Ascot’s Shergar Cup 1980s concert...spotlight on China Crisis

Looking ahead to the spectacular three hour 1980s Here and Now post Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup concert on Saturday 6th August, each week we are focussing on one of the acts performing in the concert and this week is the turn of China Crisis.

Last, but by no means least, the line up of '80s legends is completed by China Crisis - a British rock band formed in 1979 in Kirby, Merseyside with a core consisting of vocalist/keyboardist Garry Daly and guitarist Eddie Lundon. Thier music was a similar style to that of the New Wave, but had strong similarities to the post-punk movement of the '80s. They became successful between 1982 and 1987 with six albums and ten hit singles including 'Christian', 'Wishful Thinking' and 'Black Man Ray'.

Tickets for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup on Saturday 6th August, including the Here and Now concert, start from £26. Please note we have now SOLD OUT of Premier Admission tickets. To book, or for further information, call 0870 727 1234 or visit ascot.co.uk

QIPCO British Champions Day Race Programme Announced

The five Group races on QIPCO British Champions Day, the richest day in British racing history at Ascot on Saturday 15 October, will be run in prize money order, building up to the two headline contests at the end.

Following the £200,000 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup (race 1, 1.50pm*), the £250,000 QIPCO British Champions Sprint (race 2, 2.25pm*) and the £250,000 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares (race 3, 3pm*), the tension will mount ahead of the richest mile race ever run in Europe, the £1 million Queen Elizabeth II Stakes sponsored by QIPCO (race 4, 3.35pm*), and the richest race ever run in Britain, the £1.3 million QIPCO Champion Stakes (race 5, 4.10pm*).

All five races will be shown live in a special three-hour programme dedicated to coverage of the sparkling new £3 million finale to the British Flat racing season and the climax of the inaugural QIPCO British Champions Series.

The broadcast is currently scheduled to start on BBC 2 at 1.30pm before switching to BBC 1 at 2.15pm and finishing ahead of Final Score at 4.30pm.

The sixth and final race on the card will be the £25,000 QIPCO Future Stars Apprentices’ Handicap (Class 2, 81-100 ratings band) at 4.45pm, the richest race for apprentice jockeys in this country, which will provide a fantastic opportunity for the aspiring British champions of the future to demonstrate their skills in the saddle on the highest profile raceday of the year.

This will ensure that the professional jockeys who won the big races and the rider crowned top jockey of the QIPCO British Champions Series can concentrate on a major press conference and print and broadcast media interviews following the running of the QIPCO Champion Stakes.

“Unlike many racedays, when the big race is often in the middle of the card, it has always been our plan to build up to the two biggest races as the climax to this spectacular race progamme,” said Rod Street, Chief Executive of British Champions Series Ltd.

“This should provide the best possible experience for our racegoers and for TV viewers on the BBC, Racing UK, At The Races and on foreign channels taking the broadcast all over the world.

“Staging the country’s most valuable apprentices’ race to close the card will give the future stars of our sport the chance to share some of the limelight on QIPCO British Champions Day whilst allowing the professional jockeys to meet all media commitments at the end of this ground-breaking new day.”

Kevin Darley, Chief Executive of the Professional Jockeys’ Association, commented: “Adding the richest apprentice race in Europe to the inaugural QIPCO British Champions Day is an excellent innovation.

“It is fantastic that QIPCO are willing to support our stars of the future by providing them with a platform to shine on such a prestigious day.”

Tickets for QIPCO British Champions Day are priced at £45 for Premier admission and £26 for Grandstand admission, with a 10% advance booking discount available and greater reductions for group bookings of 10 or more people. Under 18s will be admitted free.

To book tickets, visit www.britishchampionsseries.com / www.ascot.co.uk or call Ascot on 0870 727 1234.

QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS DAY RACE PROGRAMME
1.50* £200,000 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup (Group 3 #)
2 miles (round course)
2.25* £250,000 QIPCO British Champions Sprint (Group 2 #)
6 furlongs (straight course)
3.00* £250,000 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares (Group 2 #)
1 mile 4 furlongs (round course)
3.35* £1,000,000 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes sponsored by QIPCO (British Champions Mile) (Group 1)
1 mile (straight course)
4.10* £1,300,000 QIPCO Champion Stakes (British Champions Middle Distance) (Group 1)
1 mile 2 furlongs (round course)
4.45* £25,000 QIPCO Future Stars Apprentices Handicap
7 furlongs (straight course)

* race times are provisional and may be subject to minor alteration
# the two Group 2 races and one Group 3 contest are Group 1 races in all but name – there are no penalties to be carried by Group race winners and they have a Group 1 level of prize money

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Alistair Haggis, British Champions Series: 07761 896 500; ahaggis@britishchampionsseries.com Nick Smith, Ascot Racecourse: 07771 791 449; nick.smith@ascot.co.uk

Huges, Berry and O’Donoghue Make Up a Formidable Irish Team For The 2011 Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup

Richard Hughes, who has captained the Irish team in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup in each of the last two years and who won the Silver Saddle trophy for the top individual jockey in both 2002 and 2009, is once again set to lead the boys in green in the world’s premier international jockeys’ competition at Ascot on Saturday 6 August.

Only an important runner elsewhere for his retained Richard Hannon stable will keep Hughes away from chasing an Irish Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup hat-trick a week on Saturday, where he will be joined by crack Irish-based riders Fran Berry and Colm O’Donoghue.
Berry made a huge impact on his Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup debut a year ago, amassing the biggest points haul for his victorious team and winning the Silver Saddle trophy in the process.

O’Donoghue won last month’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby on Treasure Beach, so gaining an automatic invitation from the sponsors to ride at what is now one of Ascot’s most popular racedays of the year. He will be making his first Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup appearance.

“I’m over the moon to be asked to ride in the competition,” said a delighted O’Donoghue during his visit to ride two horses at Ascot yesterday.

“I’ve always enjoyed watching it on TV and it’ll be great to participate in it this year with so many great jockeys taking part.”

A powerful Rest of the World Team, announced last month, comprises the all-time record holders from Hong Kong and Japan, Doug Whyte and Yutaka Take, and Aussie ace, Hugh Bowman. The line-ups for Great Britain and Europe will be announced soon.
The six races will be followed by a two-hour 80’s concert with a line-up including Jason Donovan, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Jimmy Somerville, Paul Young, Toyah, China Crisis and Altered Images.

It is often Ascot’s best attended raceday outside the Royal Meeting with a crowd of around 30,000 expected. Tickets (Premier £40; Grandstand £26) can be booked in advance with a minimum 10% discount (higher discounts available for group bookings) at www.ascot.co.uk or by calling 0870 727 1234.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Nick Smith, Head of Public Relations and International Racing, Ascot, 07771 791449

Ascot’s Shergar Cup 1980s concert...spotlight on Visage

Looking ahead to the spectacular two and three quarter hour 1980s Here and Now post Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup concert on Saturday 6th August, each week we are focussing on one of the acts performing in the concert and this week is the turn of Visage.

Visage one of the cult groups of the 1980s and fronted by the outrageous Steve Strange. The group’s music and fashion was closely linked to that of the New Romanticism era that flourished between 1979 and 1982.

They rose to stardom with their first release ‘Fade To Grey’ in 1981 which went to number 1 in a staggering 21 countries. The group later released hits such as ‘Mind Of A Toy’, ‘The Damned Don’t Cry’ and ‘Night Train’. Visage released a total of 6 albums and compilations as well as 8 singles during their career.

Tickets for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup on Saturday 6th August, including the Here and Now concert, start from £26. To book, or for further information, call 0870 727 1234 or visit ascot.co.uk.

Win a BBQ Package for two on Sunday 24th July

Food, Friends and Fire!

This summer Ascot is giving you the opportunity to experience a new concept of outdoor dining. The Paddock Bar and Grill is situated on the Grundy and Bustino Lawn and allows racegoers to cook and eat at their very own unique BBQ table. Each customer chooses from a delicious menu and sits, tongs at the ready, to cook their own food according to their taste.
The menu includes: Free-range Sirloin Steak and Rib-eye Beef, British Venison, Line-caught Tuna, Diver Scallops and Black Tail Tiger Prawns. A comprehensive wine list as well as a wide range of spirits and draught drinks are all served directly to the tables by a dedicated team of waiters.

Package includes:
Arrival drink (Pimm’s, Bucks Fizz or orange juice)
3 course a la carte menu
Half a bottle of wine per person

For your chance to win this package for two people on Sunday 24th July plus Grandstand Admission tickets just answer the question on our Facebook page and we’ll select a winner at random.

If you’re not so lucky then this package is available for £65pp, which is bookable in advance or on a first come, first served basis on the day. Please email hospitality@ascot.co.uk or call our sales team on 0870 727 4321 for bookings and further information.

Terms and Conditions
1. Competition closes at 12pm on Friday 22nd July.

2. Offer only open to followers of @AscotInsider on Twitter http://twitter.com/AscotInsider and Fans of Ascot Racecourse on Facebook.

3. No cash alternative is available and all prizes are non-transferable and non-refundable. Tickets are not for resale and cannot be used for commercial use or use in further promotions.

4. The winner will be chosen at random and informed by 2pm on Friday 22ndJuly.

5. Tickets will be available to collect on Sunday 24th July from Ticket Office East.
6. Please note that your table maybe shared with other people.Promoter: Ascot Racecourse, Ascot, Berkshire. SL5 7JX.

Ascot’s Shergar Cup 1980s concert...spotlight on Brother Beyond

Looking ahead to the spectacular two and three quarter hour 1980s Here and Now post Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup concert on Saturday 6th August, each week we are focussing on one of the acts performing in the concert and this week is the turn of Brother Beyond.

Brother Beyond, was a British boy band that saw mainstream success in the latter half of the shoulder pad decade. The group first released ‘I Should Have Lied’ and ‘How Many Times’, but it wasn’t until Brother Beyond won a charity auction along with label EMI to work with Stock, Aitken and Waterman - considered one of the most successful song writing and producing partnerships of all time - that they hit the big time. The group went on to release some of their most memorable tracks ‘The Harder I Try’, ‘He Aint No Competition’ and ‘Be My Twin’. This year, Brother Beyond re-released their album ‘Get Even’ along with four bonus tracks.

Tickets for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup on Saturday 6th August, including the Here and Now concert, start from £26. To book, or for further information, call 0870 727 1234 or visit ascot.co.uk.

Betfair Summer Family Fun Day...spotlight on Peppa Pig

On Sunday 24th July a star studded line-up will be joining Scotty the Ascot Mascot as Ascot Racecourse hosts its 2nd Family Day of 2011, the Betfair Summer Family Fun Day. The day is a colourful spectacle that offers something for everyone, with a combination of thrilling racing action and free entertainment for the children. In the run up to the raceday, each week we are focusing on one of the TV characters that you'll get to meet and this week is the turn of Peppa Pig.

Peppa Pig has become one of the most famous pigs and is loved by children all over the world. She lives with Mummy Pig, Daddy Pig and her little brother George. Peppa likes to play with her best friend Suzy Sheep and looking after her brother George, but most of all she loves jumping in muddy puddles, laughing and making loud snorting noises! Peppa and her family like to go swimming, visit their grandparents, go to the playground or riding their bikes. Her brother George loves his toy dinosaur and carries it everywhere with him. Peppa is looking forward to coming to Ascot Racecourse and saying hello to you, so we hope to see you there. She will even be telling a few stories around the Bandstand which is definitely not to be missed!

All activities, including face painting and fairground rides, are free of charge and ideal for the under 10's. Adult tickets to the Betfair Summer Family Fun Day start from £17 with a 10% saving if booked in advance and are available by calling 0870 727 1234 or by visiting ascot.co.uk.