Ripon is in action again on Wednesday evening, followed by the course’s annual ‘Ladies Day’ fixture on the Thursday afternoon (June 19 & 20). Racing starts at 6-50 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, 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, The Elaine Wiles Lifetime In Racing Classified Selling Stakes is a sprint contest over six furlongs for apprentice jockeys who have yet to ride a winner. Elaine is well known in racing circles mainly for her work as a former northern Almoner for The Injured Jockeys’ Fund.
Musical entertainment on Wednesday evening is provided by The Cabaret Sensational Band, while it’s the turn of Trio Gitan on Thursday afternoon.
Ripon’s ‘Ladies Day’ once again coincides with ‘Ladies Day’ at Royal Ascot on Thursday afternoon as racing and fashion combine. Fashion Shows courtesy of ‘Curvy Bridal’ of Boroughbridge take place during the afternoon on the catwalk in the hospitality marquee, while the renowned ‘Magician to the Stars’, Paul Lytton will be entertaining guests in the marquee. Bookings for the ‘Grand Marquee Package’ are being taken by the racecourse.
The ‘Best Dressed Lady’ and the ‘Best Hat’ Competitions will take place during the afternoon, with a cash prize of £1,500 up for grabs for the Best-Dressed Lady, who 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 prize for two at the renowned Best Western Premier Mount Pleasant Hotel near Doncaster, along with a £500 fashion voucher from Yasmine of Bawtry and Epworth and a diamond pendant valued at £2,500 courtesy of lovevintagediamonds.com. The winner of the ‘Best Hat’ award on Thursday will receive a couple of annual badges for the 2014 season at Ripon.
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 27th year by Beaumont Robinson – independent financial advisers of Shipley..
The most valuable race is The Ladies Day 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 Curvy Bridal Boroughbridge Handicap Stakes over one mile and a half.
Ripon’s permanent giant screen will enable racegoers to follow all of the action, including that from Royal Ascot on Thursday afternoon.