GET INTO THE FESTIVE SPIRIT AT CATTERICK RACES
The team at Catterick Racecourse are busy preparing for three thrilling National Hunt fixtures that are scheduled to take place over the festive period, on Tuesday 17 December, Saturday 28 December and New Year’s Day.
The festivities begin with Christmas at Catterick, when the Christmas lights will be up, and the course will welcome the choir from Le Cateau Primary School in Catterick Garrison to sing Christmas carols for racegoers ahead of the first race.
The Injured Jockey’s Fund will also be at the course with a selection of Christmas gifts and stocking fillers suitable for any racing enthusiast – the ideal occasion for some last-minute Christmas shopping!
With seven races scheduled, the racing action on 17 December gets underway at 12.30pm, with the gates opening to the public at 10.30am. Regular racegoers to Catterick will also be delighted to learn that this will be the first meeting with the new Horseshoe Café Bar open to the public, offering a large, contemporary space for racegoers to relax and enjoy some refreshments right at the heart of the paddock.
Emma Stevenson, General Commercial Manager said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming racegoers into the Horseshoe Café Bar for the first time and having the Le Cateau School Choir back at the racecourse for Christmas at Catterick. The 17th December marks the first of our Christmas fixtures and hearing the carols being sung as racegoers arrive creates such a lovely festive atmosphere!”
Next up on the calendar is the Sky Bet Christmas Jumper Day on 28 December. One of the feature meetings at the North Yorkshire racecourse, which this year falls on a Saturday. It’s a race day that always proves popular with racegoers – offering the perfect opportunity to enjoy some fresh air and post-Christmas fun with friends and family!
Raceday sponsors Sky Bet have generously supported all six races on the day, with the first race due to take place at 12.10pm and the last scheduled for 3.10pm.
On 28 December, the gates will open to the public from 10.10am, and racegoers will want to arrive early, as there will be complimentary mulled wine and mince pies on offer for the first 100 people.
Anyone wearing a Christmas Jumper on the day will be given the opportunity to enter a prize draw to win a Christmas stocking full of goodies, including a voucher for two Grandstand & Paddock admission tickets to a meeting of the winner’s choice at Catterick Bridge in 2025. Meanwhile, every winning horse on the day will also receive a Christmas stocking full of goodies – the horses’ stockings, however, will be filled with carrots and polos!
Together with Sky Bet, the racecourse has also arranged a small Christmas gift for every member of stable staff working on the day to say thank you for all their hard work over the Christmas period.
The festive race days will culminate with racing on New Year’s Day, as Catterick Racecourse hosts the first fixture of the 2025 Yorkshire racing calendar – a favourite among many racegoers and a tradition the racecourse is delighted to continue this year.
Tickets will be available to purchase at the gates at each meeting, while advanced and group booking discounts – saving racegoers up to 25% on the gate price – are available up until 48 hours prior to each race day, either online at catterickbridge.co.uk or by calling the racecourse office on 01748 811478.
Under 18’s are admitted free of charge and there is a complimentary shuttle bus service from Richmond Market Place approximately one hour prior to the first race each day.