Want to go racing for free today? Ascot hoping for bumper Friday crowd as it offers free entry to racegoers

Ascot chief Nick Smith is hopeful of attracting a bumper crowd to the track on Friday after it was announced free entry will be on offer to racegoers.

The seven-race card, which begins at 12.20 and concludes at 3.50, is the first of two days of racing at the Berkshire venue and Smith believes the initiative is a perfect chance to welcome both newcomers and current supporters of the sport.

Tickets acquired online will require a £1 booking fee that will be donated to charity, while free entry on the day can be gained via Ticket Office East located next to the main entrance on High Street.

Explaining the decision, Smith said: "It's not usually a day that would attract a huge amount of people, so it makes sense to open the doors for that reason. Our fixtures on Fridays during the jumps season wouldn't be well attended anyway and it's an opportunity to encourage more of the public – especially those who have never been to the track – to come along."

Smith is aware of the challenges the track faces in attracting racegoers on a weekday.

He said: "You obviously have to have realistic expectations. We're not going to fill the stands, but if you can bring in a few extra hundreds or thousands of people who weren't going to come then it's a success for everyone involved. The more the merrier. We've done these kind of initiatives before and they've been fairly successful."

He added: "It's linked with what we, and many others, are doing with Invades. This is obviously a different level. It's not a day of razzmatazz, it's pretty much a connoisseur's raceday, but it's a very good day for those who have not come before as it won't be as busy, and it's a good chance for those to see how the sport works."

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