Royal Ascot Betting Offers & Free Bets

It’s not only flat racing either. Since 1965 Ascot has been hosting jump racing throughout the winter on the National Hunt calendar. There are six jumps meetings with eight days of racing in total from November to April. It isn’t like it only hosts minor National Hunt races either with grade 1 The Clarence House Chase, The Ascot Chase and The Long Walk Hurdle all part of the winter program.

Royal Ascot

Royal Ascot is one of the most anticipated weeks of horse racing in the United Kingdom. Taking place at Ascot Racecourse, typically in June, it is when the best horses, trainers and owners from the sport gather together in Berkshire to take on some famous races. The Gold Cup is the centrepiece, but each day of the meeting has its own feature race that gives it a focus. There is millions on offer in prize money, whilst what takes place off the course is almost as important as what is going on on it. The Royal Enclosure is where most eyes will be looking during the week.

Each day begins with the Royal Procession at 2pm, which is when members of the Royal Family that are in attendance make their way towards the Royal Enclosure ready for a day of racing. Some of the big races across the week include the the Queen Anne Stakes, which gets the entire meeting underway, the King Charles III Stakes and the Prince of Wales’s Stakes. The strict dress code means that you can expect some fantastic fashion on offer during the week, especially as the women try to stand out from the crowd with wonderful hats and fascinators.

British Champions Day

The week of Royal Ascot will always be Ascot Racecourse's most exciting and exclusive meeting, with members of the Royal Family often in attendance. It isn't everyone's cup of tea, however, so if you would still like to experience racing at the course then British Champions Day might well be for you. During the course of the flat racing season there are numerous different divisions of racing that see the best horses progress to take part in one final race. Those final races are held on British Champions Day, with the likes of the British Champions Sprint Stakes being run.

It has been held since 2011 and is viewed as the conclusion to the flat racing season before all eyes turn to jump racing. There are five divisions that reach their zenith on the day, with each of the races having their own qualification criteria. There is also a handicap race and a conditions race, which are not the conclusion of anything but are still valuable events. 'Valuable' could well be the word applied to the entire day, with millions on offer in prize money to the winning horses in each of the event. From the British Champions Long Distance Cup to the Champion Stakes, it is a day of superb racing.

King George Weekend

The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is one of the most prestigious races of the year when it comes to flat racing. It is certainly one of the best flat races that doesn't take place during the week of Royal Ascot, even if the same racecourse is the location for both meetings. Events get underway on the Friday with a series of races that don't exactly capture the imagination, but are still more than interesting enough to ensure that racing purists and those that like to enjoy a day out will be able to enjoy themselves in the garden party spirit of the meeting.

It is the Saturday that features that best races, however. As well as the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the day also sees races such as the Princess Margaret Stakes being run. This is a meeting that sees the best and the brightest from the world of flat racing turning up to get involved. Queen Elizabeth II herself was known to turn up from time to time in order to watch the main race of the day, with more than a few celebrities being spotted over the years too. This meeting is less formal than the likes of Royal Ascot, but still officious enough to please those that love formality.

Clarence House Chase Day

One of the first jump race meetings of the year is the Clarence House Chase Race Day, which takes place at Ascot and proves that the course is more than just a flat racing venue. Always scheduled to take place in January, the meeting is a wintery one at a course that is typically thought of as being a summer venue. The cocktails on the drinks menu are swapped from being refreshing offerings to that that are more likely to warm you up, whilst there are all sorts of comfort foods on offer for those that want to get a bite to eat. You can usually see people wearing nice warm clothes for a race day that often takes place in chilly conditions.

As you'll probably have worked out from the name of the meeting, the Clarence House Chase is the feature race of the day. The Grade 1 event takes place over around two miles and one furlong, with 13 fences for the horses to get over. It should have been run for the first time in 1987 before being postponed by a year, eventually getting its inauguration in 1989 thanks to first a heavy frost and then fog delaying proceedings. Having enjoyed numerous sponsors over the years, it was originally a handicap event but that stopped in 2007, albeit there was no race run that year due to the fact that the course was waterlogged.

Ascot Chase Raceday

Being based around the Ascot Chase, which is a Grade 1 National Hunt race, the Ascot Chase Race Day is one of the most important jump race meetings in the Ascot Racecourse calendar. The race itself is obviously the centre of attention, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't pay attention to the rest of the race card. There are some decent races in there, not the least of which is the Reynoldstown Novices' Chase, a Grade 2 event that is open for novice steeplechasers and was named in honour of a horse that won two Grand Nationals in the 1930s. It shows that this is a meeting that the world of jump racing takes seriously.

In terms of what you can expect from the rest of the day, the racecourse is more used to welcoming Royalty than National Hunt fans. As a result, it is a chance to head to one of the most iconic courses in the world on a day when the pageantry and, dare we say it, snobbery will be absent and there will be much more focus on what is taking place on the racecourse than off it. The general vibe of the meeting is one of preparation, with the owners, jockeys and trainers all testing themselves out ahead of the Cheltenham Festival the following month. There is no reason why punters shouldn't be getting themselves ready for that too.

Spring Family Raceday

All but one of the races that are run on Spring Family Race Day are handicap events, which perhaps tells you something about what you can expect from the meeting. Unlike with most of the other meetings that take place at Ascot Racecourse, there is no feature race of the day, with the focus instead being put on families. It means that kids are given an opportunity to learn about the thrills and spills of jump racing on a course that is more typically known for its flat racing. It is the final jump meeting of the season at Ascot, so presents a chance for racegoers to see what life is like here without all of the Royalty-based pageantry.

The fact that it is the spring meeting gives you some indication of what the weather is going to be like, with most punters changing their woolly jumpers and wellington boots for something a little more appropriate. The Veterans' Handicap Chase is the most beloved race of the day, albeit not a feature one, with the Class 2 event seeing older horses head onto the turf to test their mettle against other horses aged ten and up. Coming after the end of the Cheltenham Festival and before the Grand National meeting, it is a chance for horses, jockeys and trainers to ensure that they are finely tuned should they wish to take on the 'World's Greatest Steeplechase'.

Fireworks Spectacular Raceday

The Gold Cup Handicap Chase is the feature race of the Fireworks Spectacular Family Raceday, coming right towards the end of the day's racing. That doesn't mean that you only need to turn up towards the end of the day, however, with numerous different handicap events on offer to amuse and entertain. The day even comes to a close with a flat race run under National Hunt conditions, meaning that there are numerous opportunities for you to explain to the young people in your life exactly how various aspects of the horse racing industry tend to work. That is just one part of the manner in which the meeting it aimed at families.

The other is that the entire day is brought to a close with a spectacular firework display. More than 20,000 fireworks are sent up into the night sky, all set to be part of a pyro-musical show that is sure to delight people of all ages. During the day, there are numerous things going on off the course that are aimed at pleasing and delighting your kids, including the fact that there are fairground rides on offer. It means that there is adrenaline-pumping action to be found both on and off the course, promising a brilliant environment in which to introduce young people to the world of National Hunt jump racing.

Royal Ascot Trials Day

Flat racing returns to Ascot Racecourse for the first time with Ascot Trials Day. As the name suggests, it is a day that offers horses a chance to experience what it might be like to take part in Royal Ascot, with each of the seven races that is run during the course of the day being a trial for one of the Royal meeting's races. There are a couple of Group 3 races taking place during the day, meaning that there is a decent chance that you'll be able to watch a high level of racing as the day progresses, all whilst enjoying what Ascot has to offer. The weather will almost certainly have started to turn a little brighter too, which is good news for racegoers.

Whilst the racecourse will be looking good as it welcomes back the flat racing that it is best known for, it is ultimately what is taking place on the track that will be the focus of most people's attention. The horses will be looking to prove themselves ahead of the major meeting of the season, whilst the trainers and punters alike will be wanting to get a sense of how the horses cope with running on the Ascot course. There is plenty to be learnt about the runners and riders for Royal Ascot week, with everyone concerned finding their way back into the world of flat racing ready for the testing season that will lie ahead of them.

Shergar Cup

The Shergar Cup is designed as something of a stop-gap between the end of the Glorious Goodwood meeting and the start of the Ebor Festival. It is also something that is unique in terms of racing competitions, given that it is a team event that sees various sets of jockeys put together based on things such as where they're from. The teams are made up of jockeys representing Great Britain & Ireland, Europe, the Rest of the World and Hong Kong. Points are awarded depending on how the jockeys perform in each race that they take part in, with 15 points for a win, 10 points for second and so on.

The races themselves are designed to offer different disciplines that will test all of the horses that are running, meaning that trainers need to think about which horses to put forward for the different events. It is the job of the race officials to split the horses up according to their ability, so as to ensure that each of the teams gets a fair split of horses. Each team is made up of three jockeys, with each jockey getting five races. The meeting was sponsored by the Aga Khan, which is why the event is named in honour of his horse, which was stolen and murdered by the IRA in the 1980s after the horse had won the Derby in 1981.

Summer Mile Meeting

Racing isn't necessarily the sort of thing that young people are naturally drawn towards, so Ascot Racecourse needs to work hard to appeal to them. Yes, top-class racing is likely to win them over eventually, but giving them stuff to do off the course is one of the sure-fire ways of at least getting them to the course and giving the world of thoroughbred racing the opportunity to gain their love. That is what the Summer Mile meeting promises, given the fact that the Saturday is given over to the entertainment of families thanks to the likes of fairground rides, jugglers and face-painters all dominated the off-course proceedings.

None of which is to say that the racing isn't important. The Friday is not family oriented, instead being a day that is more heavily racing-focused, even if people are likely to be enjoying a picnic and a drink in the summer sun. The Saturday also has some noteworthy racing, not least of all the race that the weekend itself is named in honour of, the Summer Mile Stakes. That Group 2 race is the main event, but the rest of the racing across the weekend is well worth your time. Ultimately, though, this meeting is about both getting kids into racing and seeing flat racing return to Ascot Racecourse for the first time since the Royal meeting.

Peroni Nastro Azzurro Meeting

The Peroni Nastro Azzurro meeting is split over two days, promising plenty of chances for punters to get their bets placed on some big races. It is considered by many to be a test event prior to Royal Ascot taking place at the racecourse just a couple of weeks later, so to some the racing is less important than the experience that they get to enjoy. It is a chance to see what Ascot Racecourse has to offer for the Royal meeting without all of the fuss that comes with being at the course at the same time as members of the Royal Family. No bowing and scraping, but an opportunity to see the course at its very best.

Don't dismiss the racing entirely, though. There are a sold number of handicaps being run on the Friday, which obviously present punters with an opportunity to catch bookmakers out if they haven't figured out whether or not the handicapper has got their judgements right. It is the same sort of thing on the Saturday, with the added advantage of the Victoria Cup being the feature race of the day. The two days provide punters with plenty of chances to go head-to-head with the bookies, whilst anyone keen to take a look at what the racecourse will look like when the King and his family turn up later in the month can do just that.

September Meeting

If you mention Ascot Racecourse to the majority of people, the main meeting that is held there that they will know about is Royal Ascot. That is a very officious occasion, with members of the Royal Family in regular attendance and those that are present having to bow, scrape and follow the necessary protocol. There are a good number of other meetings that take place during the year that lack that formality, however, with the September Meeting being a good example. Those that are present don't have quite the same need to be on their best behaviour, so the atmosphere is one of relaxed enjoyment and catching up with old friends.

It is why the lawn is almost as popular as the grandstand, with people taking advantage of the last of the good weather for the year to have a picnic and a drink or two. That isn't to say that the racing isn't worth thinking about, of course. There is plenty to be admired and enjoyed on the racecourse, not the least of which is the Chapel Down Stakes that is run on the Saturday. Taking place over a mile and a half, it is a Heritage Handicap event that is the focus of the weekend. The Friday is more about the horses of the future, with the entire meeting getting underway with two races specifically for two-year-olds, some of whom have gone on to win Group races.

Autumn Meeting

When it comes to horse racing, Ascot Racecourse offers some of the best in the business. The Autumn Meeting is no exception, with the Saturday in particular well worth watching for those that love the sport. The Cumberland Lodge Stakes is a Group 3 event that promises top-class racing in line with so many other events that the famous old course holds during the year. The Challenge Cup, meanwhile, is worthy of your attention on account of the fact that it is the wealthiest seven-furlong handicap run anywhere in the United Kingdom. In reality, though, the Autumn Meeting isn't really about what's taking place on the course.

Instead, it is the activity off the course that makes the Autumn Meeting so popular with racegoers, given that Ascot Racecourse combines the fixture with a Beer Festival. The racing is excellent, but the 160+ beers, lagers, ciders, perries and real ales that people in attendance get to try is what helps to set the event apart from any others. It means that the crowd is an exciting mix of those that support the Campaign for Real Ale and want to have a few drinks and those that love excellent horse racing, with the two sets of people mixing together to create an excellent atmosphere of conviviality and fun, with racing right at its centre.

November Meeting

If you've got kids that you're thinking of introducing to the world of jump racing, the November Meeting provides the perfect opportunity for you to do just that on the Saturday. Whilst the racing on offer is excellent, it isn't ever going to be as popular as the likes of the Grand National or the Cheltenham Festival, so it is a bit more relaxed in nature. It is definitely more relaxed than Royal Ascot, which is perhaps what Ascot Racecourse is best-known for, along with other flat racing events. It is a course that has both flat racing and jump racing to offer, however, with the November Meeting being the ideal example of the latter.

The Saturday might see more kids than the Friday, but it also sees two different Grade 2 races that promise plenty of thrills and spills. Both the 1965 Chase and the Ascot Hurdle are races with a rich history, which in turn tends to attract some of the biggest names in the sport. The mid-range trips almost always promise excitement, so you'll be delighted you managed to catch them. The weather, of course, is likely to be much more miserable than Ascot Racecourse will have seen for the majority of the flat racing that it hosted earlier in the year, but in many ways that just adds a sense of excitement to the whole proceeding for many.

Christmas Racing Weekend

There are many who love a bit of horse racing at Christmastime, which is why the likes of the King George VI Chase is so popular. It is also why Ascot Racecourse does a Christmas-themed meeting just days before the main event, seeing the course itself turned into a veritable winter wonderland. There are plenty of activities and other forms of engagement on offer with a Christmas theme off the course, including the presence of Father Christmas himself on the Saturday. Add in the fact that both days feature a bit of candle-lit carol singing with the backing of the Ascot Brass Band and you can see why so many people love this meeting.

There is also the small matter of the racing, with some Graded races on offer for each of the days. On the Friday it is the Grade 2 Noel Novices' Chase that sits centre stage, whilst on the Saturday the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle presents the country's best staying hurdlers with an opportunity to join the roll of honour that includes the likes of Big Buck's, Paisley Park and Thistlecrack. Of course, it is the season of cheer and goodwill, so there is no question that the Christmas spirit that is there for all to see will delight the majority of racegoers. This is a meeting that is great for families and horse racing lovers alike.

The History Of Ascot Racecourse

In 1711, Queen Anne went for a ride on one of her horses, departing Windsor Castle and coming across an open heath that she thought was ‘ideal for horses to gallop at full stretch’. By the 12th of July, an announcement had been made in the London Gazette of a new race meeting that would be held there. The announcement said:

“Her Majesty’s Plate of 100 guineas will be run for round the new heat on Ascott Common, near Windsor, on Tuesday, August 7th next, by any horse, mare or gelding, being no more than six years old the grass before, as must be certified under the hand of the breeder, carrying 12 St., three heats, to be entered the last day of July, at Mr. Hancock’s, at Fern Hill, near the Starting Post.”

The first meeting of racing at the place that would go on to become Ascot Racecourse took place on the 11th of August 1711. That is because the original plan mentioned in the London Gazette had to be postponed, with one theory being that the course wasn’t ready in time. It was witnessed by the Queen herself, as well as a ‘brilliant suite’ accompanying her. The first winning horse was Doctor, taking home the prize in a £50 plate event featuring seven horses, with the inaugural owner being the Duke of St Albans. In spite of the success of the first meeting, it took more than 80 years for the first permanent building to be erected.

The Course Takes Shape

That first building was put in place by a local builder from Windsor called George Slingsby. It could hold 1,650 people and was used for nearly 50 years. It was placed to have a perfect view over the course that had been laid out by William Lowen and the decision to built it came after the popularity of the four day meeting that took place for the first time in 1768. In 1793, £10,000 was spent to build a new grandstand, with the Gold Cup coming along 14 years later. An 1813 Act of Parliament cemented the place of Ascot Racecourse in British culture.

That Act declared that Ascot Heath would be kept and used for the purpose of a racecourse for the public. It was around the same time that the dress code that we all expect to see today first came into use. It was Beau Brummell, a friend of the Prince Regent, who declared that men should wear an outfit that would develop into the morning suit. Women, in a bid to keep up, wore equally formal clothing that was finished off with a hat. In the modern world, the Ascot Style Guide helps people to understand exactly what is expected of them if they attend Royal Ascot.

The Move To The Modern Era

The Master of the Royal Buckhounds was given the responsibility of handling the course on behalf of the crown, which remained the case until 1901, when His Majesty’s Representative took over the role. The first person to carry out the role was Lord Churchill, who was not only responsible for running the course but also who was allowed entrance to the Royal Enclosure. In 1913, another Act of Parliament established the Ascot Authority, which made His Majesty’s Representative a Senior Trustee. In the years that followed, Ascot Authority (Holdings) Limited was formed and given a formal board.

During the Second World War, between 1940 and 1943, no racing was run at Ascot. Instead, the course was commandeered by the army and the Grandstand became an accommodation location for the gunners that made up the Royal Artillery. It wasn’t until May 1943 that racing resumed, at which point an eight-race card was run. Racing took place almost immediately after the conclusion of the war, with a 19-year-old Princess Elizabeth attending for the first time on the 21st of May 1945. It took another 20 years for the first National Hunt meeting to be run at the course.

‘Royal’ Ascot

The links between Ascot Racecourse and the Royal Family had been in place ever since Queen Anne helped to establish it more than 200 years before. In terms of the modern era, though, that visit of Princess Elizabeth was crucial. When she became queen, Elizabeth II had a keen interesting racing. That was thanks to the fact that she was both an owner and a breeder of racehorses, with jockeys that rode her horses easily identified thanks to the purple body adorned with gold braid and scarlet sleeves, in addition to a black velvet cap boasting gold fringe.

As for Royal Ascot itself, it developed out of that first four-day meeting of 1768. When the Gold Cup was introduced in 1807, the meeting had a race that was prestigious enough to begin to gain proper interest. Until 1939, what became known as Royal Ascot was the only meeting held at the racecourse, showing its importance to the course for the first 200 years or so. Since 1825, the meeting has got underway with the Royal Procession, beginning at 2pm and involving the singing of the National Anthem and the raising of the Royal Standard as members of the Royal Family arrive.

The Importance Of Royal Ascot To Racing

The importance of any race meeting tends to be dictated by the money involved in it. With that in mind, it is worth noting that Royal Ascot is the most valuable race meeting in Britain. The world’s best racehorses, trainers and jockeys compete in the events for prize money that stood at more than £7 million in 2019. Around 500 horses take part in races across the five days, with 18 of the events being Group races. They are broadcast to millions of people around the world, with in excess of 6,500 people brought in as temporary staff and 20,000 flowers and shrubs grown.

Three of the four enclosures at the racecourse are open to the public during Royal Ascot, with the fourth being the Royal Enclosure. Access is strictly limited and first-time visitors need to be given sponsorship from someone who has been in the Royal Enclosure for at least four years. Members are sent invitations from His Majesty’s Representative, allowing them to request badges on a yearly basis. They are hand-written and can only be worn by the named person. The colour of the badge itself is different for each day of the meeting, ensuring that they can’t be worn more than once.

Ascot Course Guide

There are two courses at Ascot Racecourse, with the flat course being the one that is used for Royal Ascot. The round part of the course is right-handed, offering a galloping course that promises a triangular circuit that is a mile and three-quarters long. The run-on is two and half furlongs in length, whilst there is also a straight mile course that offers better draining than the course proper. The flat course has an inner course that provides the option of switching the course around on Champions Day if there is un-raceable ground on the main course.

How well each horse type will do depends on the length of the race that they’re taking part in. Prominent racers will tend to do well over events of five furlongs in distance, whereas those that prefer to be held up might struggle. The opposite is true once the race moved to seven furlongs of further, with horses that are held up tending to do better than those that get themselves out in front. On the round course, those that run in the first half of the field in races of a mile and a quarter or more are likely to cope better than those caught towards the back of the field.

The jump course is a right-handed galloping one that was given major re-development ahead of the 2006-2007 season. The course now drains faster than it used to, but if the rain has been relentless then the conditions can still prove to be hard work. The interesting thing to note about it when it comes to bets that might be placed is that it boasts one of the lowest non-completion rates across the country. That is suggestive of a course that is tough and asks questions, especially if the Going is Heavy, but is still one that horses can get round well enough.

Ascot Racecourse Facilities

The quality of the facilities at Ascot Racecourse are top-notch, with differing levels on offer depending on the enclosure that you’ve got tickets for. It also depends on whether or not you’ve opted to take a hospitality package. There are private boxes, restaurants and other areas that you can locate yourself, with one of the restaurants offering an excellent view of the course itself. If you get tickets for the Queen Anne Enclosure then you’ll be able to get access to the trackside lawns, as well as the Parade Ring and the Grandstand itself.

Tickets for the Windsor Enclosure, meanwhile, will be the first to view the Royal Procession thanks to its location on the east of the Grandstand on the Straight Mile. The Village Enclosure was added in 2017 and can be found on the Heath, which is in the middle of the course. It is only open from the Thursday to the Saturday of the meeting and it is where you can get al fresco dining, street food and live music, as well as great views of the track and the Grandstand. All locations include the likes of toilets and betting facilities, which is ideal for racegoers.

Ascot Visitor Information

If you’re thinking of heading to Ascot Racecourse then you’re in for a treat. It is a genuinely impressive sight and one of the most enjoyable experiences in flat racing. The most important thing that you’ll want to know about is what it is that you’re expected to wear, which will mostly be dictated by when you’re going and where your tickets are for. We will look specifically at Royal Ascot, given that that is the meeting that is most popular during the course of the year. The one location we didn’t talk about with regards to the facilities is the Royal Enclosure, largely because it is unnecessary.

As you might imagine, the Royal Enclosure has the best facilities on the racecourse, which is why access is strictly limited. The dress code is also stricter than in other parts of the course, with men expected to wear grey, navy or black morning dress as well as a top hat. Women, meanwhile, are asked to wear formal daywear as well as a hat that has a base of four inches or more in its diameter. Those requirements were the ones first introduced by Beau Brummel, who suggested men wear waisted black coats and white cravats, with pantaloons on the bottom half.

If you’re in the Queen Anne Enclosure then the dress code is slightly more relaxed, though still formal in nature. Women are asked to dress in a manner that ‘befits a formal occasion’, with a hat or a fascinator being worn at all times. Men, meanwhile, are still asked to wear a suit, but it only needs to be a full-length one rather than a morning suit. It needs to be joined by a collared shirt and a tie, in addition to socks that cover the ankles. The Windsor Enclosure, on the other hand, promised a much more relaxed and informal atmosphere, which stretches to the dress code.

Guests are encouraged to wear ‘smart daywear’, which amounts to shirts with collars and jackets for men, as well as hats or fascinators for women. There is a similar dress code in play in the Village Enclosure, with women wearing formal daywear whilst men are required to wear a jacket, a collared shirt and tie as well as full-length trousers and those socks that cover the ankles once again. Across the five days of the meeting, the final one is the most relaxed. The Saturday promises visitors a chance to be much more social than across the other days.

Getting To Ascot Racecourse

If you’ve been lucky enough to get tickets for one of the days that is run at Ascot Racecourse then you’ll want to know how to get there. The racecourse itself is located in a perfect spot, adjoining Windsor Great Park in beautiful wooded countryside. It is close to the M3, M4, M40 and M25, for those guests planning on driving there, whilst those taking the train will be on it for about 50 minutes if they’re heading out of Central London. Anyone coming from further afield will want to fly into Heathrow Airport, from which access is relatively easy to Windsor thanks to London’s excellent transport links.

South Western Railway is the company that runs services from Reading, Guilford and London Waterloo out to Ascot. Reading its about 27 minutes away, whilst it’s 52 minutes on average from Waterloo. Once you’ve arrived at the train station, it is about seven minutes walk to the racecourse. If you’re driving from London and the north of England then you’ll want to take the M4 until junction 6, at which point you’ll get onto the A332 Windsor bypass, from where you’ll be able to follow signs. From the west, it’s still the M4 but junction 10 for the A329(M).

If you’re coming from elsewhere in the south and the east, you’ll take the M3 to junction 3, which will get you onto the A332. Those of you coming from the Midlands, meanwhile, will be taking the M40 to junction 4. From there you’ll be getting the A404 to the M4 at junction 8/9. On the M4 you’ll want to head towards Heathrow / London and leave the M4 at junction 6, taking the A332 towards Ascot. You can buy parking at Royal Ascot online, with car parks located close to the racecourse in numerous different locations. Those with helicopters or private jets will head to a location operated by Flexjet.