From the outset, the connection between Ascot and the Crown was symbiotic. The inaugural meeting had taken place in 1711, when it was attended by Queen Anne and a party of courtiers from nearby Windsor Castle. After a slow start, the fortunes of the new course improved in the second half of the eighteenth century as English racing entered a golden age. Revived between 1750 and 1753, the Jockey Club gradually developed into the sport’s presiding authority. Racing calendars were published, racing colours were introduced, and the Derby was first run in 1780. By the Regency, Ascot had assumed the
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