Royal Ascot 2008

[brockguy]

early enough I know but a few interesting things coming from Nick Smith and the Ascot team over the last few days..

from racingpost

ASCOT yesterday announced that this year's royal meeting will start off in spectacular fashion with three Group 1 events.
The only change to the running order at this year's meeting will result in the Queen Anne Stakes, the King's Stand Stakes, which has been returned to top-flight status this season, and the St James's Palace Stakes opening the meeting on Tuesday, June 17.
The Coventry Stakes, which has opened the meeting since 2003, will be run as the fourth race on the card.
Ascot chief executive Charles Barnett said: "With the promotion of the King's Stand Stakes we felt that we had the opportunity to begin with a bang and make a statement that this card is among the best staged anywhere in Britain all season, if not the best."

In another first for Royal Ascot, the leading jockey at the meeting will wear a leader's armband, akin to the yellow jersey in cycling, with the armband changing every time there is a new name at the top of the London Clubs International Charity Trophy table.

Jimmy Fortune, last year's top rider at Royal Ascot, will wear the armband during a presentation of the jockeys to the crowd, another event taking place for the first time on the opening day in 2008, before the arrival of the royal procession.
Professional Jockeys' Association chief executive Josh Apiafi said: "Royal Ascot means so much to all the jockeys taking part, and this more public profile of the leading rider competition will be very popular in the weighing room.
"It makes perfect sense to introduce the sportsmen who are about to compete for some of the most coveted prizes in racing to the huge crowd that assembles around the Ascot parade ring before the arrival of the royal party."
Ascot will be hoping that the initiative is more successful than the attempt to establish the same concept at Glorious Goodwood last summer, where they struggled to keep the jockeys, notably leading rider Ryan Moore, interested in the spirit of the idea.
Goodwood managing director Rod Fabricius said: "We basically ran into practical problems, but we were surprised at how it became a struggle to get the jockeys to wear the armband.
We thought it would be a valuable boost to the concept of leading rider and we intend to do the same this year."
William Hill have priced up the market for which trainer and jockey will have the most Group 1 wins this Flat season, making the Ballydoyle team of Aidan O'Brien and Johnny Murtagh favourites for their respective contests.
Most Group 1 winners - jockeys
William Hill: 4-5 Johnny Murtagh, 15-8 Frankie Dettori, 9 Ryan Moore, 11 Jamie Spencer, 20 Jimmy Fortune, 25 Kevin Manning, 33 Richard Hughes, Richard Hills, Kerrin McEvoy.
Most Group 1 winners - trainers
William Hill: 4-7 Aidan O'Brien, 9-4 Saeed Bin Suroor, 10 Sir Michael Stoute, 16 Peter Chapple-Hyam, 25 Henry Cecil, John Gosden, Jeremy Noseda, 33 James Fanshawe, Barry Hills, Mark Johnston.