Newbury Racecourse supports Betfair Racing Staff Week with Racing Staff Night
Newbury Racecourse is supporting Racing Welfare's Racing Staff Week with the return of their Racing Staff Night on Thursday, June 30.
Any racing staff member with a valid stable pass or validity slip or letter from their employer will be able to redeem their pass for one complimentary admission ticket to Newbury Racecourse on Thursday June 30 and a free drinks voucher for the evening, where there will be live music, complimented by seven live races.
Thursday June 30 also signals the return of Newbury’s popular Gin Thursday evening fixtures which also take place on the July 7 and 21 and are the perfect way to spend a Thursday evening unwinding from the day’s work with friends and family, while enjoying exciting live racing.
Harriet Collins, Marcomms and Sponsorship Director for Newbury Racecourse, said: “We are delighted to offer free entry to all racing staff for the evening fixture on Thursday, June 30, in support of Racing Welfare’s Racing Staff Week.
“We first ran this event back in 2019, before the pandemic, and it was extremely popular. There are so many individuals and teams who help put on our sport, whether it’s our own racecourse staff, vets and valets or those working in the yards and studs.
"Behind every horse that visits Newbury or any other racecourse, we know there is a big team who work incredibly hard to make it happen, which is why Racing Staff Week is such a worthwhile initiative and this is our chance to say thank you.”
Newbury Racecourse employees visited the yard of Andrew Balding on Thursday, June 23 – a chance for the team to leave the office and get up close and personal with one of the top yards in racing.
For some, it will be their first visit to a racing stable, and a great opportunity to learn first-hand how the racing side of the industry operates.
It’ll also serve as a well-deserved morning away from the computer screen and an opportunity to fill the lungs with some fresh Berkshire air.
Last week it was announced that Highclere Castle Gin is forming an exciting new partnership with the Racecourse for the Summer of 2022.
It will become the sponsor of the Highclere Castle Gin Cup (formerly Marsh Cup) which takes place on Saturday, July 16, as part of Weatherbys Super Sprint Day in just over two weeks’ time.
The Carnarvons, who own Highclere Castle, have a long association with Newbury Racecourse and the partnership is a continuation of a relationship already steeped in history.
Indeed, the association can be traced back to its creation in 1905 when the 5th Earl was one of the first stewards and a strong supporter of the development of the new racecourse.
He entered five horses on the very first day of racing and Robert le Diable and Mauvezin Valens were some of his most successful runners at the track before the First World War.
To this day, The Carnarvon Stakes continues to be run on Lockinge Day.
This year is of particular significance, as it is the centenary of the 5th Earl’s discovery of the tomb of the Pharoah Tutankhamun, first discovered in November 1922.
More recently, Highclere Castle has become the much-loved familiar backdrop for the set of the popular BBC drama and subsequent films, Downton Abbey and the heritage site welcomes thousands of visitors every year from across the globe for tours of the home and gardens.
Lord Carnarvon said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Newbury Racecourse this summer and are particularly looking forward to our involvement on 16 July for the Weatherbys Super Sprint Day. My father the 7th Earl bred many horses who were very successful at Newbury over the years and owned Lyric Fantasy who was a winner of the Super Sprint back in 1992.”
Lara Johnston, Sponsorship Manager at Newbury Racecourse added: “We are absolutely thrilled to be welcoming Highclere Castle Gin as a partner here at Newbury and sponsor of the Highclere Castle Gin Cup. The brand is a perfect fit for our popular summer series and Gin Thursdays which draw a crowd from all over Berkshire and beyond.
“Highclere Castle Gin have done a brilliant job of growing their audience since launching in 2020 and have won an impressive number of awards for the quality of their gin – it’s a pleasure to have their distinctive bottles stocked behind our bars and we look forward to working with their team to bring the partnership to life.”
The Highclere Castle Gin Cup run over 2miles ½ furlong will take place on Saturday 16 July as part of a seven-race card which features the Weatherbys Super Sprint Stakes and Group 3 bet365 Hackwood Stakes. Recent Queen Alexandra Stakes winner, Stratum won the inaugural running of the Highclere Castle Gin Cup back in 2018, and most recently, it was the Paul Nicholls-trained Scaramanga who took the spoils last year.
Following racing, Craig David will perform a 90-minute set on the Party in the Paddock Stage. Tickets are selling fast with limited Premier Tickets now remaining. Book today at newburyracecourse.co.uk
