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Quick Answer
You do not need to bet or know anything about racing to enjoy a raceday. Gates open about four hours before the first race, races run roughly half an hour apart, and the racing itself takes up around twenty minutes of a six or seven hour day.
You do not need to know anything about horse racing to enjoy a day at the races, and you do not need to bet. Most of the day is spent outdoors between races, and the racing itself takes up perhaps twenty minutes of an afternoon that runs six or seven hours.
That ratio is the thing nobody tells first timers. Here is how a raceday actually works, using Royal Ascot as the worked example because it publishes its timings.
How does a day at the races work?
Gates open several hours before the first race. At Royal Ascot they open at 10.30am, the first race is at 2.30pm and the last race starts at 6.10pm.
Read those numbers again, because they explain the whole day. There are four hours between the gates opening and the first race. Races are roughly half an hour apart, and each one lasts a few minutes. You are not watching racing for seven hours, you are at an outdoor event that has racing in it.
That is why the food, the walking and the weather matter more to your day than the form guide does.
Do you need to bet at the races?
No. Nothing about a raceday requires you to place a bet, and plenty of people go all day without one.
If you want to, betting is available on course, and there is usually a minimum stake but no obligation. The practical advice for a first visit is to treat any stake as the price of paying attention to one race rather than as an investment.
If you would rather not, pick a horse to watch by name or by the colours the jockey is wearing. It does the same job, which is giving you a reason to care about the next four minutes.
What actually happens before a race?
The horses are shown to the crowd before each race in the Parade Ring, walking in circles so people can look at them. Jockeys join their horses there, then the horses go out to the track.
This is the part first timers most often miss, and at Royal Ascot it is not included in every ticket. Only Royal Enclosure and Queen Anne Enclosure guests get Parade Ring access. Village and Windsor Enclosure guests cannot get to it at all.
If seeing the horses up close is the reason you are going, that decides your ticket for you before anything else does.
What should you wear to the races?
It depends entirely on the enclosure, which is the single most important thing to check before buying anything.
At Royal Ascot, the Windsor Enclosure has no official dress code. The Queen Anne Enclosure needs a suit and a standard necktie, or a dress with straps and a hat, headpiece or fascinator. The Royal Enclosure requires morning dress and a top hat, and does not permit fascinators.
At the Cheltenham Festival there is no official dress code at all, in any enclosure. The constraint there is March weather rather than rules.
Four things are banned everywhere at Ascot regardless of enclosure: trainers, denim, leggings and shorts. Novelty and branded clothing is out too, including slogans and brand logos.
Whatever the enclosure, wear shoes you can stand in for six hours on grass. This is the most common regret and the easiest to avoid.
Can you bring your own food to the races?
Sometimes, and it depends on the enclosure again.
At Royal Ascot, only Windsor Enclosure guests may bring food in, along with one bottle of sparkling wine or champagne per person over 18. It has to arrive in a hamper or cool bag when you first enter, and nothing can be brought in on re-entry. Blankets and fold up chairs are allowed there too.
No food or drink can be brought into the Royal, Queen Anne or Village Enclosures. Everything comes from the bars and outlets inside.
What time should you arrive?
Earlier than you think, but not at opening unless you plan to picnic.
Gates open four hours before the first race at Royal Ascot. Arriving two hours before the first race gives you time to get through the gate, find your bearings, eat, and see the horses before racing starts, without standing around for half a day.
Build in more time than seems necessary for the journey. Trains fill up, car parks are a walk from the enclosures, and at Cheltenham the racecourse specifically warns that the walk from the car park matters for footwear.
What happens after the last race?
Most racecourses run something after racing ends, and it is often the best part of the day.
At Royal Ascot there is singing around the Bandstand after the last race each day, though only Queen Anne and Royal Enclosure guests can join it. The Village Enclosure runs an after party at its main stage until 9pm. There is live music or entertainment in all four enclosures.
Leaving immediately after the last race means joining everyone else at the station at the same moment. Staying for an hour is usually both more enjoyable and faster.
What do you actually need to bring?
Less than you would think, and the list is mostly about weather and feet.
- Photo ID if you look under 25 and intend to drink, and for teenagers who may be asked to prove they are under 18
- Shoes you can stand in all day, appropriate for grass
- A coat or layers at any winter meeting, and something for rain at any meeting at all
- Sun protection at summer meetings, since most enclosures are open ground
- A paper train ticket if you are going to Ascot, because Oyster and contactless are not valid there
- Cash for some on the day car parks, which take cash only
Cloakrooms exist at Royal Ascot in every enclosure, opening at 10.30am, so you are not carrying a coat all day if the weather turns.
Can you take children to the races?
Yes, and at Royal Ascot it is unusually cheap. Children under 18 get into the Queen Anne, Village and Windsor Enclosures free without a pre-purchased ticket, up to four children per adult.
The Royal Enclosure is the exception. Children aged 10 to 17 must buy admission, and children under 10 are not permitted there at all.
Juniors aged 10 to 17 follow the adult dress codes with some relaxation. Hats and fascinators are not compulsory in the Queen Anne or Village Enclosures, and in the Royal Enclosure boys may wear a dark lounge suit with a collared shirt and necktie instead of morning dress.
What is the one thing first timers get wrong?
Buying the ticket based on the name rather than what it includes.
The Queen Anne Enclosure sounds grander than the Windsor Enclosure, so people buy it, then find out it requires a suit and tie they do not own and bans the picnic they were planning. Or they buy a Windsor ticket to save money, then discover they cannot get to the Parade Ring to see the horses they came for.
Neither is a bad ticket. They are different days out. Work out which day you want first, then buy the ticket that gives you it.
Related guides
- Going to the races knowing nothing about racing
- Racing terms explained
- Which race meeting should you go to?
Sources: Timings, dress codes, enclosure access, picnic rules and children's admission are published by Ascot at ascot.com and the Jockey Club at thejockeyclub.co.uk, checked in September 2026. Details change between years, so check before you travel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to bet at the races?
No. Nothing about a raceday requires a bet and many people go all day without placing one. If you would rather not bet, pick a horse by name or by the jockey's colours to give yourself a reason to watch.
Do you need to know about horse racing to enjoy a raceday?
No. The racing takes up around twenty minutes of a six or seven hour day. Most of a raceday is an outdoor event that happens to have racing in it, so the food, walking and weather affect your day more than the form guide.
What time should you arrive at the races?
About two hours before the first race for most people. At Royal Ascot gates open at 10.30am and the first race is at 2.30pm, so arriving at opening only makes sense if you are picnicking in the Windsor Enclosure.
What should you bring to the races?
Shoes you can stand in all day on grass, layers or a coat for the weather, photo ID if you look under 25, and a paper train ticket for Ascot since Oyster and contactless are not valid there. Some on the day car parks are cash only.
Can you take children to the races?
Yes. At Royal Ascot children under 18 enter the Queen Anne, Village and Windsor Enclosures free with an adult, up to four per adult. The Royal Enclosure requires 10 to 17 year olds to buy admission and does not permit under 10s.
What do first timers get wrong at the races?
Buying a ticket on the name rather than what it includes. A Queen Anne ticket requires a suit and tie and bans picnics, while a Windsor ticket has no dress code but no Parade Ring access. Decide which day you want, then buy the matching ticket.
