Don't miss: Royal Ascot
The Royal parade, the top hats and tails, the sun shining on the glistening coats of the fiercest and fastest thoroughbreds... Royal Ascot is more than just horseracing, it's an experience.
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Racing has been taking place at Ascot since 1711 when Queen Anne purchased a plot close to Windsor Castle, believing it would make a suitable location for the sport.
By the early 19th century the Royal Ascot meeting was firmly established and it fast became the most popular and prestigious event in the flat racing calendar.
This year, the meeting begins on Tuesday 14 June and it is not just the horses who will be looking to impress. Many racegoers spend months (and thousands of pounds) on their Royal Ascot outfits - gentlemen gracing the Royal Enclosure are required to don top hats and morning dress while elegance and style is the key for women.
A particular draw for many a filly is Ladies' Day, where chic fashions take second place only to the equine talent on show. Of course, those who are not lucky enough to join the great and the good in the Royal Enclosure are blessed with a little more flexibility when it comes to attire but the meeting more than any other represents the Sport of Kings and formal dress is all part of the fun.
And so to the horses - during the five days of top class action, many of the best horses from around Europe and the world will compete and, whether you are a racing fanatic or a once-a-year visitor, you are certain to see something special.
A mouth-watering contest between Canford Cliffs and supermare Goldikova could be on the cards for the Queen Anne Stakes, last year's Gold Cup winner Rite of Passage will be sticking his neck out in the hopes of taking home Ascot's oldest Group One prize once again but could face stiff competition from Fame and Glory and St Nicholas Abbey, who looked back to his best at Chester.
But the question on everyone's lips is whether the phenomenal Frankel can repeat his breathtaking 2,000 Guineas win in this year's St James's Palace Stakes... why not don your finery and find out.
