Ascot Country Fair Raceday

Mothering Sunday and we had been invited to join with daughter and family for a special outing to Ascot, on the last day of their jump season, also to celebrate Joanna and Jess's birthdays in the next few days. This meeting is an opportunity, especially for more local people, to use the luxurious facilities that are excruciatingly expensive on Royal Ascot days! A table had been booked in the Parade Restaurant on the same level as the Royal Box. We had a direct view over the parade ring.

Turnstiles

We drove over to Windsor where they had a taxi booked for 11:45 to take all of us to the racecourse, which dropped us all off close to the main entrance. Soon we were inside and immediately impressed by the scale of the main grandstand.

Parade Ring

Although there was a race at midday, the main session did not start until 2pm so we headed straight to the restaurant where we took up residence for the rest of the day.

Lunch was roast beef - incredibly tender slices - and even the braised cabbage took Mike's fancy (him eating cooked cabbage is almost unknown!)

Viewing from grandstand

By the time we had finished our main course, it was time for the first race which gave us a chance to find out where to view from. Just along from the restaurant on the same level is the section of the grandstand set aside for Parade ticket holders.

Off for the next lap

A huge screen just opposite us showed all the action as the field assembled at the opposite side of the track and soon they were off. All of the races where over a lap in length so they passed us once before coming to the finishing post just where we stood. Sadly we soon discovered that the positions of horses in the running order at the stage when the first came by was absolutely no guide to where they would finish! Adrian's tote bet came well down the order. Not quite sure why Wallace and Grommit joined the winning parade.

Finishing post

Winning Presentation

Back to our table and we enjoyed our dessert - gourmet bread and butter pudding. There was no time to have our coffee before the second race and this time Mike took a reckless £2 punt on the one horse that had never won a previous race - he reckoned that since all the others had at least one win then this horse must come up some time! Well, he was close but even second was no good as it was not a place bet!

Adrian took the girls to see the lamb racing but they did not seem overly impressed. Someone asked how the lambs knew which way to run - well, that's what the dog following behind is for!

Rabbits

Goats

After our coffees we walked down to the Plaza Lawns at ground level where there plenty of other activities - the meeting was not called the Country Fair Raceday for nothing! Alice and Jess enjoyed the chance to have close encounters with rabbits, geese, goats and chickens.

Herding ducks

Jess and Mike watched the demonstration of working collies herding, not sheep as there is not enough room, but a flock of ducks. First came the youngest of the three dog who was put through its paces to show how it is trained.

The second dog then took the ducks through the obstacles and into the pen whilst finally the most experienced collie was used to guide the flock around three large groups of members of the audience sat on the grass.

We all joined up to watch a race from the trackside, very different from watching up in the grandstand. Christine placed her bet with one of the individual bookies in the enclosure. She was quietly hopeful when it came passed in second place, closely challenging the leader. Imagine, dear reader, her frustration when it came around the final bend in last place which where it ended up at the finish line!

After Jess and Alice queued and had a go on the challenging and unusual climb up to the inflated slide. After a couple of levels, Alice sussed out the best way to climb but Jess found the larger boys made progress rather difficult and, after reaching about half way, she came back down the way she went up.

Back at our restaurant table we had a cup of tea before it was time for the final race. The card was quite small and only four declared so making a choice was not hard. Mike took a look at the parade ring and picked number 6, pretty much at random. He then went through to the viewing area with Ellie (the ticket was really for her as she could not buy her own!) and then Adrian and Alice joined them.

The Winner!

This time, our runner came through in a strong second place but, as the field went around the far part of of the course we could see one fall well behind the others. Was it ours?

Yes, that does say First

As they came down the final straight, Mike was convinced that our horse was in second but coming to the finish a fading third. It was something close to incredulity that he heard Adrian and Ellie say that we had won! (Mike had mis-read the colours, confusing one red with another . . .)

Don't spend it all at once . . .

Back to the restaurant and Adrian collected the £11.40 winnings for Ellie who was over the moon! As it happened, Mike had picked the outsider.

The family table

Slowly we walked back down to the exit and across to the pick up area where the taxi collected us and so back to Windsor at the end of a wonderful day out - even the weather was kind to us. Thank you! We did not stay more than a few minutes before returning back to the boat and we will be off in the morning - hopefully!