Ascot racecourse to star in James Bond film

Ascot racecourse is no stranger to suave, smartly dressed men – though they’re usually racegoers, not secret agents.

But last month the Berkshire track was transformed into a set for the new James Bond film.

With a degree of secrecy that the secret service would be proud of, Ascot declined to comment.

But word is that the racecourse will appear in Skyfall (due out in October 2012) – with the modern grandstand, full of escalators and glass panels, masquerading as Shanghai airport.

Filming took place at night in the last week of November with Daniel Craig playing James Bond, supported by real-life racehorse owner Dame Judi Dench as “M”.

And it’s not the first time 007 has been filmed at the Berkshire track. In the 1985 Bond film A View To A Kill, some scenes were filmed during a race.

Starring as Bond at the time was Roger Moore.

This news story was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound (22 December, 2011)

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