A right Royal bonanza at Ascot

8:49am Saturday 14th June 2008

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TOP hat and tails are the order of the day at Ascot on Tuesday when the five-day Royal meeting gets underway with three Group One races on the opening day.

The King's Stand Stakes, Europe's most international race and won for the past two years by Australian-trained runners, has been promoted to the top flight this year and will form the middle leg of a Group One treble in between the Queen Anne Stakes and the St James's Palace Stakes.

Prize money at the 2008 Royal meeting will be a total £4,000,000, an increase of £335,000 on 2007. None of the 30 races at this unique meeting are now worth less than £60,000.

There can be few supporting events that are able to match Royal Ascot's rich history and fewer still that can truly be said to be flourishing every bit as much in the present day as they were the best part of 300 years ago.

Central to the success of every major sporting venue is its partnership with television and Royal Ascot is one of the BBC's flagship outside broadcasts.

Armchair viewers of Royal Ascot, undoubtedly one of the country's great sporting and social occasions, are in for a visual and audio treat again this year with access to daily live coverage across TV, radio and online.

TV coverage will be led once again by Claire Balding, who will present a total of 24 live races, the first five on Tuesday to Friday, and the first four on Saturday.

Balding will be joined at the helm by Willie Carson and Rishi Persad will be a roving reporter.

In the commentary box calling the horses will be Jim McGrath with expert analysis supplied by Ian Bartlett, Ray Cochrane, and, for the first time at Royal Ascot, former champion jockey Kevin Darley joins the team.

The fashion team this year will be led by BBC presenter Julia Bradbury and style writer James Sherwood.

Working together with the Professional Jockeys' Association, the BBC are hoping to develop and enhance the use of the camera in the jockeys' room so audiences can feel the tension before a big race, experience the camaraderie among the jockeys and share the joy of success.

In a first for Royal Ascot, the leading jockey at the meeting will wear a leader's arm band, akin to the yellow jersey, with the arm band changing every time there's a new name at the top of the London Club's International Charity Trophy Table.

Jimmy Fortune, last year's top rider at Royal Ascot will wear the arm band during a presentation of the jockeys to the crowd which will take place on the opening day before the arrival of the Royal procession.

"We're delighted to be assisting with the initiative," said PJA chief executive Josh Apiafi. "Royal Ascot means so much to all the jockeys taking part and this more public profile of the leading rider competition will be very popular in the weighing room.

"It makes perfect sense to introduce the sportsmen that are about to compete for some of the most coveted prizes in racing to the huge crowd around the Ascot parade ring before the arrival of the Royal party."