Newbury to host Ascot's King George

ASCOT has confirmed that next year’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes meeting on 22-24 July will be held at Newbury.

The format of the event will mirror the Royal Ascot at York model in that the fixture will be run by Ascot, with assistance from Newbury as host venue.

In common with all fixtures transferred from Ascot during the 20-month close-down for redevelopment, commencing in October, the King George meeting will be shown on BBC.

"Newbury, as a local Grade 1 track of the highest quality, is the natural temporary home for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes," said Ascot chief executive Douglas Erskine-Crum.

"This fixture transfer is a result of the flexibility shown by At The Races, who have agreed to joint coverage at Newbury by Racing UK.

"Our initial work with Mark Kershaw [Newbury managing director] and his team suggests that with temporary facilities, we should be able to attract a crowd near to 30,000."