By the time that September rolls around, there isn’t long last of the flat racing season. Those that love that form of the sport of horse racing want to soak up as much of it as they can in the best possible environment for it. One of the best options in front of them is the September Meeting at Ascot Racecourse, which offers two days of racing on the flat at one of the best known venues that the sport has to offer. Ascot is one of the world’s most famous places to watch horse racing, with virtually everyone, even those that don’t like the sport, having heard of Royal Ascot and understanding the relationship between racing and the Royal Family.
Of course, Royal Ascot is little more than a distant memory by the time that everyone is settling in to watch the September Meeting. If you’re lucky then you might just get an Indian summer seeing the sun shine down on you, but more likely is the idea of rain in the ear and the darkness starting to close in. Everyone there is looking for a bit of fun, though, so the atmosphere tends to be relaxed and sociable. It is not uncommon for racegoers to take a picnic onto the lawn if it’s dry enough to sit on, catching up with old friends and then turning they eyes towards the course every time the horses start running in a race.
About the Weekend
It is fair to say that there are other horse racing meetings run at Ascot Racecourse that have much more noteworthy races run during them. We have already mentioned Royal Ascot, which is arguably the most famous meeting that flat racing has to offer, let alone the venue itself. When it comes to the September meeting, it would be a lie to say that the races that take place are the sort of thrilling spectacle that you’re not going to be able to take your eyes off. Instead, there are two Class 2 handicaps that become the feature of the Friday, whilst the Saturday sees the Heritage Handicap Chapel Down Stakes take centre-stage.
Of course, just because there isn’t the sort of top-class racing that you might experience during other days at Ascot Racecourse doesn’t mean that the September Meeting just be dismissed out of hand. The racing that is run across the two days is still decent enough, whilst it is what happens off the course that is liable to capture the imagination of most of the punters in attendance. The vibe is a much more laid back one than many people will have experienced at the course in previous meetings, with picnics on the lawn being the sort of thing that people get up to in between visits to the bar to get another drink to enjoy.
The joy of September is that there is a decent chance that the weather will be pleasant, so you can expect lightweight outfits and sunglasses on the majority of racegoers. Ascot tends to attract many of the same crowd each time there is a race meeting being held, so the same people that turn up for the September Meeting will have been at Royal Ascot, when the expectation will have been that they bow and scrape in front of members of the Royal Family and dress up to the nines. As a result, they delight in the chance to let their metaphorical hair down in the less formal setting of this meeting, even if the racing is not quite as good.
September Meeting Schedule
With two days’ worth of flat racing to be enjoyed, it is fair to say that there is plenty for punters who want to have a flutter to get their teeth into during the course of the September Meeting. There is an individual page on offer for the two days elsewhere on this site, but it is also worth having a quick look at what you can expect on both the Friday and the Saturday of the September Meeting:
Friday
The truth of the September Meeting is that the Saturday is the day that the majority of people are going to want to head to, thanks in no small part to the fact that the Heritage Handicap Chapel Down Stakes is the feature race of the whole weekend and is held on the second day of it. That being said, it would be wrong to be dismissive of the Friday altogether. In fact, there will be some that will argue that the Friday is the more exciting of the two days, if for no other reason than most of the races are of a level with one another and therefore are more likely to produce a few classic outings from the horses that are taking to the field.
If you’re the sort of person that likes to have a look at what is happening in the races of younger horses to get some indications for the future then you’ll doubtless be delighted to learn that the September Meeting gets underway on the Friday with a pair of races just for two-year-olds, which have the potential to be very informative indeed. Both of the races have seen runs from horses that have gone on to do well in Group-level events in the future, so ignore them at your peril. The day also sees to Class 2 handicap races taking place, including the Victoria Racing Club Handicap that offers a nod to Ascot’s relationship to the home of the Melbourne Cup.
Saturday
If Friday has done well to whet your appetite then you’ll be in the right sort of mood for the Saturday. There is all of the same things taking place off the course, including people having picnics and friends enjoying a catchup having maybe not seen each other since the previous meeting at Ascot Racecourse. It is on the course where the major action takes place, though, with the aforementioned Chapel Down Stakes being front and centre when it comes to the attention of punters and trainers alike. Run over a mile and a half, it is a Heritage Handicap that tends to see some excellent runners trying to make a name for themselves during it.
In 2021, for example, the race was a memorable one, with the winner being Chalk Stream, a horse owned by Queen Elizabeth II. It is proof, were it needed, that you are never too far away from a link to the Royals when it comes to Ascot Racecourse. It was, of course, one of the final winners that the Queen will have witnessed at Ascot, given that she died on the eighth of September 2022. That was just six days after the September Meeting had got underway, meaning that Her Majesty might well have got to admire the horses in her favourite sport, held at one of her favourite racecourses and the location that honours her so well.
Summary
When it comes to Ascot Racecourse, there are any number of world-class horse racing events that take place on a regular basis. The September Meeting might not have the same level of races on offer as the likes of Royal Ascot, but there is still plenty for punters to enjoy during the course of the two days. The main race of the entire weekend is the Chapel Down States, which takes place on the Saturday and gives the meeting something of a focal point. The Friday is more about horses of the future, with two races for two-year-olds kick-starting proceedings before a few Class 2 events take place and give punters something to get excited about.
Whilst the racing might not be quite as thrilling as other meetings at Ascot Racecourse might offer, the reality is that the September Meeting is as much about what is taking place off the course as what is happening on it. It is a time for friends to get together and have a catchup, with the weather in September often allowing for an Indian summer that gives people a chance to take to the lawn and have a picnic whilst they reminisce about horse racing meetings gone by. The racing matters, of course, but the entire weekend is a chance for people to be a little bit more relaxed at a course that is usually known for its formality.