Racegoers descend on Royal Ascot for booze, betting and frolics – The Sun
RACEGOERS have descended on Royal Ascot for the first of five days filled with booze and betting.
Punters in vibrant hats, facsinators and dresses have arrived amid one of the UK's biggest train operators going on strike today.
Commuters into London Waterloo station were among passengers affected, as well as race goers heading to Royal Ascot. Buses replaced trains on some routes.
This year's event is expected to attract around 300,000 racegoers over the next five days – which is predicted to be the wettest Royal Ascot over the next couple of days.
Leading bookmaker Coral has cut the odds into 6-4 (from 4-1) on this year’s Royal Ascot being the wettest on record as torrential rain is set to fall on the Berkshire Racecourse over the next couple of days.
The Queen will be joined by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – taking part in the annual Royal Ascot carriage procession.
William and Kate will be guests of the Queen in the royal box for the first day of the famous Berkshire racing meet.
Writing in the opening day's official race programme, the Queen said: "Racing began at Ascot over 300 years ago and while much has changed, the horses remain the stars, thrilling us with their beauty, brilliance and courage.
"The quality and depth of competition at the royal meeting has also continued to prosper, with eight group one races taking place this week.
"The best horses and jockeys from across the globe are increasingly drawn to Royal Ascot, and it is truly exciting to welcome competitors from overseas, as strong international competition adds further interest and fascination."
Prince Will and Kate will present the winning trophies in the King's Stand Stakes – a group one race – while acclaimed actor Sir Derek Jacobi will hand out the prizes for the Wolferton Stakes.
Punters typically bet on the colour the Queen's hat, as bookies from William Hill are predicting it will be pink today.
William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams said: "The Queen's hat is one of the public's favourite fun bets and with the rain expected to hold off, the money says she will be pretty in pink."
Both Ladbrokes and Coral have cut the odds on the monarch wearing blue to even-money from 3/1 following a rush of wagers.
Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: "We've taken a flurry of bets on the Queen wearing blue over the last 24 hours, forcing us to slash odds as a result."
Coral's John Hill said: "The colour of the Queen's hat is always one of the most popular betting markets at Royal Ascot each year, and we have already seen the first big gamble of the week as punters have been rushing in to back blue on day one of the meeting."
The Queen has attended every day of the meeting for the past 64 years and the last time she missed a moment of the event being her own coronation in 1953.
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Her Majesty and the rest of the Royal Procession arrive at 2pm sharp before racing each day, half an hour prior to the first race.
The carriages leave Windsor Castle earlier in the afternoon and enter the racecourse through the golden gates before they pass the thousands of well-wishers in front of the grandstand.
The procession is a timeless tradition unique to Royal Ascot which dates all the way back to 1825.
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