Horses parade at Royal Windsor Racecourse. Pic: Courtesy of ARC.

By Simon Jackson.

Royal Windsor Racecourse marks its 150th anniversary this season which includes a fixture celebrating Her Majesty the Queen’s 90th Birthday.

The Berkshire racecourse hosted their first meeting of the new flat season on Monday and is set to host a ‘Royal Night Out’ fixture on May 16, which includes an exhibition of the Queen’s racing life and encompasses a Royal and British theme.

The racecourse has also commissioned Windsor and Eton Brewery to create an ‘1866’ beer in honour of their 150th anniversary along with a ‘Summer Sprint Series’ which culminates with a £75,000 final on August 15.

Stuart Dorn, executive director of Royal Windsor Racecourse, said: “2016 is our 150th anniversary and is all set to be another fantastic year for Royal Windsor Racecourse.

“The new Sprint Series that we’ve introduced should give racegoers and punters some great stories to follow over the coming months.  We’re confident that the £75,000 final in August will be a fantastic race which will attract some of the top yards in the country.

“Equally, with Her Majesty the Queen celebrating her 90th birthday this year, there will be a real focus on the town of Windsor.  We very much look forward to playing a full part in these celebrations both within the local community and the racing industry as well.”

News of the new sprint initiative has been welcomed by Kingsclere trainer Andrew Balding who intends to have runners in the series.

“Windsor is renowned as a great night out for the racegoer and it’s exciting to see the team investing into the race programme,” Balding said.

“The new Summer Sprint Series should appeal to trainers and help create a good racing story across the summer and I hope to target a horse from my stable at the series.”

Read ‘Horse Talk with Simon Jackson’ at London24 for the latest horse racing news.