Ascot Racecourse executive report there has been an unprecedented rush for Grandstand tickets for the Thursday of Royal Ascot with tickets selling out 16 days after sales started. That statistic smashes all previous ticket records for the Royal meeting - Gold Cup day tickets took five weeks longer to sell last year and fully 11 weeks longer in 1994.

Despite Thursday traditionally proving the most popular day, tickets for the remaining three days - the meeting runs from Tuesday, June 18th to Friday, June 21st - are also selling fast. "The rush for tickets has been remarkable," commented racecourse director Douglas Erskine Crum.