UK: ITV best viewing figures for Ascot.

Racing post

Nearly 1.8 million people tuned in to watch Hayley Turner secure back-to-back Sandringham successes on Thursday as ITV revealed the best Royal Ascot viewing figures on terrestrial TV since 2012.

With Royal Ascot behind closed doors many turned to their televisions to watch the coverage of an extended meeting, with Thursday's fixture boasting the highest average viewership of any day at the royal meeting since 2012 at 1.2 million, trumping the 2019 average of 962,000, when Thursday was also the most-watched day of the meeting after Frankie Dettori won the first four races.

Stradivarius provided the box office attraction this year with 1.5 million tuning in to witness his scintillating ten-length romp to secure a hat-trick of Gold Cups.

ITV Racing presenter Ed Chamberlin was delighted to see such strong figures, having feared the worst for a Royal Ascot meeting without the usual pageantry.

He said: "It’s a nice surprise. If I’m honest I thought we might take a bit of a hit with none of the magic of Royal Ascot to sell like the Queen, the royal procession and all the fun and games that normally goes with it.

"We’re fully aware we were helped with bad weather and lockdown but that was Royal Ascot with a serious difference, and for 1.8 million to watch Hayley was just extraordinary – admittedly four minutes before The Chase came on but that’s the advantage of racing being on ITV."

Racing Post

The introduction of new Tote Superpools at Royal Ascot was hailed as a success by those behind it, with liquidity for the pools increasing almost 50 per cent compared to last year despite the meeting being held behind closed doors.

In the absence of on-course betting this year, the Superpools were introduced to enhance liquidity, with punters from jurisdictions around the world including Hong Kong, Australia and the US betting into the pools.

Wagering with the Tote for Royal Ascot, which was extended to 36 races this year, grew to £137 million, compared to £92.2m in 2019. That represents a 49 per cent increase, with the biggest pool coming in the Sandringham Stakes on Thursday. A total of £5.3m was staked on that mile handicap, with 18 pools at the meeting exceeding £1m.

The Tote win price also surpassed industry SP on 19 occasions, with Duke of Edinburgh Stakes winner Scarlet Dragon offering the biggest discrepancy. The Alan King-trained winner paid £51.40 on the Tote compared to an industry SP of 33-1.

Alex Frost, chief executive of the UK Tote Group, said: "We have all enjoyed the most incredible week of racing at Royal Ascot. We are very grateful to every member of the Ascot team for all of their hard work in making this possible and are delighted to be able to work alongside them to showcase the royal meeting to a UK and international racing audience through the Tote.

"In only its second year, World Pool, operating under the banner of "Tote Superpools" in the UK, has proved very popular with racing fans. We have seen a record increase in volumes and exceptional value offered throughout the week.

"We look forward to World Pool returning to Ascot for Champions Day in October and continuing to progress international cooperation to strengthen and grow pool betting on British racing."

The Derby is set to hit the big screen next month with a secret West London location preparing to host a 'Derby drive-in' on July 4, when the prestigious Classic will be run behind closed doors at Epsom.

Bookmakers Fitzdares have come up with a novel way to bring the excitement of the Downs to racing fans utilising their own means of transport, reminiscent of the open-air movie theatres popularised in the 1950s and 60s.

For £100, a family of five will be able to watch both the Oaks and Derby on the big-screen in their own socially-distanced space, with ample room for a picnic.

The distinctly 21st century edge to the project will be that race commentary for the Investec-backed meeting will be played directly into each car via the stereo.

"It has been wonderful to see sport return but a little eerie not hearing the sound of fans enjoying it," said Fitzdares CEO William Woodhams. "With such a spectacle of horseracing happening we couldn't resist finding an innovative and fun way of enjoying the action.

"We hope everyone enjoys a very safe day but with the sound of the racegoers' roar back again."

Although they have yet to reveal where the 'Derby drive-in' will be staged, organisers believe it will be the first spectator sports event in London since the coronavirus outbreak forced the government lockdown in late March, and are encouraging people to dress up and make a day of it just as if they were going to Epsom.