THE British weather may take a little bit of convincing at times, but summer is officially underway and we have a fantastic line-up of entertainment over the next three months or so for you at Haydock Park.
That offering is a mixture of entertainment both on and off the track and gets going with our fantastic three-day Old Newton Cup Festival from Thursday 30th June – Saturday 2nd July.
This meeting is always one of the biggest of the year for us and it always attracts a fantastic crowd, with the feature race being one that is steeped in local history.
It may not be a Group or a Listed race, but the bet365 Old Newton Cup has been run in some shape or form in the area since 1807, originally starting life on nearby Golborne Heath.
The race was then transferred to the newly built Haydock Park in 1899 and it has remained there since, building up a reputation as a hugely competitive race with a habit of throwing up a top-class winner – with each of Collier Hill, Alkaased and Dangerous Midge going on to win some of the top races around the globe this century.
The supporting cards aren’t too shabby either and after a competitive start to the meeting on Thursday afternoon, Saturday’s offering includes the Group Two bet365 Lancashire Oaks, which is contested by some of the best middle distance fillies around and offers one of the first opportunities of the year for the three year olds to take on their elders at Pattern level.
The form of the Lancashire Oaks always proves to be strong and you don’t need to look any further than last year’s renewal for an example. It was won in game fashion by the Sir Mark Prescott-trained Alpinista, who went on to defeat a subsequent Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner on her next start over in Germany in the form of Torquator Tasso!
The Old Newton Cup is unquestionably all about the racing, though it would be rude not to give centre stage on Friday evening to the fantastic Paloma Faith, who is performing live after racing. She will be the first of our three music nights this summer – followed by Madness and Rudimental – and we’re really looking forward to welcoming each of them along for a party. Last entry for the music is at 8.30pm!
Away from the racing, I can reveal that planning permission allowing a development for 84 affordable houses on a previously unused part of land on the racecourse has been granted.
Used primarily as an overflow car park, the development will have minimal impact on our facilities and it will also have its own access route – meaning racing will continue as normal.
In line with our Royal charter, proceeds from the land sale will be reinvested back into British horseracing.
That includes Haydock Park itself and renovations that are currently planned include the Park Suite and, in the near future, the weighing room. We’re hoping that this development will only serve to improve your race day experience, while also maintaining the legacy of the sport we all love.
It’s not too late to join us at Haydock Park this summer, with tickets still available for each of our race days. With tickets starting at just £15 on Old Newton Cup Day - with children under 18 going free – we hope there is plenty of value for a day of extraordinary sport.
We encourage all racegoers to purchase their tickets in advance from our website and with a range of fixtures and events coming up at Haydock Park between now and the end of the Flat season, there really is something for everyone. To find out more head to www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/haydock.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here