Racing and fashion combine in the annual Pontefract Ladies Day on Wednesday 9th August and there’s never been a better excuse to buy a new outfit! Courtesy of RIU Hotels and Resorts, Pontefract Racecourse is offering an all inclusive, week long holiday for 2 to Sri Lanka. The prize includes return flights from Manchester. RIU Hotels and Resorts are also providing a fabulous runners’ up prize of a 3 night break for 2 to their new hotel in Dublin! With such a fantastic offering, the competition is bound to be fiercely contested!
If you’d like to be considered for the competition, then the Heart Angels will be on the lookout for the Best Dressed Ladies from the minute that the gates open at 12noon and they will allocate numbered cards to 100 lucky finalists before the judging gets under way in the Parade Ring at 1pm. This year, the judging panel will consist of the Heart Breakfast Show team of Dixie and Emma, along with the National Business Manager for RIU, Maria Battersby.
The Racecourse is urging anyone wishing to be considered for the Best Dressed Lady competition to please make sure that they arrive early on the day so that they do not miss out. There’s an added incentive to arrive early as the first 500 ladies through the Premier Enclosure entrance will also get a free glass of bubbly and a buttonhole.
There’s some fantastic action on the track too. The feature race is the £15,000 tiesplanet.com – Ladies Love Guys In Ties Handicap. Aside from being one of the best named races on the racing calendar, it’s also a high class handicap for 3 year olds. Last year’s winner, Stars Over The Sea, has since left Mark Johnston and has joined Henry De Bromhead’s team in Ireland. Who knows, he may one day face the 2015 winner, Penhill, who won at the Cheltenham Festival earlier this year for the all conquering team of champion Irish trainer Willie Mullins!
Local bookmakers Jayne and Steve Robinson sponsor 2 races on the card on Ladies Day – a two year old Novice race and a handicap for 3 year olds and up. They’ll be on the track on the day offering up the best prices for their races! There’s a £10,000 bonus on offer to the winner of the 2 year old race, taking the prize money on offer to £18,000! The 2016 winner, Perfect Madge, went on to compete in the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket and the end of last season so we’ll certainly be keeping an eye on the winner of the 2017 renewal.
Sponsors of the Best Dressed Lady competition, RIU hotels and resorts, also sponsor the veterans handicap on the day. Ralphy Boy has won the last two runnings of this race, beating Richard Fahey’s Chiswick Bey on both occasions! Both are reportedly on course for their third showdown and Richard Fahey will be hoping that it’s a case of 3rd time lucky!
Racecourse contract cleaners, Solutions 4 Cleaning, sponsor the opening race on the card for amateur Gentleman Riders. Silver Alliance and jockey Ross Birkett took the race for the second time when he powered clear in 2016.
With the Park Suite Restaurant, Marquee and Hospitality Boxes already fully booked on Ladies Day, racegoers are encouraged to book their tickets and badges early to avoid disappointment. With a small number of ‘Premier Packages’ still available, there’s still the chance to upgrade your Ladies Day out! To book, or to view full details of the day, please visit the course website (www.pontefract-races.co.uk ) or give the office a call on 01977 781307. Racing gets underway at 2.10pm and the gates open at 12noon.