Royal Ascot pins down hat guidelines | Sport | The Guardian Royal Ascot pins down hat guidelines Fascinators, beloved of the Duchess of Cambridge, under threat as Queen's favourite race meet issues stricter dresscode Royal Ascot's new rules may call time on the Duchess of Cambridge's fascinators. Photograph: Tim Ockenden/PA Tuesday 17 January 2012 20.35 EST First published on Tuesday 17 January 2012 20.35 EST Close This article is 5 years old It is a centrepiece of Britain's social calendar, a place where pageantry, fashion and thoroughbred animals have come to be part of the mix since Queen Anne first saw its potential as a racecourse 300 years ago. Yet after organisers at Royal Ascot decided that sartorial standards have been on the slide in recent times, not even her descendents are being spared a clampdown that could end the wearing of fascinators in the royal enclosure.

The item of headgear, often favoured by the Duchess of Cambridge, is under threat as part of a move to tighten and clarify the dress code at the annual summer event, which also happens to be the Queen's favourite race meet. Nick Smith, a spokesman for Ascot , said: "It is stretching a point to say standards have collapsed but there is no doubt that our customers would like to get back to a situation where it is universally acknowledged that this is a formal occasion and not an occasion where you might dress as you would at a nightclub. "It is probably fair to say that the dress code hasn't necessarily been enforced quite as rigorously as we might have liked." Along with the royals, thousands of visitors who flock to the less formal grandstand enclosure during the week-long meet in June will also be obliged to adhere to strict new guidelines. The less formal Silver Ring is not expected to be affected by the changes. A new dress code states: "Hats should be worn; a headpiece which has a base of four inches (10cm) or more in diameter is acceptable as an alternative to a hat." Women will also be expected to wear skirts or dresses of "modest length" that fall just above the knee or longer.

This clarifies previous guidance which stated that miniskirts were "considered unsuitable". For men, a waistcoat and tie are now compulsory in this area of the course and cravats will not be allowed. Black shoes must also be worn with morning dress. Although rules on the wearing of fascinators in the royal enclosure will be tightened, a hat or fascinator will be compulsory for women in the grandstand, which is open to the public and subject to less stringent rules. The move comes amid criticism of sartorial standards, often led by some press coverage bemoaning the supposed display of too much flesh at race meets, and marks a significant change to previous years, when female race-goers were advised that "many ladies wear hats". Strapless or sheer-strap tops and dresses will be banned. For men, a suit and tie will now be imperative. Charles Barnett, Ascot's chief executive, said the overarching intention was to be "as helpful as possible" to visitors and to assist racegoers in understanding what is "cherished" about the dress code at Royal Ascot.

"It isn't a question of elitism and not being modern in a world where there is less and less requirement to dress smartly – far from it," he said. "We want to see modern and stylish dress at Royal Ascot, just within the parameters of formal wear, and the feedback we have received from our customers overwhelmingly supports that." Fascinators banned from Royal Ascot / Boing Boing I assume Ascot allows patrons to wear Ascots, because banning them would be far too hilarious. Antinous / Moderator says: June 17, 2012 at 7:27 pm Funny that you should ask that. I have been unable to fully parse that very part of the new rules, which says that men in the royal enclosure must wear a tie rather than a cravat. I imagine that someone in the UK could clear this up. But I’m pretty sure that the insistence on ties means no ascots. retepslluerb says: Has nothing to do with wealth but everything with social peer groups. So called “white trash” or “Prolls” can be equally hostile towards people not conforming to dress rules and others.

Wreckrob8 says: June 18, 2012 at 12:48 am Not wealth but class. It is a game of etiquette and manners. Etiquette says that conformity to rules makes everyone at ease because no one feels out of place, and those rules, despite being merely conventional, should conform to what makes your host (one person – in this case the Queen) feel at ease. Manners says that if someone commits a faux pas in etiquette then it should be allowed to pass to keep everyone at ease. This is a deeply class ridden and exclusive game which is unknown to the proles or trailer trash. Personally I think the best type of people go to those places without dress codes or the sexual apartheid of clubland. It is a class thing. retepslluerb says: June 18, 2012 at 12:54 am Granted, the “let it pass” is probably more common in upper classes, but as you can see, they are not above in spelling out the rules quite explicitly when standards slip. Also, in this case (and many others) “letting it slip” doesn’t mean that the people are being let it.

Instead, they get offered – politely – the means to correct their faux pax w/out making a scene out of it. Not very different from restaurants and clubs offering jackets and ties. Wreckrob8 says: But that is the catch 22. It may be a breach of etiquette to issue rules of etiquette but good manners says you let it pass. You must be happily subservient while basking in the sunshine of the Royal presence. Antinous / Moderator says: June 18, 2012 at 3:28 am This is a deeply class ridden and exclusive game which is unknown to the proles or trailer trash. Trailer parks have their own rigid rules of etiquette. I’m pretty sure that you’d be in far greater danger wandering into a trailer park in morning dress than into Ascot in a tee shirt and Beaver Patrol hat. Wreckrob8 says: June 18, 2012 at 4:54 am Possibly the distinction between etiquette and manners has always existed and their function is to maintain equality and classlessness. The catch 22 is that in honouring or dishonouring them they allow for the development of the law, criminality and distinctions of wealth.

Their proper function becomes inverted to maintain class and wealth distinctions. Somehow that irks me. I am sure that there is a class of people whose chances of being victims of crime is so remote that they can dismiss all criminality in terms of ill-breeding, breaches of etiquette and a lack of manners, distancing themselves from their ‘criminal’ pasts and the majority of the population. Wreckrob8 says: I don’t think “morbid fascinators” would sell as well. GrumpySteen says: June 17, 2012 at 9:47 am I’m confused. The article says “In the less formal grandstand, which is open to the public, it will now be compulsory for women to wear a hat or fascinator.” Why would they ban fascinators from one area and require them in another? Another Kevin says: In the Royal Enclosure, fascinators are forbidden, and only proper hats are allowed. In the grandstand, proper hats are still allowed – indeed, preferred – but fascinators are allowed as well. benher says: Wow, what’s with all the fascinator-hate? I think they’re cute!

Green Ghost says: Seems the purpose of a fascinator is to say “Look at me, look at me, not the face I’m perched above!” Antinous / Moderator says: Fascinators are for British women who hate hats but have to wear something on their heads or be mistaken for Americans. It’s just an un-hat. That’s why they’re being deprecated. Green Ghost says: I would much prefer we adopt the lovely stargate-on-the-head thingy than export baseball caps. gluther says: I do love that, as an American, I can still read a popular news article from the UK and not understand what they’re talking about. Yay for linguistic and cultural diversity! OakCliffClavin says: Preposterous! This will not stand! cegev says: June 17, 2012 at 7:16 pm It’s worth noting that the fascinator ban and the generally strict dress code is for the royal enclosure, not Ascot in general. The royal enclosure is rather a private club of sorts, with applications, sponsorships, and the whole thing, and is significantly stricter as far as dress. Fascinators aren’t really appropriate daywear to begin with.

Ascot is not a ball. Royal Ascot dress code: The women who got past the fashion police | Daily Mail Online comments Bare shoulders, bare heads and high hemlines were banned – and at the merest hint of a transgression, the fashion police were on hand to issue pashminas and hats. Yet even as Royal Ascot’s strict new dress code was brought in, plenty of guests managed to push the regulations to the limit. Following criticism that the genteel meet was becoming dominated by a rather less distinguished breed of racegoer, organisers have imposed tough sartorial rules this year. Scroll down for video THE WOMEN WHO GOT PAST THE FASHION POLICE Back off: One visitor's dress did little to conceal her underwear Slinky: This racegoer revealed her shoulders and plenty of leg Taking the plunge: One daring backless dress made the cut Dressing up: Fashion police were on hand throughout the day to hand out pashminas and hats to visitors not properly attired In the royal enclosure, that means hats with a diameter of four inches or more are mandatory.

Skirts must sit no higher than just above the knee, and dresses that are strapless, off the shoulder, halter-neck or with straps narrower than an inch are off limits. RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share Even in the less formal grandstand, ladies must wear a fascinator or hat, and ties are a must for gents. Oddly, though, there is nothing in the new style guide to prevent racegoers displaying their tattoos. While the distinctive cherry hairpiece worn by Joanna Southgate, 34, paled into insignificance compared to the inkings on her arms below the short sleeves of her red dress, she was still deemed appropriately dressed. But she did avoid coming in for too much scrutiny from the fashion police by covering up with a leather jacket as she entered the grounds.

Taking a bow: A patriotic Jackie St Claire, the former girlfriend of Simon Cowell, in red, white and blue They'll never stop the British eccentrics: Hat designer Tracy Rose matched her outfit from head to toe, left, while one visitor was a bright spot one couldn't fail to notice Model Anneka Tanaka-Svenska wore a £3,000 headpiece, left, and another visitor with an oriental themed outfit which certainly met the hemline regulations, right The dress code was enforced by an immaculate team of 60 young women (with a few young men thrown in) in uniforms of purple linen dresses and jackets from High Street store Hobbs, along with Ilda Di Vico hats. The fashion officers – who preferred to be called ‘dress code assistants’ – prowled the entrances carrying baskets packed with colourful fascinators, pashminas and ties. Guests who fell short of the dress code for the grandstand were given appropriate attire for free. Meanwhile, anyone heading for the royal enclosure who had failed to bring a hat was ushered discreetly to an office in which there was a huge array to choose from for a £50 deposit.

However, as no identification was taken, one assistant admitted she was ‘not that hopeful’ of getting them all back. Despite some racegoers in rule-breaking attire apparently slipping through the net, Ascot’s head of communications, Nick Smith, declared himself ‘delighted with the standard of dress’. He added: ‘We always said that we would adopt the new rules sensitively, using common sense and discretion, especially in the first year, and that is what we are doing. ‘The most important thing is that people have an enjoyable time.’ Best dressed: The Queen looked splendid in a powder blue coat and dress as she arrived by carriage with Prince Philip for the opening day Beware the Fashion Police! Two so-called dress code assistants inspect a racegoer's outfit as she enters the Grandstand at Ascot today Hemlines were often higher than guidelines should allow - but stewards were turning a blind eye. 'It's not gentlemanly to point it out,' they said Hats off! Wide-brimmed headpieces were trimmed with feathers Off to place a bet: Thousands of racegoers are expected to flood through the gates of the Berkshire course today Like the Jubilee all over again!

Union flag bunting is strung across the course ahead of the Queen's arrival today Little Bridge ridden by Zac Purton wins the Kings Stand Stakes during day one of the 2012 Royal Ascot meeting A cherry hat tops Joanna Southgate's colourful look, left, and artist Pugh on the fashion police and clothing rules at Royal Ascot Royal Ascot Unveils New Dress Code, Banning Fascinators (PICTURES) | The Huffington Post Royal Ascot Unveils New Dress Code, Banning Fascinators (PICTURES) 16/06/2012 18:40 | Updated 21 June 2012 PA/The Huffington Post UK Royal Ascot racegoers will have to meet strict style criteria when they dress for this year's meeting but help will be on hand from a team of specially trained "dress code assistants". Organisers have raised the bar in the fashion stakes by introducing new rules about attire, including imposing a ban on fascinators in the royal enclosure. Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, is often pictured wearing a fascinator.

Around 300,000 people will flock to Berkshire for the annual horse racing event which starts on Tuesday and there is a chance they will not all be up to scratch so a team of eagle-eyed helpers will be on hand to whip them into shape. A selection of waistcoats, ties, pashminas and other items will be available at the turnstiles for those who need them. The new dress code was first announced in January and organisers sent out reminders with badges and tickets. The decision to tighten and clarify the dress code at the annual summer event and comes amid criticism of sartorial standards which have been more loosely enforced in recent years. Thousands of visitors who flock to the less formal grandstand enclosure during the week-long meet will also be obliged to adhere to strict new guidelines. SEE ALSO: Royal Ascot: Wild Hats That Slipped Past The Fashion Police (PICTURES) In the royal enclosure, fascinators are no longer deemed acceptable.

The new dress code states: "Hats should be worn; a headpiece which has a base of four inches (10cm) or more in diameter is acceptable as an alternative to a hat." Women will also be expected to wear skirts or dresses of "modest length" which fall just above the knee or longer. This clarifies previous guidance which stated miniskirts were "considered unsuitable". For men, black or grey morning dress with a waistcoat and tie are now compulsory in this area of the course and cravats will not be allowed. A black or grey top hat and black shoes must also be worn. In the grandstand, which is open to the public and subject to less stringent rules, a hat or fascinator will be compulsory for women. This marks a significant change to previous years, when female race-goers were simply advised that "many ladies wear hats". Strapless or sheer-strap tops and dresses will be banned. For men, a suit and tie will now be imperative. The less formal Silver Ring will not be affected by the changes. Charles Barnett, chief executive of Ascot, said: "Ascot is Europe's flagship race meeting and one of the world's greatest sporting and social events.

We have tried to provide an appropriate dress code that is clear, workable and in line with the wishes of racegoers. "Over the last few months, a huge amount of planning has gone in to making sure that the implementation of the new code goes as smoothly as possible. During the meeting itself, our team of special dress code assistants will help people with any queries that they may have." Royal Ascot Hats Royal Ascot 2012: Ladies' Day – as it happened | Talking Horses | Sport | The Guardian Royal Ascot 2012: Ladies' Day – as it happened • Hit F5 for the latest or use our auto-refresh button below • Gold Cup at 3.45pm is today's big race • Email your thoughts to chris.cook@guardian.co.uk Racegoers in the Silver Ring. We don't have the picture they're taking of themselves. It'll be on Twitter somewhere. Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images . . . from the BHA's website: The Stewards held an enquiry to consider the reason why Neil Callan, the rider of MORAWIJ, placed fourth, had appeared to ease his horse prematurely.

Having heard his evidence and viewed recordings of the race the Stewards accepted his explanation that he continued to ride out and his mount became unbalanced shortly before the line. The Stewards enquired into why there was a section of running rail missing about seven furlongs out. Having interviewed the Clerk of the Course and the Senior Inspector of Courses and viewed video recordings the Stewards adjourned their enquiry until the following day. 6.57pm And the winner is . . . Twig28 has won today's competition, picking Fennell Bay (12-1), Energizer (15-2) and Colour Vision (6-1) for a final score of +22.50. Twig, we'll be in touch by email. Other good scores: HighNumber +10.50 6.20pm Tomorrow at Royal Ascot Friday's highlight is the Coronation Stakes, in which Homecoming Queen is favourite to follow up her sensational nine-length win in the 1,000 Guineas. Can she make up for her flop in Ireland last time?

Plus Frankel's brother, Noble Mission, tries to win the King Edward for Sir Henry AND your final chance to win a £50 bet from William Hill be being the day's best tipster. We'll see you here from 11am. Today's competition winner will be revealed within the next couple of hours, as soon as the math has been done. 6.12pm Fame may not have enjoyed attention Fans of the brilliant G1 Jockey series of video games may find Jamie Spencer's assessment of the Gold Cup vaguely familiar. Spencer endured a tough passage at times aboard Fame And Glory and described it as "an interesting race", adding that the horse seemed to be fine after the contest. Watching the replay, there's no doubt that Mickael Barzalona played a crucial role in helping unsettle the favourite, who was noticeably keen for the first few furlongs. Spencer - and probably Fame And Glory, too - were getting agitated from as far as six furlongs out in trying to get a clear sight of the leaders, but being hemmed in by Opinion Poll, aboard whom Barzalona remained upsides, whatever his rival tried.

By the time Fame And Glory did get past Opinion Poll and the equally unhelpful Caucus, the horse appeared to have had enough and ducked behind Saddler's Rock when asked for maximum effort. 6.09pm O'Brien: no excuses for Fame flop Aidan O'Brien, trainer of Fame And Glory, was unable to explain the horse's poor showing in the Gold Cup and has confirmed that no injury is evident. "He has come back fine and seems to be fine after the race," he said. 6.07pm Mark Johnston enthuses over King George V win "It gets more of a relief every time," the trainer has told reporters after his first winner at this year's Royal Ascot . "It was beginning to look like a blank week, so it's fantastic to get one in the bag. "I'm delighted for Joe Fanning, nobody deserves it more. If he's not the best jockey in Britain, he's certainly the most underrated. It was a fantastic ride from a bad draw.

We didn't really think the horse would get the trip, but he was given a brilliant ride." 6.03pm Top jockey update Jens Hirschberger 1 Mark Johnston 1 The winners are spread around but we still have no Sir Michael Stoute and no Richard Hannon. 5.57pm The King George winning time . . . . . . was 2 minutes 35.59 seconds. It will not surprise you to learn that it was faster than last year's race by about a second and a half but slower than the other five runnings since Ascot was redeveloped, by about five seconds. 5.55pm King George connections That's Mark Johnston's 35th Royal Ascot winner and he's only had one blank year at the meeting since 1998. Joe Fanning has ridden his fifth Royal Ascot winner and his first since Drill Sergeant and Holberg gave him a double in 2009.

5.40pm King George V result 1 Fennel Bay 12-1 3 Rougemont 25-1 4 Anomaly 8-1 You can always rely on Mark Johnston's horses to keep on keeping on and that's what Fennell Bay did there, hitting the front about a yard before the line after it seemed that Handsome Man had fought off about a dozen rivals. Johnston hasn't won this since 2006 but he won four of the previous 11 runnings. Fennell Bay won a Sandown handicap on soft ground on Saturday and had a 4lb penalty for that. 5.39pm Fennell Bay wins the King George V That's a fifth win in the race for trainer Mark Johnston. 5.27pm The end is near The King George V Handicap brings down the curtain on Ladies' Day. It's over a mile and a half and is restricted to three-year-olds. This is the race that Michael Owen won last year with Brown Panther. The favourite is Gabrial The Great from Michael Bell's yard. He ran a respectable second on his handicap debut at Chepstow, though possibly lacking a change of gear.

Nicholascopernicus has won his last two runs on good to soft or soft going, strongly suggesting there was better to come. Silvestre de Sousa rides Anomaly, the apparant first string for Godolphin, who won a maiden at Newmarket last month on good to firm. He seemed to cope with soft on his previous start. Richard Hannon's Misdemeanour ran a fair fourth on her reappearance at Goodwood. The extra distance will help, though the going is an imponderable. I'm surprised she's 69-1 on Betfair. 5.20pm The winning time by Energizer . . . . . . was 2 minutes 10.03 seconds. Following the pattern of earlier results, that's the sixth-fastest of the seven runnings since the course was redeveloped, faster than the 2 11.84 by Pisco Sour last year but three to five seconds behind the other winners, who ran on good to firm. 5.10pm Tercentenary winning connections Jens Hirschberger, the winning trainer, has had two previous runners in Britain and they did pretty well.

Toylsome was third in a Group Two at Newmarket in 2007, three weeks after landing a French Group One at 100-1. Wiener Waltzer was fifth to Byword in the Prince of Wales at Royal Ascot in 2010. The Racing Post record Hirschberger as having won seven Group Ones, including two German Derbys. The winning jockey is Adrie de Vries, who rode Wiener Waltzer when he ran here in 2010. His major wins include the Italian Oaks in 2005. 5.05pm Tercentenary result 2 Stipulate 11-1 3 Rewarded 7-1 Wrotham Heath was sent straight to the front by Tom Queally, tacking over to the rail from a wide draw, but had used up everything he had by the home straight and faded. Energizer went past and kept going like a proper stayer. Stipulate, Sir Henry Cecil's apparent second-string, had the race set up for him by his stablemate (unintentionally) but could not go with the winner.

Richard Hughes, riding an outsider, Crius, decided to have a crack at the 'Bahri' route, switching to the far rail down the side of the course, where the overhanging trees keep rain off the turf. The idea is that you give up a lot of ground but save lots of energy by racing on a sounder surface. Well, it din't work. Crius was tailed off by the turn for home and was eased down from that point. The BBC say this is the first ever German-trained winner at Royal Ascot. 5.02pm Energizer is a German winner at Royal Ascot Some interesting tactics there on Crius. 4.55pm Ladies Day in pictures 4.46pm Onwards. It's the Tercentenary This is a Group Three race for three-year-olds over 10 furlongs, most of whom are very unexposed. Sir Henry Cecil could be back in the winner's enclosure with Wrotham Heath, last seen beating Grandeur by a neck in a handicap at Epsom.

Grandeur carried 4lb more than the winner that day, whereas they have the same weight today, but Wrotham Heath had a bit more in hand than the margin suggested and may come out on top again. Tales Of Grimm is an apt name for a Sir Michael Stoute runner, given how disappointing that stable's better horses have been over the past 15 months. He was third in a Listed race at Sandown last time and must do better if he is to cheer up the trainer here. He looked likely to improve for this extra distance. Kirsty Milczarek rides Rewarded, who won a Newmarket handicap over a mile in May and was then a shade unlucky when fourth in a Newbury handicap over this distance. Carrying lots of weight, he stayed on well after meeting interference. 4.42pm Breaking fashion news! Imogen Fox: Gary Barlow is set to wear a £350 top hat by Ede and Ravenscroft tomorrow. I know, the excitment is almost too much to bear. 4.35pm The winning time for the Britannia . . . . . .

was 1 minute 42.08 seconds, sixth of the seven runnings since Ascot was redeveloped. It was two and a half seconds faster than Sagramor's time last year on good to soft but two or three seconds slower than the other times, clocked on good to firm. 4.33pm Britannia winning connections This is the eighth Royal Ascot winner for William Haggas, who has also won the Royal Hunt Cup and the Wokingham, other big-field handicaps here. Ryan Moore has now had 15 Royal Ascot winners and this is his second of the week. He had three last year and four in 2010. 4.30pm Britannia Handicap result 1 Fast Or Free 6-1 2 Mister Music 50-1 3 Bronze Angel 20-1 4 Compton 40-1 The field split into two groups and the group against the far rail seems, on average, to have done much better than the group that raced up the middle of the course. The first two came from the far side, whereas Bronze Angel, from the middle group, had nothing to race against for the final furlong.

Fast Or Free moved up to the leaders a long way out, plainly travelling best of all, and he has justified all the support. 4.28pm Fast Or Free wins the Britannia Win number two of the week for Ryan Moore. 4.25pm Another big whip ban in the offing Two of yesterday's winning jockeys were given week-long bans for overuse of the whip and Adam Kirby will join them after his win on Reckless Abandon today. This was his fifth breach in six months, so he has been referred to the British Horseracin Authority for determination of his punishment. It will be between 14 and 60 days with an entry level of a 21-day ban. 4.15pm Who'll rule the Britannia? Today's impossible handicap involves 30 runners up the straight mile and is basically yesterday's Hunt Cup but restricted to three-year-olds. Fast Or Free won a Newmarket handicap recently on just his third start and will have more to offer. He comes from the William Haggas stable that does well in major handicaps and Haggas could do with a change of luck after two runners-up yesterday.

Ryan Moore rides and this is your favourite at around 7-1. Frog Hollow is also fancied after a couple of placed efforts in handicaps this year. He was fancied for a major Haydock race last time but disappointed after a little bit of trouble in running. This easier surface should help. Trader Jack won a soft-ground maiden at Ffos Las last year. He was beaten only by Grandeur, who runs in the next, in a Goodwood handicap last time. Chapter Seven must have a fine chance after winning a Doncaster handicap on soft last time. He's only got 4lb more to carry here and 14-1 is probably too big. Born To Surprise was a well-beaten eighth in the Craven Stakes last time. He should not meet anything of that class in this race and is capable of bouncing back on his handicap debut. 4.10pm Ascot fashion has been an absolute shocker Imogen Fox: I don't care what Charles Barnett says: in terms of fashion, Ascot 2012 has to go down in history as an absolute shocker.

A fashion policing system so flawed that it decrees a 10cm base to be the basic tenet of chic - even if that base supports a "plate" complete with a full English breakfast. An enforcement system that relies on 'police' to give out cheaply dyed pashminas that make the cotton scarves you find in Tie Rack in Waterloo Station look high grade. A track executive misguidedly declaring he's pleased to see fascinators in the grandstand (translation: "look how much better the plebs look with a bit of instruction"). On the Guardian fashion desk, we struggled (and failed) to confirm what qualifies him to be more snotty about fashion than Anna Wintour. And to cap it all, the event suffered a half-baked protest in support of the fascinator from department store Debenhams. As if the feathered headpieces' reputation hadn't suffered enough. So thank heavens for the Queen's wardrobe. Okay, so the tradition of guessing what she might wear is a tad frivolous (I can sense Mr Hayler concurring) as opposed to the honourable science of predicting who will win the Gold Cup, but HM's mint look was an out and out winner.

A bit this season Louis Vuitton and way ahead of the rest of the field. Unexpectedly, she sparked a trend with her bespoke see-through umbrella. Liz did it so that the rest of us can see her face and wave clearly while the royal dressers had thoughtfully added in a mint trim for some sartorial satisfaction. Early adopters on Ladies Day were quick to respond: see-through brollies were sighted in both the Grandstand and in the Royal Enclosure. Which makes the see-through umbrella Ascot 2012's unrivalled democratic fastest developing micro-trend. Bet William Hill didn't offer odds on that now, did they? 4.10pm Gold Cup winning connections That's Dettori's 46th winner at Royal Ascot and he maintains his record of riding at least one winner during the week in every year that he's taken part since 1991. It's his fifth Gold Cup win. The winning trainer is Saeed bin Suroor, who has now had 33 winners at Royal Ascot. This is also his fifth Gold Cup. 4.05pm Call that an inquiry?

Mickael Barzalona did not appear to say anything to the stewards, who announced their decision within seconds of Dettori giving his view of the race. Anyone who backed Opinion Poll will feel that the stewards were never terribly interested in changing that result, despite the fact that the runner-up was plainly affected by the interference. 4.03pm Placings remain unaltered Colour Vision and Frankie Dettori keep the Gold Cup 4.01pm Gold Cup stewards inquiry now live on BBC2 "I brushed Mr Barzalona for about a stride," Dettori tells the stewards. 3.57pm The winning time for the Gold Cup . . . . . . was four minutes 42.05 seconds according to the BBC. That's five seconds slower than Fame And Glory last year and about 20 seconds slower than the times clocked by Yeats when he won the race four times on good to firm. The round course is a serious test after today's rain.

3.55pm Gold Cup result (pending a stewards inquiry) 1 Colour Vision 6-1 2 Opinion Poll 5-1 3 Saddlers Rock 9-2 Frankie Dettori and Godolphin have had a tough week to this point but they can celebrate Gold Cup victory after a tough performance by Colour Vision. It looked briefly as though Opinion Poll would go past but Colour Vision fought on once more. Saddlers Rock plugged on dourly on the outside and would probably have gone past in another 50 yards. Fame And Glory was held up a long way off a steady pace but travelled powerfully into the straight. He found much less than seemed likely and was well beaten. The winner has bumped Opinion Poll twice in the closing stages, so the stewards may yet change this result, though the winning margin was half a length by the line. 3.51pm Colour Vision wins! Dettori got it right! He outbattles his stablemate Opinion Poll for the Gold Cup. 3.30pm The winning time in the Ribblesdale . . . . . .

was 2 minutes 33.67 seconds, sixth of the seven runnings since the course was redeveloped. The only slower time was Banimpire last year, 2 37.06 on good to soft. The rain has clearly slowed things down on the round course and there is more coming down now. 3.25pm It's the Gold Cup! Here comes the big race of the day, which is also the big race of the week for many people. The Gold Cup is a race for very slow horses who need two and a half miles to hit top speed. Fame And Glory won the race last year and followed up in the stayers' race on the inaugural champions day at this track in October. He won on his reappearance at Navan last month, comes from the all-conquering Aidan O'Brien stable and should be hard to beat, which is why he's odds-on. Saddlers Rock emerged as a real talent when hammering Opinion Poll by four lengths in the Doncaster Cup in September. He was having his first run since when second of four in a race at Leopardstown recently, running on well on heavy going.

The better for that, he is a serious contender and probably under-rated at 5-1. Opinion Poll chased home Fame And Glory in this race last year and again on Champions Day. He has won his last two races, in Dubai and at Sandown, to show that he has serious talent himself. The bookies offer 6-1 if you think he has improved enough to beat Fame And Glory. Frankie Dettori has rejected him in favour of Colour Vision, at slightly bigger odds. This one was getting beaten in handicaps last year but showed he has improved when landing a Kempton Group Three on his first run this year. He's only four and there may be better to come but he would be the first winner of that age since Godolphin's Papineau in 2004. 3.15pm Ribblesdale winning connections Dermot Weld has now won 15 races at Royal Ascot, his first having come in 1973 with Klairvimy in the King Edward VII. He also won this race in 2002 with Irresistible Jewel, the mother of Princess Highway.

Pat Smullen, who also rode Irresistible Jewel, has now had four winners at Royal Ascot. The last was Rite Of Passage in the 2010 Gold Cup. He is the 14th different winning jockey this week after 14 races. 3.12pm Ribblesdale Stakes result 2 The Fugue 5-2 3 Shirocco Star 7-1 It was another slow start for a Godolphin horse, Kailani being out the back from the beginning, meeting some trouble in running and never getting into it. Shirocco Star got away from the field running down the side of the course but Princess Highway travelled smoothly through the race, held up on the outside of the field. She got a great run apart from a slight bump on the turn and shot past Shirocco Star, looking a classy beast. The Fugue again didn't get the clearest of runs through the pack before the turn for home and ran on to be a narrow second but she can't be called unlucky this time. She and Shirocco Star seem closely matched. The winner pulled six lengths clear by the line.

3.09pm Princess Highway (17-2) wins the Ribblesdale She got a nice, clean run through but looked the best horse in any case. 3.03pm The winning time for the Norfolk . . . . . . was 1 minute 1.41 seconds, making it the fourth-fastest running of the seven Norfolks since Ascot was redeveloped. It's a second and a half faster than Bapak Chinta's time last year on good to soft last year, and also faster than Radiohead (1 2.07 on good to firm in 2009) and South Central (1 1.83 on good to firm in 2008). So the rain has had some effect on the ground, though not so much as to put you off horses who don't cope with cut in the ground, at least in straight-course races. 2.55pm And on to the Ribblesdale It's a sort of compensation race for horses who didn't win the Oaks at Epsom three weeks ago. The Fugue looked really unlucky that day, meeting trouble in running and having to make up too much ground.

She finished third in the end, having beaten Twirl by six lengths at York on her previous run. She's a predictable favourite at 5-2. Shirocco Star was second in the Oaks, beaten only a neck by Was. She's a progressive type and another good run is likely, though she may have been flattered to finish ahead of The Fugue that day. Vow was fourth in the Oaks, beaten less than two lengths, and it might be stretching it to call her unlucky. Still, that was only her third run and better can be expected. Kailani met trouble early on in the Oaks and never got into it. She was previously unbeaten and is better than she showed that day. She's 9-1, which probably underestimates her, though she has more to prove than The Fugue. From Ireland, Princess Highway is really interesting at about 9-1, having won both her races this year. She had the Oaks winner Was back in third when landing a Group Three at Naas last time.

2.50pm Handicapper confirms reserved view of Frankel Greg Wood: Frankel shot to the top of Timeform's all-time (well, 64-year-old) Flat ratings list when he won the Queen Anne Stakes by 11 lengths on Tuesday, but the official handicapper is still adamant that Dancing Brave, the 1986 Arc winner, was the better horse. Frankel's official rating has been raised from 138 to 140 following the latest of his 11 victories, which is 1lb adrift of the Brave, who also carried the pink, white and green colours of Prince Khalid Abdullah. "Frankel's win in the Queen Anne was one of the most visually stunning I have seen in my time as a handicapper," Dominic Gardiner-Hill, the British Horseracing Authority assessor responsible for milers, said on Thursday. "I'm sure it was a superior performance to his win in the Lockinge and therefore his rating will rise to 140. In the modern era, Dancing Brave is the highest-rated horse we have had on 141 and I wouldn't want to put Frankel above him on what he achieved on Tuesday.

"If you look at the quality of the field that Dancing Brave beat in the 1986 Arc, it was chock-full of Group One winners and, although Frankel finished a long way clear, beating Side Glance, Indomito and Windsor Palace does not entitle him to be considered the superior horse at this stage in my opinion." 2.42pm Norfolk reaction "He's just a big baby," says Kirby. "As soon as I went for him, he hung left straight away. He's something special." "We'll sort him out, don't worry," adds Cox. The Norfolk Stakes does not always throw up a great talent but we're likely to see Reckless Abandon in a race like the Middle Park later in the season at Newmarket. Ahern missed the start and stayed on strongly to be a close fifth, just behind Morawij and ahead of the favourite, Cay Verde. Cay Verde was among the more experienced of the runners but the flip side of that is that he had less scope for improvement than the others.

2.35pm Norfolk Stakes result 2 Gale Force Ten 8-1 3 Ian's Dream 16-1 The winner looked green on the way to the start and was green again in the race, veering from the centre of the course, where the other horse were, to the stands' rail - even though Adam Kirby, his jockey, had his whip in his left hand and was desperately trying to straighten him out. This is a third Royal Ascot win for the trainer Clive Cox, who won the 2003 Britannia and the 2005 Hunt Cup, both with New Seeker. Kirby was riding his first Royal Ascot winner and is the 13th different jockey to succeed here this week in 13 races. 2.31pm Reckless Abandon wins the Norfolk He looks a fair talent. 2.20pm Never mind the flannel, here's the Norfolk Our first race on Ladies Day is due off in 10 minutes, the field led by Cay Verde, from the Mick Channon yard that does well with two-year-olds, though the great man has never won this race.

Cay Verde won over this course and distance in May and the second horse, Hototo, won the Windsor Castle here on Tuesday. Cay Verde has since won a Listed race in Ireland, so his chance is clear, which is why he's 5-2. Reckless Abandon looked smart on his debut at Doncaster, beating Annunciation, who runs again here. The winner will be better today but will that one run provide enough experience? Ahern has also had just one run, beating four rivals at Musselburgh. The runner-up, Satsuma, was well beaten in yesterday's Queen Mary. Mister Marc looks overpriced at about 8-1. He was outbattled by Dawn Approach in Ireland when last seen but that rival was a good winner of the Coventry on Tuesday, so Mister Marc might yet be good enough for this, especially with the drop back in distance. 2.18pm Ascot: our new dress code was a great idea! Charles Barnett, the track's chief executive, has said today: "There is a tremendous array of hats on display, including a sea of fascinators in the Grandstand - the likes of which we cannot remember seeing.

We are thrilled with how the dress code has been embraced over the week and today is no exception, with everyone looking fantastic." 2.15pm Ride the Gold Cup course! Pinterest close This video comes from the website of the British Champions Series , the new initiative to highlight the best races of the Flat season. See what it's like to ride around the two and a half miles of the Gold Cup. 2.11pm Queen in "on-trend" sensation Imogen Fox: The Queen's mint ensemble is actually very this season Louis Vuitton. And that see-through umbrella with mint trim is a winner too, has even caused Ascot refusnik Jess Cartner Morley to look up from her screen. 2pm Green is the colour . . . . . . of the Queen's hat. A pale mint green, in fact, according to Clare Balding. If you backed that, go collect and then slap yourself for getting involved in such a silly market. 1.55pm Ryan's a runner! Will Hayler: I spoke too soon.

Ryan Moore briefly looked like he was thinking about a refusal to race but, with Frankie Dettori putting a reassuring arm around his shoulder and offering some gentle words of encouragement, he made his debut in the parade after all. He even answered a question about Carlton House, saying he "wasn't disappointed at all" and that the horse "will have his day". Hooray. 1.41pm Too much fashion already Will Hayler: Anyone watching the closed-circuit Ascot TV channel (and there are no other options, given that it is broadcast on virtually every television at the track, with the sound pumped out over the public address system) would barely be aware that any racing will take place later today. Since the 'show' started more than two hours ago, there's been an endless parade of beautiful people in swanky clothes. Everyone wants to be on television these days. While I understand that dressing up is Royal Ascot for some people, surely nobody wants to see and hear this non-stop conveyor belt of people talking about their clothes. For the record, my grey suit came from Tesco. I bought it on Monday night and it cost 55 quid.

After a blank day yesterday, it'll be going back soon unless I find a winner before long. I've still got the receipt. 1.27pm Ryan keeps himself to himself Will Hayler: Having somehow managed to miss the special presentation of jockeys on the first two days of the meeting, I suspect that Ryan Moore is odds-on to make it a treble in the next few minutes as a handful of riders are dragged out of the weighing room into the parade ring as part of the build-up to racing. Given that Moore has previously only participated in such things in an angry-looking fug, it's probably best for everyone that the man who will probably end this year as champion jockey remains engrossed in his sudoku or whatever else he's doing. Despite Frankie Dettori's troubles (see below), he always throws himself into this kind of activity and undoubtedly gets a bigger cheer than anybody else. Whether for Godolphin or any of his other rides, a win for Dettori would be one of the most popularly celebrated victories of the week. 1.23pm Maybe a non-runner in tomorrow's Coronation Stakes That stone bruise has finally ruled her out, Aidan O'Brien reports.

1pm What could possibly go wrong? close Here's the footage of yesterday's big race, the Prince of Wales's Stakes won by So You Think. One thing to consider is the importance of making a respectable start and thereby securing a favourable position in the field. Just look at the trouble that Farhh, in the Godolphin blue colours, runs into after starting slowly. What might he have done if able to start on level terms? There are so many ways of blowing your chance at this meeting, which is one good reason to be cautious about backing short-priced favourites, where there is no margin for error in the odds offered. 12.50pm Trouble at the gates Well, we didn't see this coming. Debenhams have organised a protest at Royal Ascot over the new ban on fascinators in the Royal enclosure. Under the terms of the dress code brought in this year, ladies must wear a hat with a base of at least four inches, which is not terribly good news for the retailer, as they sell 250,000 fascinators per year, apparently.

Two well-dressed women with fascinators have been photographed for Debenhams at the track today, carrying signs saying: "SAVE THE FASCINATOR". A press release from the company says that fascinators "are regularly worn by many members of the Royal family, including the Queen, so it seems odd banning them from an enclosure named after some of the more famous supporters. Excluding them from the formal dress code is putting them on a par with a baseball cap or a beanie". Thank goodness all the power-brokers at Ascot today will be brought face to face with such a major issue. Tomorrow: child poverty. 12.30pm The Dettori story Frankie Dettori's position is a subject of continuing interest. It is clear that he can no longer expect to get the pick of the rides from Godolphin, who are also giving good opportunities to their new jockeys Mickael Barzalona and Silvestre de Sousa, presumably with one eye on the need to replace the 41-year-old Italian at some point.

Things have got to the point where some of the evidence suggests that Barzalona is getting the best opportunities and he seems to have struck up an especially good working relationship with Mahmood al-Zarooni, one of Godolphin's trainers. But Dettori refuses to bemoan his position in public and nor should he, having had some terrific opportunities from Godolphin over the course of his career. Dettori has four rides today, only one of which is for Godolphin, on Colour Vision in the Gold Cup. He was expected to ride Opinion Poll until a couple of days ago. We are told that Dettori himself took the decision to ride Colour Vision, so Barzalona rides the other one. Barzalona will ride Kailani in the Ribblesdale while Dettori watches from the weighing room, which is what happened in the Oaks earlier this month. Dettori's other rides today: 2.30pm Ian's Dream (trained by Jeremy Noseda), 4.25pm Piri Wango (Ger Lyons), 5pm Grandeur (Noseda). He has had a total of 45 Royal Ascot winners in his career.

There have been some blank years when he has been prevented from taking part (2005 suspended, 2000 and 1996 injured) but he has not taken part without riding a winner in the whole week since 1991. 12.15pm Top trainer standings Wayne Lordan 1 No Frankie Dettori as yet and no Richard Hughes either. Best odds available: 2-1 Ryan Moore, 100-30 Joseph O'Brien, 4-1 William Buick, 11-1 Richard Hughes, 14-1 Johnny Murtagh, 16-1 Tom Queally, 25-1 bar. 12.05pm Hat matters One of the daftest features of Royal Ascot is that the bookmakers offer odds about what colour the Queen's hat will be when she appears in the royal procession up the home straight before racing starts. Even dafter, it appears that some people actually place bets on the outcome.

As serious punters, we would normally stick our noses in the air at the mere mention of this kind of thing but you have to respect the trouble that some poor person at William Hill has gone to in producing this form guide, showing what colour the Queen has worn on Ladies Day in the past.

It also lists the colour of her hat on other days at Royal Ascot that year: 2011 Pink (Green, Pink, Yellow, Blue) 2010 Purple (Turquoise, Pink, White, White) 2009 White (Yellow, Pink, Purple, White) 2008 Blue (Pink, Purple, Cream, Blue) 2007 Cream (Pink, Yellow, Blue, White) 2006 Green (Blue, Turquoise, White 2005 Brown (Pink, Purple, Turqouise) 2004 White (Yellow, Blue, Cream) 2003 Blue (Yellow, Pink, Blue, Green) 2002 Purple (Green, Purple, Peach, Green) Vogue, it seems, have also done a survey of the colours Her Maj has worn in the past year: 29% Blue, 13% Floral, 11% Green, 11% Cream, 10% Purple, 10% Pink, 4% Yellow, 4% Red, 4% Orange, 2% Black, 1% checked, 1% Beige.

Blue it is, then. But if we catch you betting on it, you'll be sent straight to bed with no supper like the mug that you are. 11.50am Black Caviar drawn on edge of Diamond Jubilee field Final entries are now available for Saturday's races , including the big sprint in which the much-lauded Black Caviar will have her first run outside Australia. Fans from her country will not hear of defeat for her and she's available to back at no bigger than 1-3. So what do we make of the news that she is drawn in stall 15 of 15 runners, closest to the grandstand? As Will noted earlier, there is no evident track bias so far and she should hopefully have a perfectly good chance from there. The concern would be that the field may emerge from the stalls, positioned in the middle of the course, and immediately start edging over to the stands' side. If that happens, it is not impossible that Black Caviar may find herself in the midst of terrible traffic, hard against the rail.

On one view, it makes sense for all the other jockeys to drive her towards the rail (however unsporting that may be), as it would give them their best chance of beating her. The early stages of Saturday's race will be critical. The odds are that Black Caviar will be somewhere near the front before interference becomes an issue. 11.40am Quick fashion tip The Guardian's deputy fashion editor, Imogen Fox , tells us: "Since the going is soft, i'm advising a "flatform" shoe, which is on-trend, evenly distributes the weight on the grass and actually sounds like it might have something to do with racing". Imogen is an all-round expert this week: she's leading our in-house tipping competition on a healthy score of +22.50. 11.35am Market movers William Hill report interest in three horses in today's impossible handicap, the Britannia at 4.25pm: Trader Jack, (10-1 from 12s), Frog Hollow (also 10-1 from 12s) and Chapter Seven (14-1 from 20s).

Kailani has been backed for the Ribblesdale at 3.05pm and is now 9-1 from 11s. In the opening Norfolk Stakes at 2.30pm, Gale Force Ten is 15-2 from 9, while Morawij is 12-1 from 14s. In the last race, the King George V Handicap at 5.35pm, Nicholascopernicus is 7-1 from 9s, while Commitment is 14-1 from 16. 11.33am Will Hayler ponders the going It isn't quite raining, but a low misty cloud is hanging over Ascot and you wouldn't rule out further showers arriving on top of the 8mm to have hit the track overnight. At 9am, the going was changed to Good to Soft across the track and it does now appear probable that we will see conditions remain on the slow side of good for the remainder of the meeting, with further showers forecast for Friday and Saturday. What does this mean for the straight course?

So far, it has seemed a clear case of runners faring best from wherever the pace is and there didn't seem to be any clear track bias, judged by the way the field fanned across the track. But Ascot's straight track has a funny way of behaving sometimes, particularly after rain, and one side or the other could well prove to have an advantage in the Britannia Stakes at 4.25pm. It's just knowing which one. 11.26am Where to look for guidance If you feel up to making your own selections (go on, you know you want to), you'll find today's runners and riders listed here, race by race. 11.24am Non runners We have three non-runners so far from today's races at Ascot: 4.25pm Anaconda Coma, we have sent you an email about arranging your prize. 11.22am William Hill's tipping competition You could win a £50 bet from William Hill by proving your tipping prowess on today's races. All you have to do is give us your selections for all of today's races at Ascot.

As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price. Non-runners count as losers. Please post all your tips in a single posting, using the comment facility below, before the first race at 2.30pm. There are six races at Ascot today and you must post a single selection for each race. Our usual terms and conditions, which you can read here will apply , except that this will be a strictly one-day thing. If we get a tie after all the races have been run, the winner will be the one who posted their tips earliest out of those with the highest score. If you don't win today, don't despair. You will have one final chance to win in tomorrow's competition. 11.20am Going news The going at Ascot is officially good to soft after the course received 8mm of rain by 6am this morning. There may be further showers during the day and there are probably more to come over the next two days.

11.10am Welcome from a slightly soggier Ascot Will Hayler: As if to hammer home the fact that the weather has taken a turn for the worse, a strange swirling cloud has enveloped the closed-circuit television pictures of the empty parade ring. In other news, the going will be on the soft side for Ladies Day, the third day of the Royal meeting. Hopefully that won't worry Fame And Glory, my selection in the Gold Cup, who brushed off minor worries over similar conditions 12 months ago on his way to a comprehensive victory over Opinion Poll. I must take issue with the correspondent who suggested on yesterday's Talking Horses that I have it in for Fame And Glory's trainer, Aidan O'Brien. I have nothing but respect for his abilities as a trainer, the way he plans out a campaign for his horses, the way his horses fulfil their potential and then keep maintaining that level of performance. Apparent fluke performances like those of Ishvana in the Irish 1,000 Guineas are repeatedly shown to be no fluke whatsoever. Horses like Giant's Causeway and Rock Of Gibraltar turned up to every gig in peak form.

By and large, Coolmore, O'Brien's employers, buy the right ones and sell the right ones. What sits less comfortably is O'Brien's post-race evangelism. Yesterday it was the attempt to convince racing enthusiasts that So You Think may have performed to a higher standard in Europe, had he been trained differently in his first 12 months with O'Brien. Personally, I remain unconvinced that in victory So You Think ran anything other than exactly to the same level he did when beaten by Rewilding in last year's Prince of Wales's Stakes. So You Think is a very, very good horse, but could he or would he ever have beaten Cirrus Des Aigles in last year's Champion Stakes? Regardless of his training programme, I don't think so. Fame And Glory was a very talented performer over middle distances, the winner of the Irish Derby, the Coronation Cup and beaten only a handful of lengths in two Arc de Triomphes. In allowing him to extend his racing career as a stayer, O'Brien has both given the horse an opportunity to build his Group One portfolio still further while raising the quality of the division, as he did with Yeats only a few years ago.

The favourite's compatriot Saddler's Rock may provide the biggest threat to Fame And Glory. On a slightly dubious line through Opinion Poll, John Oxx's Doncaster Cup winner is right in the mix, although he'd probably want the rain to stop even more than his rivals. Silvestre de Sousa must have woken up this morning with a relieved smile after realising it wasn't a dream to ride a treble at Kempton last night. He had gone into the meeting on an 83-ride losing streak, shocking for a man who was riding a winner a day almost without fail last season. De Sousa rides Gulf Of Naples in the Gold Cup for Mark Johnston. On Ladies' Day, it's only right to be faced with an interesting puzzle from an above-average field of fillies in the Ribblesdale Stakes. The poor record of horses who have run in the Oaks is sure to be under scrutiny, with Shirocco Star, The Fugue and Vow all back in action, although someone was trying to persuade me last night that the statistic doesn't count for Kailani, as she endured so much interference at Epsom that she never left second gear throughout the whole contest.

Stay tuned to Talking Horses for news on all of Ascot's six races today and a lot of other nonsense too. Ascot tightens dress code for 2012 royal meeting | Horse Racing News | Racing Post Royal Ascot: fascinators will not be allowed in Royal Enclosure this year PICTURE: Getty Images Ascot tightens dress code for 2012 royal meeting By Bruce Jackson 3:36PM 18 JAN 2012 THE fascinator, the subject of much, well, fascination among fashion pundits, was the most notable victim following Ascot's decision to tighten up its dress code for the 2012 Royal Enclosure. However unlike thenew whip rules there remains some discretion at least as far as the ladies are concerned. Dresses must be of "modest length, just above the knee or longer" while the in-vogue fascinator headgear is banned, although ladies are allowed to wear a "headpiece with a base of 10cm or more in diameter".

Miniskirts and bare midrifts remain banned along with any strapless, sheer-strap and halter-neck dresses as Ascot fights back against the less-is-best culture on the back of rising attendances last year. There are no grey areas for the gentlemen in the royal enclosure in their morning suits except that colour being permitted along with black but now they must wear black shoes and a tie, not the more foppish cravat. Outside the royal enclosure, racegoers will have to smarten up with ladies now required to wear hats, although fascinators will be allowed in the grandstand enclosure, and men must don suits over their shirt andtie rather than just a jacket. Even the silver ring dress code has been tightened slightly as last year the only exclusion was bare-chested racegoers. This year replica sports shirts are banned.

Ascot's chief executive Charles Barnett, who has overseen the fleshpot that is ladies Friday at Aintree's Grand National meeting in the past, said: "We have worked extensively with experts in the world of fashion to define better what formal dress means, and assisting everyone in understanding what is expected and, we believe, cherished about the dress code at Royal Ascot." The fascinator ban is to check the increase in the basic feather clipped to the hair type and the new minimum headpiece size will still allow plenty of creativity, according to Ascot. Barnett added: "We get feedback with numerous letters each year after the meeting and our customers as well as our fashion experts are behind the changes. "Most people want to abide by a clear and concise dress code. It isn't a question of elitism and not being modern in a world where there is less and less requirement to dress smartly - far from it. We want to see modern and stylish dress at Royal Ascot, just within the parameters of formal wear." Tickets will clearly state the new dress code which is already on Ascot's website, to help avoid confrontations at the gates during the meeting from June 19-23.

Last year the crowd topped 70,000 on both the Ladies Day Thursday and Saturday, when the crowd was 55 short of 77,000.

Question: Which type of lady's hat was banned at Ascot in 2012?
Answer: FASCINATORS