Royal Ascot revellers set to down £20m of booze including 21,000 jugs of Pimm’s

Racing revellers are having a right Royal knees-up at Ascot – and look set to slurp their way through a record £20m worth of booze.

As temperatures rocketed to 30C fun-seeking fans piled into the racecourse's 114 bars and restaurants. Sales of champagne, Pimm's, lager and Guinness went through the roof as partying punters soaked up the sun.

Virtually the entire 40,000 crowd joined in unison to toast super jockey Frankie Dettori as he had his first winner of what will be his last Royal Ascot. The 52-year-old Italian – who has been crowned the meeting's champion jockey seven times – steered home favourite Gregory in The Queen's Vase to net his 78th festival winner.

He punched the air with delight, performed a trademark flying dismount in the parade ring and kissed the TV camera before getting a smacker from King Charles III's niece Zara Tindall as she presented him with his trophy.

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The joyous scenes triggered a party which looked set to stretch long into the night as punters cracked open bottles of bubbly in the car park. Racing fans said the high spirits were partly down to the sunshine – and Ascot chiefs' decision not to pump up their prices.

Beer costs £6.80 – way below the £8.40 cricket fans were charged at the First Test at Edgbaston. A Royal Ascot spokesman said: "We’ve definitely tried to keep prices as reasonable as possible and we know they compare favourably with some other major events and venues. That’s matched with ticket prices which start from £49 at Royal Ascot."

Cleaner Annika Boswell, 36, who was tucking into £37 jugs of Pimm's with 16 of her family and friends, said: "It's just the greatest day out you could imagine.

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"Everybody is having so much fun I can't remember the last time I saw so many people smiling in the same place I think it's a combination of the weather and the Pimm's.

"The organisers deserve maximum credit for keeping the prices down. When you consider it's one of the world's biggest sporting events attended by the King and Queen I think it's great they don't take the mickey.''

Annika, from Swanmore, Hants, laid on a Hummer limo to ferry her party to and from the races. Nursing manager Ashley Pitt, 36, from Fareham, Hants, said: "It's a real party. I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be.''

Isabella Welch, 29, who runs a window cleaning business in Wycombe, Bucks, said: "It's great to see everybody having such a brilliant time. There has not seemed much to smile about for lots of people recently but everybody here is letting their hair down.

"I'm not surprised drink sales are going well. Everybody wants to party.''

Karen French, 59, an events coordinator from Bexley, south-east London, said: "We've had the best time. Though there is a lot of drinking and smiling it's a really safe environment. Everyone is just getting along and enjoying themselves.''

Over the five days fans were expected to sup 300,000 pints of Guinness, 56,000 bottles of champagne, 44,000 bottles of wine and 21,000 jugs of Pimm’s – running up a £15m bar bill.

But experts reckon the tab could rise to £20m(pounds). One vintner – who sells wine across Europe – said: "Early figures suggest we could see a record.''

More than 300,000 revellers are expected to attend over the five days of the meeting – which dates back to 1768. They will arrive in 400 helicopters and 1,000 limos and – as well as seeing 509 of the world's top horses in action – will be able to watch 33 live bands.

Ascot bosses said punters will polish off 240,000 hand-crafted afternoon tea cakes, 128,500 bottles of mineral water, 120,000 buttermilk scones, 80,000 cups of tea, 60,000 finger sandwiches and 25,000 English asparagus spears.

They will eat 8,000 Cornish crabs, 7,000 punnets of mixed berries, 7,000 rumps of English lamb, 5,000 kilos of salmon, 5,000 Angus steaks, 3,500 lobsters, 3,000 kilos of beef sirloin and 1,200kg of Cornish clotted cream.

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