Smaller crowd than usual but over 14,000 expected at Ascot for King George day
Ascot's Nick Smith says this Saturday's proximity to the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions in England earlier this week has prevented a capacity crowd attending the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes card.
On Wednesday, officials at York confirmed they were expecting up to 30,000 people to attend its meeting on the same day thanks to the scrapping of social distancing measures. Ascot's fixture will be one of five Saturday cards in England to benefit from the near-total lifting of the country's Covid-19 restrictions.
However, Smith says the team at Ascot resolved earlier in the summer that the King George fixture would not be sold out for fear of alterations to England's roadmap out of lockdown.
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
- Smart View's magic May featuring winners at 9-1, 20-1 and 25-1 - and here's how to get it in time for York's Dante festival
- Merci Olivier! No final winner for Olivier Peslier but the world of racing unites in saluting the end of a great career
- The latest edition of the Racing Post is available to read online now - here's how you can access it
- How Smart View recorded a 76 per cent profit at the Cheltenham Festival
- Smart View is available on the Racing Post app - how to read the revolutionary new racecard
- Smart View's magic May featuring winners at 9-1, 20-1 and 25-1 - and here's how to get it in time for York's Dante festival
- Merci Olivier! No final winner for Olivier Peslier but the world of racing unites in saluting the end of a great career
- The latest edition of the Racing Post is available to read online now - here's how you can access it
- How Smart View recorded a 76 per cent profit at the Cheltenham Festival
- Smart View is available on the Racing Post app - how to read the revolutionary new racecard