ASCOT'S BIG EVENTS June: Royal Ascot (five days) July: Diamond meeting September: Ascot Festival Racing calendar The major courses

Ascot, founded in 1711 by Queen Anne, is one of the world's most famous racecourses.

The highlight of the year is its Royal meeting, which is famous across the globe.

The meeting was extended to five days in 2002 to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee and was deemed so successful that the extra day is to become a permanent addition.

As well as the glamour of the occasion, there is a feast of top-class action with Group One races on each day.

And there are other quality Flat fixtures at the course, which is also a premier National Hunt track.

They include the Diamond meeting at the end of July, which features the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes.

September sees the Ascot Festival, where the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and the Fillies' Mile are the highlights.

It was here that Frankie Dettori produced his famous 'Magnificent Seven', riding every winner on the card in 1996.

In between the July and September fixtures is the Shergar Cup, a unique team-based event in which jockeys from Great Britain and Ireland take on those from the rest of the world.

Ascot's track is laid out in the shape of a triangle and is relatively flat although it provides a stiff test.

It is right-handed, just over 1m 6f round with a 2�-furlong run-in on the round course - there is also a straight mile course.

Ascot is a galloping track and with its relatively short run-in, horses cannot afford to stay too far off the pace.