Sashaying into Royal Ascot in top hats and tails, fancy dresses and fascinators, a legion of well-heeled racegoers are encouraged to make the most of the five-day meeting by none other than King Charles.
‘We hope that you have a successful week and that you enjoy the thrilling action on the track, as well as everything else that Royal Ascot has to offer,’ he told them, writing in the official race-day programme.
But while the monarch contented himself with cheering on his horses, Reaching High among them, all too many others were looking for entertainment – and highs – of a very different nature.
Tests carried out last week by The Mail on Sunday at the Berkshire course found widespread evidence of illegal drug abuse.
Swabs taken across the site, including in the exclusive Royal Enclosure, tested positive for cocaine and even, we can reveal, ketamine, a Class B drug which, ironically given the setting, was originally used as a horse tranquiliser.
Known by the nicknames Ket or Special K, its abuse has skyrocketed in Britain.
The use of drugs at an event regarded as one of the most prestigious in the nation’s sporting calendar and a highlight of the ‘season’ – last week royals including the King, Queen, Prince and Princess of Wales attended – will shock many.
While punters are informed that anyone showing signs of being under the influence of drugs will be kicked out, the warnings are clearly going unheeded and, while there are sniffer dogs and bag checks on arrival, their success appears limited.
Sniffer dog at Ascot checking two elegantly dressed racegoers for any illicit substances
Catherine, the Princess of Wales stood out at the races in a bright yellow ensemble
‘People used to come for the buzz of backing a winner,’ one seasoned racegoer observed. ‘Now they are just as likely to queue for the toilet cubicles as the bookies.’
An insider added: ‘By late afternoon some of those loos are literally rocking. People disappear for 20 minutes at a time.’
In any case, for those arriving by vehicle, you don’t even need to get into the main racecourse to indulge, as there are no drug patrols in the car parks.
For many, the day traditionally begins with a posh car park ‘picnic’ – Car Parks One and Two are famous for lavish entertaining.
Regular patrons say carousing often starts as early as 10am.
On Wednesday and Thursday, known as Ladies Day, the MoS watched as well-dressed attendees, many dropped off in chauffeur-driven Range Rovers and BMWs, sat down to enjoy meals served at picnic tables by waiters.
Among those spotted were TV personality Georgia Toffolo and veteran jockey Willie Carson.
While there is absolutely no suggestion they were involved in any wrongdoing, clearly others weren’t content to just whet their appetite with champagne.
Newlyweds Peter and Harriet Phillips enjoyed some bubbly while watcing the races
A dapper gentlemen is vetted by a sniffer dog as he passes through security
Using wipes designed to change colour when they come into contact with cocaine, and swabs that can test for illegal drugs including cocaine and ketamine, an MoS reporter swabbed flat surfaces such as toilet roll holders and cistern lids in the ladies’ loos.
Even though it was only 2pm, ten of the car park cubicles revealed traces of cocaine.
Our discovery came as little surprise to one regular who describes the scene there as being ‘like Glyndebourne meets Ibiza with horses in the background’.
The horse owner, in her 50s, who has been attending Royal Ascot for decades, told the MoS: ‘In my view it’s worse than the other race meetings as it’s so much posher and so close to west London.
‘Vast sums of money are spent and there are many more entertaining opportunities with the car parks and tents and clubs. It really is party central.
‘People take a driver and van early in the day to deliver tables and food and booze. They are never checked so loads of cocaine is put in the bags.
‘I remember a Car Park One picnic I went to and two guys opened the boot of their Range Rover and under a cheeseboard was a vast bag of cocaine.
‘There was so much that people’s faces were covered in it, snorting straight from the bag.
‘I’ve seen women comatose on the floor by 3pm. People are so out of it when they leave, many of them literally cannot stand up. It’s truly disgusting but they are hidden behind dark windows and discreet chauffeurs.’
Meanwhile, an Irish racegoer, who has been coming to the event since the 1970s, observed that the use of drugs had become all too evident in recent years.
‘It’s young people going wild for the day,’ he said. ‘They just don’t know how to handle themselves and get into a bit of a state – which is a shame to see.’
Meanwhile, inside the racecourse, on Wednesday our reporter found traces of cocaine in a cubicle in the women’s toilets within the Royal Enclosure.
It was on the same day that the Princess of Wales and her mother, Carole Middleton, were photographed watching the racing from the balcony in the Royal Box.
It was the same in the Queen Anne Enclosure, the second most prestigious area, where traces of cocaine were found in the toilets of the Pavilion Restaurant.
Of course, to some degree the prevalence of drugs at Ascot and other racecourses reflects their use in wider society as well as the increase in young people attending the race festival, something that Ascot wants to encourage.
While the event is historically associated with an affluent, elite and older crowd, recent marketing efforts have successfully altered its appeal. Last year Ascot hosted 287,000 people. In 2023, a third of ticket buyers were aged 16 to 34. By the following year that had increased to almost half.
A special membership has been set up for 18- to 25-year-olds and a section called the Village Enclosure heavily promoted.
Located in the centre of the track, it promises a festival-type vibe and an ‘exquisite day of fun and frivolity’.
The younger the crowd, the more likely they are to take drugs – the Crime Survey for England and Wales found drug use among 16- to 24-year-olds stood at 16 per cent in the 12 months prior to March 2024.
Indeed, the MoS found evidence of two different drugs in the Village Enclosure.
On Thursday evening, a swab of the toilets was positive for ketamine. Meanwhile, a small plastic, resealable bag – known as a ‘baggie’ – found on the ground tested positive for cocaine.
On Wednesday evening, in a private bar beside another of the enclosures, our reporter watched as a group of young men, all wide-eyed and with dilated pupils, danced aggressively.
In plain sight the men passed a bag of white powder around, taking it in turns to sneak off into the toilets. One emerged wearing sunglasses. When swabbed immediately after their departure, the cubicle tested positive for cocaine.
While efforts are being taken to deter drugs being brought on to the course, how effective they are in practice is unclear.
New arrivals are greeted by a team of sniffer dogs, a tactic employed since 2018. The animals are deployed at entrance gates and around bars and toilets.
At the entries and turnstiles for the Royal Enclosure and Queen Anne Enclosure, the two most exclusive areas of the course, our reporter watched as the drug detection dogs walked alongside snaking queues of men and women, poking their noses towards pockets and bags.
‘Drugs always come with these kinds of sporting events. It’s always a problem at the horse racing,’ one handler, accompanied by a spaniel, said. ‘We’re lucky though – we’re at the “nice” gate.’
With hospitality packages to these enclosures costing thousands of pounds, one would be forgiven for thinking the clientele might be here for the horses.
However, moments later the dogs circled excitedly around a trio of women – before continuing on their way. One of the ladies, wearing an extravagant wire mesh fascinator, smirked and took a puff of her vape before conspiratorially whispering to her friend: ‘They can’t be that good, then.’
One gate down, the MoS watched as a young man was singled out by the dogs. Security asked whether he had any substances on him, which he denied, and he was escorted away for a full search.
Less than five minutes later, a labrador darted for another man who had navigated the security scans and was almost inside the grounds. Another, in a crisp navy suit and Chanel sunglasses, was also stopped, as was a man in a Barbour jacket.
In just 45 minutes, the MoS saw eight dapper-looking young men and a young, glamorous brunette being stopped and taken away for a further search. All of them were flagged up by the dogs.
Some re-emerged and were allowed in, while one walked off in an apparent huff.
One man pulled aside at the entrance to the Royal Enclosure but subsequently allowed on his way said: ‘I joked that maybe I smelled of dog, to which I was told they aren’t trained for that.
‘They searched me properly, and there were others in there, too. They took my address, all my details, asked to see my passport. But they let me go. I’m not a drugs person. I’m not sure what happened, but if this keeps drugs out of Ascot, that’s good.’
Security staff said: ‘Anyone with drugs or drug paraphernalia on them is thoroughly searched. If nothing is found they are let in. If anything is found, we get the police involved.’
In recent years there has been a small but steady increase in arrests linked to the festival.
In 2023 there were 35 arrests, increasing to 36 in 2024 and to 45 last year. These covered offences of assault, drink-driving and possession of Class A drugs.
A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: ‘Everyone attending Ascot is expected to follow the laws on illegal drug possession. Police officers are on hand to assist Ascot Racecourse with the removal of anyone found to be hiding or distributing illegal drugs.’
A spokesman for the racecourse said: ‘We have enhanced security measures in place, including a team of more than 20 sniffer dogs across all entrances and on patrol around the site, supported by visible stewarding, bag searches and amnesty bins.
‘The safety and security of our racegoers is paramount, and we work closely with the police, our security partners and our specialist advisers across the site.
‘Those found trying to enter the site with illegal drugs will be refused entry or expelled.’
One can only hope that the pinnacle of the nation’s social calendar doesn’t continue to be dubbed ‘Royal As-ket’.
