With the summer holidays coming to a close, what better way to spend a day with the family than a day at the races for Ripon’s two-day August Bank Holiday meeting. The event which starts on Monday with a family fun day continues on Tuesday for their final evening race meeting of the season.
Very much an established part of August’s Yorkshire racing calendar, the course have a fun filled afternoon of activities planned for children in the Course Enclosure on Monday. With a variety of funfair rides and bouncy castles and a visit from the Riggamoor Mini farm as part of the afternoon’s FREE entertainment.
The Racing Roadshow will also be in the course enclosure for racegoers of all ages to learn about horses, jockeys and racing in general. ‘Racing to Schools’, an organisation dedicated to helping children understand the wonderful world of racing will also be providing an equicisor for you to test your own jockey skills. (see photo)
James Hutchinson, Managing Director and Clerk of the Course said:
“Bank Holidays are traditionally about relaxing and enjoying time with friends and family, there’s no better place to do that than at the races with a picnic and an ice cream in sunny Yorkshire!”
Turning to the racing, the days feature race is Ripon’s only listed race of the season, ‘The Longines Irish Champions Weekend EBF Ripon Champion Two Yrs Old Trophy’ a Class 1 sprint for two-year olds over six furlongs, with a total of £30,000 prize money on offer.
The action continues on Tuesday evening featuring ‘The David Chapman Memorial Handicap’, a race that plays tribute to one of Yorkshire’s finest and well respected trainer who was sadly lost in 2011. David’s granddaughter Ruth Carr is flying the racing flag for the family and is enjoying a very successful season, having also won a race herself in the Macmillan Charity Race at York on the well-loved Dubai Dynamo
The gates on Monday open at 11.30am with the first of seven races starting at 2.10pm, with FREE entry for all accompanied under 18’s. Adult admission is available from £6 per person in the Course Enclosure, or £18 (inc admission for four) perfect for those picnics with the family.
Ripon have a break in the proceedings until their final meeting of the season on Saturday 24th September. The raceday also hosts a BBQ and Beer festival, with special guests and local suppliers Theakstons Ale of Masham and Heck Food of Bedale.
With live music from Leeds acoustic duo Strobe to accompany an afternoon of racing, it’s set to be a fantastic end to what’s been a great season.
You can keep up to date with all the latest news and offers from the course on their social media pages, or by visiting their website www.ripon-races.co.uk
Closing details
Ripon Races are a flat turf racecourse, one of nine racecourses in Yorkshire. They hold 17 race meetings in 2016, from April to September with a variety of evening, weekend and family fun race days.
The race meeting on Monday 1st August starts at 2.15pm with the gates open from 12.15pm and the last of 7 races at 5.15pm.
Tuesday’s evening race meeting on 30th August starts at 5.15pm with the gates open from 3.15pm and the last of 6 races at 7.45pm.