What I'm looking forward to after lockdown: superstar showdowns at Ascot

Tackling the hill from the train station to Ascot, though relatively short, is one of the more strenuous tasks I face in my professional life but I'd scale it a thousand times if it led to racing's return.

It's a deceptively steep climb and reaching its summit has always felt like an achievement. Once you've caught your breath, it offers a first glimpse of the track, which looks more like a football stadium.

Walking through the gates, usually long before the crowds of smartly dressed racegoers start to flood in, I'm always struck by the scale of the place and cannot help but feel a sense of expectation.

After all, this is where the finest Flat horses must come to prove themselves at some point in the season. It's a track where the best regularly take on the best and the ensuing drama rarely disappoints.

Away from the pomp and ceremony off the track, some of the sport's biggest names have cemented their reputations at Ascot, not least Frankie Dettori, who rode through the card on September 28, 1996, and has undeniably been a crowd favourite ever since.

While I'm still not certain I would suit a top hat, I do have a real soft spot for the royal meeting, not least because its roll of honour reads like a who's who of the sport, which is perhaps unsurprising given there are eight top-level races to savour over five days.

Frankie Dettori and Stradivarius, who last year won back-to-back Gold Cups at AscotCredit: Edward Whitaker

Last year I was fortunate enough to watch Stradivarius land back-to-back Gold Cups. The noise from the crowd as he held on from Dee Ex Bee was sensational and it seemed to reverberate around the stands.

That's one of the things people miss most without sport. There's no substitute for atmosphere and during a race at Ascot, it seamlessly switches from summer garden party to being inside a coliseum.

If it goes ahead, we will have to settle for a behind-closed-doors Royal Ascot this year but beggars can't be choosers and the track should be applauded for not simply cancelling the meeting.

There is usually lots to look forward to later in the summer too, with the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes taking place in July.

The track will never need to spend a penny marketing the race again after Enable and Crystal Ocean served up an almighty battle last year. If you still don't know what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object then I'd suggest you watch the replay.

Watch Enable defeat Crystal Ocean

Ascot fortunately offers something for everybody and Champions Day has been a welcome, family-friendly addition to the calendar, offering the season's most talented performers a chance to sign off in style.

There have been few bigger names to do so than Frankel, who ended his unbeaten career with success in the Champion Stakes in 2012. The greatest horse bowed out on one of the sport's greatest stages.

Such performances make even the late train back to London, often used as an after party for some racegoers, feel worthwhile. If I am able to go again this year, I promise not to complain about the hill.

Read more:

What I'm looking forward to: York's Ebor meeting

What I am looking forward to: seeing the exciting two-year-olds

What I'm looking forward to: a cracking Monday night at Windsor

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