The modern grandstand is the centrepiece of the revamped Ascot

The Berkshire track has undergone a �200m renovation, which took 20 months to complete and forced a relocation to York for the 2005 showpiece meeting.

Despite the new facilities, including a spectacularly modern grandstand, Royal Ascot remains a byword for tradition.

Formal dress and hats are required in the Royal Enclosure.

The Queen arrives up the course from Windsor Castle in a carriage-drawn procession each day.

Racegoers in other sections of the course also usually choose to get dressed up for the occasion with top hats mingling with feathery fascinators.

The fashion highlight of the week is Ladies Day, which takes place on Thursday, and which produces a host of vibrant colours and fabrics and stylish and outlandish outfits.

There is also some top-class racing, including six Group One races spread over the five days with about �3.5m of prize money up for grabs.

In contrast to the notorious rebuilding of Wembley, Ascot's renovation has been on schedule and only just over budget.

Araafa runs in the St James's Palace Stakes

However, several problems - including fears over the ground and the ease of race-viewing - were reported during its "dry run" meeting last month and course officials have been working frantically to iron out the glitches.

The feature race on the opening day is the St James's Palace Stakes, in which Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Araafa heads the field.

Jeremy Noseda's three-year-old heads a field of 10 for the �250,000 Group One race, which is run over a mile.

His rivals will include Kevin Prendergast's Decado and Mick Channon's Yasoodd, who finished third and fourth respectively to Araafa in the Guineas race at The Curragh.

Former England striker Channon is also represented by Gernam 2,000 Guineas winner Royal Power.

Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien, who has a good record in the race, runs Ivan Denisovich, Marcus Andronicus and Arabian Prince.

The St James's Palace Stakes is immediately followed by the other Group One race on Tuesday's card, the Queen Anne Stakes, run over the same distance and carrying the same prize money but which is for older horses.

The Godolphin team are beginning to find some form after a poor start to the season and their first-string runner Proclamation looks set to start favourite among the nine-strong field.

It will be the colt's first run for the stable - and his first race for 290 days - having won the Jersey Stakes at last year's Royal Ascot and the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood for trainer Noseda.

Godolphin are also represented by Belenus, while Sir Michael Stoute is also double-handed with Lockinge Stakes winner Peeress and Home Affairs and O'Brien runs Ad Valorem.