The 12.45 iron bird from Cork to Heathrow never travelled as smooth, with us in the air by midday, no taxiing over London, bags out lively enough and before I know it, I am at my digs in Windsor Town by 1.30.

My landlords Steve and Ann Barry are in great health, thank God, and Ann has a pot of stew on the stove ahead of our trip to Windsor races that evening. We had gorgeous weather and as always, it’s a treat to have no camera, just walking and talking.

As usual, there are plenty of folk from home and I had a few beers with Cahersiveen native Big Muiris, Killarney sisters Marie Murphy and Mags Cullotty, Ned Kelly, Andy The Lodge, and Kieran and Deirdre Cotter.

Opening day is witnessed by a crowd of nearly 44,000 and the Irish are well-represented with 12 individual trainers fielding 22 runners. We manage to bag a winner in the last race, with the Willie Mullins-trained Belloccio owned by Thurloe Thoroughbreds Ireland Limited and led in by groom Rachel Kelly.

We had a magnificent horse race in the St James’s Palace with Irish 2000 Guineas winner Rosallion getting the better of Henry Longfellow by a neck for trainer Richard Hannon, jockey Sean Levey and owner Sheikh Obaid.

The King Charles III Stakes throws up an Australian success with Asfoora for trainer Henry Dwyer, ridden by Kerryman, Oisin “Onion” Murphy and owned by Melbourne taxi firm owner Akram El Fahkri, with groom Chenille Ellis crying with delight leading him in.

We saw a fantastic story in the Coventry Stakes when Rashabar won in the silks of legendry owner Robert Sangster for Manton Thoroghbreds, at a price of 80/1 making him the fifth longest-priced winner at the Royal meeting.

He is trained by Limerick man Brian Meehan and was ridden by 18-year-old Billy Loughnane, whose dad Mark and mom Claire are in tears and on hand to squeeze the life out of their pride and joy.

People of my generation were brought up with the Sangster silks and the Vincent O’Brien association and it’s a first success at the Royal meeting since 1993 for the silks.

Another longtime last Royal success was bridged when Sir Mark Prescott scored with Pledgeofallegiance under Luke Morris in the Ascot Stakes.

Pivotal in 1996 was the last time the great man stood in the winner’s enclosure and he reminded me of the picture I took of him on that day, which graced the front of The Sporting Life the following morning!

The car park was heaving after racing with the sun batin’ down and I met up with my Listowel comrades Berkie Browne, Spike Murphy, Patsy Browne and Christy Walsh, Tony Martin and Ronnie O’Leary (still the best singer in the game) at the picnic of Duagh boys William and Nolan Byrne.

Fair play to the boys, they are getting the hang of this picnic hosting craic now as this year we had ice, some food and even a bit of music!

I share a taxi back into Windsor town with James and Sarah Nash and Charlie and Carol Swan to meet up with my landlord Steve. We ran into Russell and Jackie Ferris, former Irish Rugby captain Rory Best, Hugh Murphy of Dunraven Hotel and Luke Barry of Manister House Stud in The Queen Victoria pub.

Day 2 brought a crowd of 40,000 and some special landmarks. Two Irish successes for Aidan O’Brien, with Auguste Rodin the highlight, winning the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes- the horse’s sixth career win.

It marked a 400th Group 1 win for Aidan and his team and Prince William is on hand to present Aidan with a commemorative number cloth. Aidan’s other winner Illinois marked an 80th success at the Royal Meeting for jockey Ryan Moore and Auguste Rodin brought him level with Frankie Dettori on 81 Royal winners.

Kerryman Oisin Murphy also rode a double with Running Lion for Team Gosden and Wild Tiger for Saeed bin Suroor, while Wathnan Racing, who invested heavily in the run up to Royal Ascot, are rewarded with Leovanni. Trained by Karl Burke, she won the Queen Mary under James Doyle to give Karl his sixth Royal success.

I am out of the press room for 7.30pm and head to the car park for the Con Marnane, Peter Kelly and Dermot Cantillon picnic party. All the Irish contingent are here and I have a few bottles with Tony “Tipper” Mullins, Olive Walsh, Kevin and Anna Ross, and Ciaran and Ann Reilly, who own exciting mare Fleur Au Fusil, before landing in Windsor town with Mark Dwyer of Oaks Farm Stables to round the evening off.

Day 3 brought us Ladies Day, stunning weather, 62,000 racegoers and a magnificent horse race in the feature race of the meeting for many, the Gold Cup.

I was parked up in the press room for 8.30am and during the morning, I took a mosey around the enclosures and down to the Silver Ring.

It always amazes me the craic down here and when the gates open at 10.30am, there are thousands of racegoers pouring in, grabbing their spots on the grass, armed with bags of refreshments, blankets and deck chairs.

There are dozens of food and drink wagons dotted around the place and in the Fame And Glory Bar you can enjoy a bottle of Moet Grand Vintage for £150. A bottle of Peroni is £7.60 and a bottle of water £2.

A 4oz Steak & Salad meal will set you back £14.50, the same price for the steak sandwich, or you might fancy a crepé, in which case you will fork out £7 for a Nutella one or a Ham and Cheese Savoury for £9.

Over the course of the five days, 300,000 racegoers will consume 56,000 bottles of champagne, 44,000 bottles of wine, 21,000 jugs of Pimm’s, 80,000 cups of tea and 128,500 bottles of mineral water.

In the Gold Cup, Kyprios for Aidan O’Brien and Trawlerman for the Gosdens pitted the two super powers Coolmore and Godolphin against each other. They eyeballed each other up the home straight, with the Ballydoyle star winning by a length in a race that left you with the hairs standing up on the back of your neck.

The stands and atmosphere were electric after they flashed by the line. It makes Kyprios, previously successful in 2022, only the third horse to regain the Gold Cup crown after Anticipation and Kayf Tara.

He is led in by the loveable Fiona Craig for part owners Moyglare Stud, who as everyone knows from socialising in the car park, has years of memories on her trusty iPad as she takes pictures of all the Irish folk every year.

Kyprios made it a Ballydoyle double with the earlier success of Port Fairy in the Ribblesdale having pushed Ryan Moore past Frankie Dettori in the Royal Ascot jockeys’ table with 82 winners.

Mind you, he has a bit to go to match Lester Piggott, who leads with 116.

Jockey Rossa Ryan rode a winner aboard Going The Distance to the delight of his parents Deirdre and David, and sister Holly, who are staying with him for the week.

Owners Wathnan Racing were another outfit to record a double on the card, with Shareholder for Karl Burke and English Oak for Ed Walker, both ridden by James Doyle.

Afterwards, I enjoy a few bottles with Ross Doyle and Tony Gorman at Richard Hannon’s picnic, before heading back to Windsor and meeting up in The Trooper Bar with Steve, Russell and Jackie Ferris and Mark and Sarah O’Hare of Honeysuckle fame.

It was a first visit for Mark and Sarah and they are smitten by the place, making it a great sell to the ex-King of the Northern point-to-point circuit!

The Royal Ascot slogan “Like Nowhere Else” is a catchy one and also a true speak. Yet again, the meeting lived up to its moniker.