TVG to Provide On-Site Ascot Coverage

With the expected participation of the dynamic duo of Frankel, Timeform’s top rated racehorse, and Black Caviar, the world’s leading sprinter who is second in the Timeform rankings, the 2012 Royal Ascot meet has become one of the most anticipated in the event’s three-century history. With so much on the line, TVG, America’s horseracing network, will present live, on-site coverage of the entire five-day meet.

Royal Ascot gets underway next Tuesday and continues through the following Saturday. TVG’s coverage will air from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. EDT, with wagering available for TVG account holders. Coverage of Royal Ascot is part of TVG’s UK Summer Racing series. Tuesday’s show will also air on MASN, while Saturday’s will be carried by Prime Ticket, MASN and Altitude (check local listings).

Reporting from their broadcast position in the Ascot paddock will be Simon Bray and the network’s UK racing expert, Graham Cunningham. Stephen Burn, TVG’s president and CEO, will host the proceedings from TVG studios in Los Angeles.

Among Royal Ascot’s daily highlights is the horse-drawn carriage arrival of Queen Elizabeth II, a longtime racing enthusiast, owner and breeder. This year, the Queen will be joined by the presence of racing’s equine royalty, Frankel and Black Caviar.

Frankel, a four-year-old trained by the legendary Sir Henry Cecil is named for the late Hall of Fame Trainer Bobby Frankel. Frankel would be extremely proud of the horse that carries his name who thus far has recorded a perfect 10-for-10 record, with most of his victories achieved in eye-popping fashion.

A year ago, Frankel captured Royal Ascot’s St. James’s Palace Stakes, and he comes into this year’s meet, where he will compete in the opening day’s Queen Anne Stakes, off a typically powerful driving win in last month’s Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.

While Frankel is England’s hometown hero, Black Caviar is the ultimate foreign invader. A five-year-old mare, she has raced exclusively in her native Australia, where many consider her that continent’s greatest racehorse. Trained by Peter Moody, the unbeaten Black Caviar has won 21 consecutive starts, an all-time major racetrack mark, regardless of country, continent or hemisphere. She is scheduled to compete in next Saturday’s six-furlong Diamond Jubilee Stakes. Her last effort was a May 12 triumph in the Goodwood Stakes at Morphettville.  

“Under any circumstance Royal Ascot embodies the upper echelon of racing, but with the presence of Frankel and Black Caviar this year’s meet promises to be even more special,” said Tony Allevato, TVG executive vice president. “We look forward to delivering all the action and drama for our fans.”

In addition to the Queen Anne and Diamond Jubilee, Royals Ascot features five other Group I events, including the St. James’s Palace Stakes and the King’s Stand Stakes (Tuesday), the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Wednesday), the Ascot Gold Cup (Thursday) and the Coronation Stakes (Friday).