Royal Ascot 2016: Day two build-up

Summary

The going is soft again after yesterday's rain
Gates opened at the Berkshire racecourse at 10:30 on Wednesday 15 June
Kate and Wills will join the Queen at today's races
The feature race is the Prince of Wales’s Stakes

Live Reporting

Alex Regan, Tim Dellor, Adam Whitty and Sarah Lee

Follow all the race coverage at BBC Sportpublished at 14:25 BST 15 June 2016
Alex Regan
South Online
The Queen is here, Wills and Kate are here, that bloke from One Direction's here and the horse racing is about to start.
Radio Four's tip for the 2.30 Jersey Stakes is Gifted Master, and we'll be back tomorrow with more pictures, stories and news in the build-up to Royal Ascot
In the meantime follow BBC Sport's coverage of the racing, and you can listen live to the racing on BBC Berkshire.
Image source, Getty Images
Young Royal's visit to Ascot brilliant for future of the sportpublished at 14:17 BST 15 June 2016
Tim Dellor
BBC Berkshire sport editor
"This is the first time William and Kate have been to Royal Ascot, but it's particularly important for the future of the sport.
"The Queen's love of horses is well-known, but it's vital that younger members of the Royal Family become brand ambassadors for this fantastic sport."
Image source, PA

Celebrities flock to Royal Ascot in stylepublished at 14:16 BST 15 June 2016
Image source, PA
Image caption,
Eddie Jordan and wife Marie Jordan
Image source, PA
Image caption,
Olivia Grant
Image source, PA
Image caption,
Victoria Pendleton
Image source, PA
Image caption,
Amy Willerton
Queen braves the weather with colour-coordinated brollypublished at 14:11 BST 15 June 2016
As the Royal Procession begins with light showers, Prince Phillip shows dogged determination and has put his umbrella down but Her Majesty has come well prepared for the typical weather, with a colour-coordinated brolly.
Image source, Channel Four
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall follow in the second carriage.
Image source, Channel Four
And William and Kate are bringing up the rear in the fourth horse-drawn carriage.
Image source, Channel Four

Royal Procession begins at Ascotpublished at 14:03 BST 15 June 2016
Alex Regan
South Online
The Queen is dressed in a silk print dress in shades of cyclamen pink, ivory and latte with a matching hat. We'll post pictures once we get them.
Duke and Duchess arrive at Royal Ascotpublished at 13:58 BST 15 June 2016
Alex Regan
South Online
Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge have just arrived at Royal Ascot. Unfortunately we won't know about the Queen's hat until 14:00 BST.
Image source, PA

Rain, thunder and lightningpublished at 13:54 BST 15 June 2016
Tlaloc, the god of rain, must have something against horse racing as the heavens have opened just before the Royal Procession in seven minutes.
We hope there are umbrellas in those horse-drawn carriages.
Today's full race schedulepublished at 13:49 BST 15 June 2016
BBC Sport
Our friends at BBC Sport have the line up for this afternoon's racing for you.
Full race schedule: (Time, race, status, distance)
14.30 The Jersey Stakes (Group 3) 7f
15.05 The Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2) 5f
15.40 The Duke of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2) 1m
16.20 The Prince of Wales's Stakes (Group 1) 1 ¼m
17.00 The Royal Hunt Cup (Heritage Handicap) 1m
17.35 The Sandringham Stakes (Listed) (Handicap) 1m

Three of the Queen's horses will run todaypublished at 13:42 BST 15 June 2016
The Princess Royal gives an interesting insight into her mother's commitment to horse racing in Britain.
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Quote Message
Royal Ascot's history is quite well known. But it has a history of its own as a place and in the history of thoroughbred racing in Britain. Maintaining that has been in Her Majesty's interest."
Princess Royal
Let's hope an afternoon shower won't reign on the Queen's paradepublished at 13:37 BST 15 June 2016
It's just started to rain in Ascot, but there are hopes that the light shower will ease before the Royal Procession at 14:00 BST.
Unfortunately if there are showers today, BBC Weather's Bee Tucker predicts they will be heavy and slow-moving.
Later in the week it's a veritable smorgasbord of grey, with cloudy weather predicted on Thursday and Friday.

Awkward Ascot interviewspublished at 13:28 BST 15 June 2016
Some were star-struck, some had never heard of him.
But when One Direction band member Niall Horan arrived at Ascot today, BBC Radio Berkshire only managed to extract three rather awkward words from the star.
Media caption,
Niall from One Direction failed to impress sports editor Tim Dellor at the race meet.
Sports editor Tim Dellor described it as "the most unimpressive performance" by a celebrity that he could remember.
He might have a short memory.
Last year he had a similarly brief conversation with actor Damian Lewis.
There were six questions and three one-word answers in a rather uncomfortable 17 seconds of radio.
Media caption,
We look back to when Tim Dellor interviewed Damian Lewis in a rather awkward fashion.
If it were having an awkward-interview-off competition, Niall Horan's three words surely triumph time-wise.
But Damian Lewis's abruptness may well make it a tie.
Either way, the curse of the awkward Royal Ascot interview has struck again.
Co-ordination is key at Ascotpublished at 13:09 BST 15 June 2016
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Maybe Ascot should build bigger loos for the ladies in time for next year?published at 12:58 BST 15 June 2016
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'Local racing is in good health'published at 12:51 BST 15 June 2016
Tim Dellor
BBC Berkshire sport editor
"Eighteen of today’s runners are trained in Berkshire. A first and second in the King’s Stand Stakes for Berkshire trainers yesterday suggested local racing is in good health.
"The quality extends beyond the yard’s of Clive Cox and Charlie Hills though. Today nine different Berkshire trainers have runners on the card.
"Mick Channon and Andrew Balding are well known names, but there are also upcoming trainers like Joseph Tuite and Owen Burrows who will be worth keeping an eye on in the next few seasons.
"There is no official Lambourn v Newmarket competition, but if there was it would be 1-0 to the Valley of the Racehorse after the big races on Day one."

'Wherever the Queen is, we are'published at 12:48 BST 15 June 2016
Our reporter Anoushka Williams met Colin and Roger, two of Her Majesty's Green Coats.
Green Coats you say?
Media caption,
We meet two of Her Majesty's Green Coats, who volunteer to help the Queen at Royal Ascot.
They work in a ceremonial role at Royal Ascot, helping the Queen and the Royal Family throughout the event.
As you will discover, there is a huge amount of history behind the role.
They have thought of everything at Ascot!published at 12:40 BST 15 June 2016
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Will Radio Four redress the balance in today's Ascot tips? Probably notpublished at 12:37 BST 15 June 2016
Alex Regan
South Online
It's the second day of Ascot and Japanese horse A Shin Hikari is tipped for glory in the 4.20 Prince of Wales Stakes, but the Grauniad, external is gunning for 16-1 outsider My Dream Boat.
Image source, PA
But less of that, now to the economy of diminishing returns that is Radio Four's racing tips. Yesterday there was not a sausage, hopefully the Today Programme will fair better on day two.
- 2.30 Jersey Stakes, Gifted Master
- 3.40 Duke of Cambridge Stakes, Jazzi Top
No loyalty points for the police chopperpublished at 12:33 BST 15 June 2016
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Take our tour of Ascotpublished at 12:28 BST 15 June 2016
The journey from the parade ring to the racecourse itself is one that thousands and thousands of people will make this week.
Have a look at what the punters will see as Tim Dellor takes you round the ground on a tour of Royal Ascot.
Media caption,
Tim Dellor takes us on a tour from the parade ring to the racecourse at Royal Ascot
Wills and Kate confirmed at Royal Ascotpublished at 12:19 BST 15 June 2016
Alex Regan
South Online
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been confirmed as royal visitors to Ascot this afternoon. They will be in the fourth carriage in the Royal Procession.
Image source, PA
Yesterday the rain stopped just before the Queen went down the racecourse in her carriage, with Prince Phillip and Harry.