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Racing News |
Newmarket Prepares For Finale Weekend
25/10/06
Newmarket's
final meeting of the season this Friday and Saturday promises to end
the season at the Home of Racing on a high, with total attendance across
the 37 racedays set to exceed 350,000 for the fourth year in succession.
On Friday the racecourse pays tribute to Her Majesty The Queen in the year of her 80th birthday. The Queen will be attending following an invitation from the Jockey Club, of which she is Patron.
All the races are named after notable horses owned by Her Majesty -
Monaveen, Highclere, Dunfermline, Pall Mall, Doutelle, Aureole and Canisbay
- and two great jockeys from the past who won in the royal colours, Lester
Piggott and Willie Carson, will join her and the Duke of Edinburgh for
tea. The first race is currently scheduled for 1.30pm (though it is possible
this will be brought forward if a race divides).
On Saturday, bet365 are supporting the entire card for the first time,
including three Listed Races, the bet365 Zetland Stakes, the bet365.com
EBF Montrose Fillies Stakes and the bet365 Ben Marshall Stakes all of
which will be shown live on Channel 4, while they are also sponsoring
the main Channel 4 televised race at Wetherby, the bet365
Charlie Hall Chase. Newmarket's first race on Saturday is at 1.30pm.
Frankie Dettori, who with 21 winners at Newmarket so far this is season is seven ahead of his nearest pursuer and therefore looking nailed on to land the inaugural Racing Post Champion Newmarket Jockey Award, will be looking to end the season at his local track in style.
His retained Godolphin stable have very strong entries over the two days, none more so than in Saturday's bet365 Ben Marshall Stakes where they have no less than seven entries, including nearly all the highest rated horses amongst the 22 engaged for the one mile contest.
Assuming he maintains his lead, Dettori will be presented with a magnificent
bronze horse coffee table by internationally-renowned artist Mark Stoddart
on Saturday.
Lisa Hancock, Managing Director of Newmarket Racecourses, said: "We
are all set to round off another fantastic season at the Home of Racing
in style this weekend, with The Queen's visit on Friday a real high point.
There should be a very strong card and I hope that a big crowd will come
along to help racing mark her 80th birthday. The latest weather prediction
for both racedays is that it is likely to stay dry and pleasantly warm
for this time of year.
"On Saturday we are hugely grateful to bet365 for their major new sponsorship with us. This day has staged particularly high quality racing in the last two or three seasons and a glance at the entries would indicate that it will do so again this year, with Frankie highly likely to add to his current haul of Newmarket victories before he is presented with his Racing Post Newmarket Champion Jockey Award.
"It has been another very successful year for Newmarket Racecourses, with total attendance set to reach just over 350,000 for the fourth season running. For me the best day of the year was Champions' Day 10 days ago, when a big crowd enjoyed one of the best day's racing Newmarket has probably ever staged, but the victories of George Washington and Speciosa at the Stan James Guineas Festival in May were also fantastic, as were both the racing and the weather at the Ritz Cub July Festival. All in all it has been a spectacular season."
Admission prices: Day Members £20; Grandstand & Paddock £13. All accompanied children aged under 16 admitted FREE. 10% advance booking discount if you book in advance online 48 hours in advance at www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk For more information call the booking hotline on 01638 675 500.
