’s Palace Stakes, which Aidan O’Brien claimed in both 2007 and 2008. The other races featured on the Tuesday card include the Group 2 Coventry Stakes, the Ascot Stakes and the Windsor Castle Stakes.

Wednesday 17th June:

The undoubted highlight of Day 2 is the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes, run over 1 mile 2 furlongs and has a world-class winners list including the likes of Fantastic Light (2001), Ouija Board (2006) and Duke of Marmalade (2008). Group 2’s on offer are the Windsor Forest Stakes and the Queen Mary Stakes. The other races also provide excellent betting fare – the Group 3 Jersey Stakes, the Royal Hunt Cup and the Sandringham Handicap.

Thursday 18th June:

Day 3 will undoubtedly be dominated by the Group 1 Gold Cup, featuring the world’s top stayers over the 2 mile 4 furlong trip. The race has become synonymous with Ballydoyle’s legendary Yeats in recent years, who has been victorious for 3 successive years and should be going for number 4 in 2009. Other significant races on Thursday include the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes and Ribblesdale Stakes. Competitive handicaps are also assured in the Britannia Stakes and King George V Stakes, while the Hampton Court Stakes provides a 1 mile 2 furlong Listed challenge for 3 year olds.

Friday 19th June:

Friday’s top offering is the Group 1 Coronation Stakes, where the world’s top 3 year old fillies converge. Expect to see many of the horses who contested the 1,000 Guineas earlier in the season to renew rivalries again in the Coronation. The 3 year old Colts also have their turn today with the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes, run over 1 mile 4 furlongs. Group 3 action is provided by the Albany Stakes and the Queen’s Vase, while keep an eye out for strong betting markets in the Wolferton Handicap and the Buckingham Palace Stakes.

Saturday 20th June:

The final day is a top one for sprinters as the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes takes centre stage. Run over 6 furlongs, the race traditionally has an international flavour as the top trainers from all over the world attempt to land a prestigious victory on the biggest flat racing stage of all. The other group offering of the day is the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes, which is another 1 mile 4 furlong renewal. One of the strongest handicaps of the week takes place in the shape of the Wokingham, while the Chesham Stakes, the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes and the Queen Alexandra Stakes round off one of the world’s great weeks of UK flat racing.