This shows up in the results as outsiders do win races. This makes for fun for the amateur punters, who attend in huge numbers, as choosing a horse by pin sticking or name association can produce a winner.
Apart from the racing the social scene is paramount. See and be seen is the motto of one and all. The crowd contains all the elements of modern life. In fact watching people is almost more interesting than watching the racing.
Royal Ascot is seen by many to be purely for the upper crust. In fact many more attend the meeting in Tattersalls, the Silver Ring and the Heath than do in the Enclosure.
Everybody is dressed to kill. Inside the Enclosure formal morning dress is compulsory for men. This is a black tail coat with grey striped or checked trousers or a grey tail coat and trousers. A top hat, either black silk or grey felt, is also obligatory. In the past there was a strict code of which oufit was worn on which day. As the dress is formal, shoes should be highly polished black lace ups although moccasins are to be seen and even one pair of the dreaded grey shoes was spotted. The ladies wear a variety of outfits but the real emphasis is on their hats. There is more effort and sometimes more money spent on costumes outside the enclosure than in it. The feeling that everybody is looking their best, in their own eyes anyway, adds to the splendour of the occasion.
And it's not just the people, some arrive by horse drawn carriage, particularly the Royal Family, others in the pride of their vintage car collection. Enormous elderly Rolls Royces, some open and boat backed some tall and closed with enough room to dance 12, Ferraris, Porsches, Maseratis, Jensens, Bristols, E type Jaguars, you name it it's there.
It is Royal Ascot and the Sovereign enjoys her race meeting as much if not more than anyone. So does her mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, who at the grand age of 95 was present on all four days. At 2 o'clock before the start of racing the Royal Party rides in open carriages over a mile down the track and past the stands. They get a tremendous reception from the crowd. Their regular visits to the paddock, which is accessible to all racegoers, are conducted by walking through the crowds who have an unrivaled opportunity to eyeball a Royal at close quarters.
The meeting acts as a forum for meeting old friends and making new ones. Some people only see each other at Ascot each year and in spite of the crowds meeting people is easy as the conservative Brits tend to stick to a pattern of behaviour.
It was a joy to meet our Public relations adviser who had just had a winner and therefore felt the need to buy some bubbles. When he took of his top hat, grey not black, I was intrigued to see he had the racing section of his newspaper stuck across top of the inside.
It was fitting that he should keep his information under his hat.
The weather plays an important part in the level of enjoyment and this year it was glorious. Even if one has had an horrendous day betting, the lazy walk back to the car park through the evening sunshine and the still glittering crowds is one of the year's true moments of joy.
Overseas visitors can obtain tickets through their embassies who have a supply.
Alternatively if the Royal meeting is too pompous for your taste the Ascot Heath meeting on the Saturday is tremendous fun and much more informal.
PS Regular readers will know that I was awaiting the third UFO from Mrs Fox. It turned out to be a slice of chocolate cake on the trousers from a range of under 50cms. Messy!
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