Ripon is in action again on Wednesday evening, followed by the course’s annual ‘Ladies Day’ fixture on the Thursday afternoon (June 17 & 18). Racing starts at 6-40 p.m. and 2-10 p.m. respectively.
The main race on Wednesday evening is this year’s renewal of The Wells Memorial Challenge Trophy, a £12,000 Handicap contest for three-year-old sprinters over six furlongs. The race which commemorates the significant contribution made to Ripon racecourse by the Wells family, including the late Norman Wells, a former chairman of Ripon Racecourse and Mayor of Ripon.
The opening race of the evening is a sprint handicap contest for apprentice jockeys who have yet to ride a winner – a race supported by Middleham Racing Breaks in the name of New Beginnings a York based group who help racehorses adjust and be re-trained for their second career following racing.
Musical entertainment on Wednesday evening is provided by The Fan Fare Brass Band, while it’s the turn of The Cabaret Sensational Band on Thursday afternoon.
Ripon’s ‘Ladies Day’ once again coincides with ‘Ladies Day’ at Royal Ascot on Thursday afternoon as racing and fashion combine. Paul Lytton will be entertaining guests in the marquee before racing, with Harrogate’s Frankly Jazz’ playing in the marquee throughout the afternoon. Yorkshire based Milliner Jenny Roberts will be on hand to offer advice on how to wear your headwear and to demonstrate which styles best suit you for our guests in the marquee.
For 2015, Ripon Races ‘Best Dressed Lady’will not only receive £500 cash, flowers & champagne but courtesy of our generous sponsors
, our lucky winner will receive a beautiful 18ct white gold diamond teardrop cluster pendant valued at over £1000
Exclusively for the winner of our ‘Best Hat’ competition, the lucky lady will receive a private ‘Millinery Taster Course’ for herself and 3 friends, at the studio of Harrogate Milliner Jenny Roberts where they will design and create a headpiece of their very own and be introduced to the spectacular world of making hats.
The winner of the ‘Best Dressed Lady’ will also receive an automatic entry into the Grand Final to find Yorkshire’s ‘Best-Dressed Lady Racegoer’ held at Doncaster in October. It’s the culmination of a special competition linking the individual ‘Ladies Days’ staged this summer on the Yorkshire racecourses. She will then have the chance to win the overall prize of a luxury spa weekend, £500 of Fashion Vouchers & Diamond Jewellery worth £2500.
The ‘Ladies Day’ theme is also replicated on the track, with one of the highlights of the seven-race programme being The Ladies Derby – a Handicap contest for lady amateur riders – sponsored for the 29th year by Beaumont Robinson – independent financial advisers of Shipley.
The most valuable race on the card is The Brownsfamilyjewellers.co.uk Handicap Stakes, a contest over nine furlongs, while the opening race of the day is a contest for maiden two-year-olds, supported once again by The European Breeders Fund. Three-year-olds take part in The Stray FM Celebrating Ladies Day Handicap Stakes over one mile and a half. Sprinters take part in second running of The North Ormesby WMC Tony Bennett Memorial Handicap Stakes.
Ripon’s permanent giant screen will enable racegoers to follow all of the action, including that from Royal Ascot on Thursday afternoon
Whether you want to strut your stuff at the bookies, sip champagne on the summer lawns or simply resurrect that beautiful hat and shoes combo from the wedding you went to last year, Ladies Day provides a great excuse to let your hair down!