Hooligans at Royal Ascot

A drunken brawl, a celebrity call girl and tattooed men (and women)... whatever happened to a genteel day out at Ascot?

For 300 years, it has been the highlight of the summer calendar for the well-off and well-connected.

But these days, it seems, the enclosures and stands of Royal Ascot are becoming increasingly popular with a much less distinguished breed of racegoer.

As the Queen’s favourite racing event celebrates its tricentenary, fights have been breaking out amongst the male racegoers at the historic Berkshire course, watched by worse for wear women who can barely stay upright in their high heels.

A quick glance across the terraces reveals a sea of flesh and unsightly tattoos – of women in cheap, tawdry dresses and men who have shunned the expected top hat.

Many believe that the social fixture, once a prestigious highlight of the summer season, is becoming as bawdy as the meetings at Aintree and Cheltenham.

Yesterday was Gold Cup Day, commonly known as Ladies’ Day, but there was little evidence of ladylike – or gentlemanly – behaviour as the event ended in two arrests.

In a blatant disregard for Ascot’s strict behavioural code, a drunken brawl broke out by a Victorian band stand. 

Eight men started to fight on the lawn by a champagne bar just yards from the The Royal Mile, Ascot’s home straight.

Terrified racegoers fled to avoid being struck by stray punches as the drunken group, some egged on by female friends, armed themselves with bottles and chair legs.

The men, who had been drinking £98 bottles of Laurent Perrier Rose Champagne, ended up being pulled apart by members of the military. [Do you know any of these racegoers? Contact MailOnline via editorial@dailymailonline.co.uk or 0207 938 6000 ext 3751]

Sophie Healy, 25, from Windsor, who witnessed the fracas, said: ‘I can remember one guy saying, “Are you mugging me off [insulting me]?”

‘The tone of his voice was really aggressive and then they started pushing and shoving.

‘We got out of the way and then suddenly our table, with a newly-bought bottle of champagne, went flying.

‘Things turned really nasty with one man wielding a broken chair leg and another had a bottle of champagne.’ 

In a separate incident, a man was arrested for hitting another racegoer in the face in the car park.

And a 24-year-old man was also arrested for possession of Class B drugs – as it emerged that racecourse bosses have installed a drugs honesty box by the gates to give visitors the chance to hand over any narcotics before entering the grounds.

Also lowering the tone yesterday was Helen Wood, the vice girl who was once involved with footballer Wayne Rooney.

Miss Wood, who attended because the festival is a ‘great place to be seen’, wore a backless, floor-length champagne-coloured gown.

The 24-year-old, who is the subject of an injunction after having sex with  a famous actor, flouted protocol  by neglecting to wear a hat as she  sauntered around the grounds posing for photographers.

And other racegoers seemed equally determined to disregard Ascot’s guidelines on smart dress, which explicitly warn against the perils of over-done fake tan and immodest attire.

The dress guide is posted with tickets, which cost around £60, and displayed on the website.

The decline in standards has not gone unnoticed, as racing commentator Sir Peter O’Sullevan pointed out when he said: ‘Sometimes the grandstands seem over-run by tattoos and bare flesh. It’s disrespectful – not just to the Queen, but to the horses.’

Ascot was first discovered by Queen Anne in 1711. She realised that the unbroken panorama of rich green turf, just five miles across the Berkshire countryside from the royal stables at Windsor Castle, would be the perfect place to gallop her beloved horses.

Queen Elizabeth II has not missed a meeting since she first attended with her parents in 1945, aged 19.

She spends four summer days there each year and no other engagement is allowed to take precedence over Royal Ascot, which attracts some 300,000 visitors.

Celebrity guests at Ladies’ Day  yesterday included footballer Michael Owen and newly-knighted entertainer Bruce Forsyth.

Sir Bruce, who had to fight his way through dozens of photographers and fans to get to the racetrack, joked: ‘I love the crowds. It’s so restful. I come here for a restful day.’

Source: Daily Mail 

What does this say about British society?

What is the poshest event you have been to?

Vocabulary:

a b____ - a particular type of animal eg dog, in some cases a type of person

k_______ (adj) - given the title "sir"

vice (n) - illegal and immoral activity, usually connected to sex

a g___ - a long woman's dress worn at formal occasions

f___ t__ - a substance that you put on your skin to make it appear that you have been in the sun

a p____ - a danger / p_______ (adj)

a b____  = a f_____ - a noisy, uncontrolled fight

to s____ - to push forcefully

a s_____ - a place where horses are kept

to e__ sb __ - to strongly encourage sb to do sth that might not be a very good idea

a c___ girl - a female prostitute who arranges meetings over the phone

to f____ - to intentionally not obey a rule or a custom

the h________ - the best or most exciting part of sth

to f___ - to run away because of danger or fear / f___ (past, past part)

to s____ - to hit / s_____ (past, past part)

bare flesh -

to point out -

over-run (adj) -

over-done -

to lower the tone -

restful (adj) -

blatant (adj) -

disregard -

a top hat -

a band stand -

to shun -

a punch -

the home straight -

ladylike -

unsightly (adj) -

to be worse for wear -

tawdry (adj) -

to break out (a fight) -

well-off (adj) -

to get out of the way -

to wield (a weapon) -

nasty (adj)

barely (adv) -

a glance -

to hand sth over -

to end up doing sth -

bawdy (adj) -

a lawn -

the turf -

an enclosure -

a racegoer -


Grammar point:

"whatever happened to a genteel day out at Ascot?"

When you haven't seen sb or sth for a long time, you wonder about them.


Whatever happened to that polite, well-behaved boy? Her son is growing into a monster.

Whatever happened to the Lada car? I never see any of them on the road now.

Whatever happened to Rosa - the fat one that won "Operación Trionfo"?


Read this previous post on Royal Ascot Dress Code.