William Powell Frith, (born January 9, 1819, Aldfield, Yorkshire, England—died November 2, 1909, London), English painter famous for his crowded scenes of contemporary English life, executed with a preciseness of technique akin to that of the Pre-Raphaelites.

Frith entered the Royal Academy school in 1837, and in 1840 he exhibited there his first picture, Malvolio Before the Countess Olivia. He quickly gained wide popularity. Elected associate of the Royal Academy in 1845 and a member in 1852, he established his reputation with a succession of large compositions of everyday English life, the first of which, Ramsgate Sands (exhibited 1854), was bought by Queen Victoria. His most memorable works of the period include The Derby Day (1858) and The Railway Station (1862). Frith later turned to moralizing works exemplified by a series of five paintings under the general title The Race for Wealth (1880).

William Powell Frith, (né le 9 janvier 1819, Aldfield, Yorkshire, Angleterre - décédé le 2 novembre 1909, Londres), peintre anglais célèbre pour ses scènes encombrées de la vie anglaise contemporaine, exécuté avec une précision de technique proche de celle de la pré -Raphaelites.

Frith entre à l'école de la Royal Academy en 1837, et en 1840, il y expose son premier tableau, Malvolio devant la comtesse Olivia. Il a rapidement gagné en popularité. Élu associé de la Royal Academy en 1845 et membre en 1852, il établit sa réputation avec une succession de grandes compositions de la vie quotidienne anglaise, dont la première, Ramsgate Sands (exposée en 1854), est achetée par la reine Victoria. Ses œuvres les plus mémorables de la période comprennent The Derby Day (1858) et The Railway Station (1862). Frith se tourna plus tard vers des œuvres moralisantes illustrées par une série de cinq peintures sous le titre général The Race for Wealth (1880).

The Derby Day is a large oil painting showing a panoramic view of The Derby, painted by William Powell Frith over 15 months from 1856 to 1858. It has been described by Christie's as Frith's "undisputed masterpiece" and "arguably the definitive example of Victorian modern-life genre".

Ascot Racecourse was founded in 1711 by Queen Anne. The first race, "Her Majesty's Plate", with a purse of 100 guineas, was held on 11 August 1711. Seven horses competed. This first race comprised three separate four-mile (6437 m) heats. Handicap races started at Ascot, the first one being the Oatlands Handicap in 1791.

In 1813 Parliament passed an Act to ensure that the grounds would remain a public racecourse. A new grandstand was opened in 1839 at a cost of £10000. A further Act of Parliament of 1913 establishing the Ascot Authority which entity manages the racecourse to this day. From its creation until 1945 the only racing that took place at Ascot was the Royal Meeting, a four-day event. Since that date, more fixtures have been introduced to the grounds, notably National Hunt racing in 1965. The National Hunt course was established using turf from Hurst Park Racecourse, which closed in 1962.