Hospitality & racing diary - August
24th August
Ice cream, ice cream and even more ice cream! Suppliers from as
far as Cornwall travelled to Royal Windsor on Monday night in the
hope that they would be crowned Royal Windsor Ice Cream 2011. As
well as traditional Vanilla, racegoers had a range to choose from
to please the entire family, from Candyfloss to Champagne truffle!
Our suppliers worked hard to win the racegoers votes, offering free
samples and serving long after the voting had finished. It was the
closest race of the evening as Marshfield Farm Ice Cream, with
their indulgent Blackcurrant in Clotted cream Ice cream took the
title by a mere point!
There were smiles all round the Winner's Enclosure from Charlie Hills as "Cockney Dancer" beat the more experienced and favourite "Ladyship" in the first, giving Charlie two from two on his first day as trainer after taking over from his father Barry, saying "What a great day, I couldn't have asked for better."
Richard Hannon took 1st and 2nd place in the City Air Express Nursery Handicap as "Karuga" with Richard Hughes on board coming in ¾ length in front of "Tina's Spirit". She must have heard our resident tipster Christina screaming her on, as she surged forward and took second place by a short head. Look out for Christina's next tip on Twitter!
9/4 favourite "Yammos" took the Tickets for Troops
Selling Stakes and was bought straight back by his owners, who
reckon there is more to come.
Royal Windsor Racing Club member Mark Hallesy won the opportunity to name the fourth, which was won by 8/1 "Desert Strike", ridden by Cypriot Ioannis Poullis, who satisfied his ambition to ride his first British winner, bringing him home a length ahead of "Madam Isshe.
Richard Hughes took his 2nd win of the evening aboard favourite "Almagest" in the sportingbet.com Maiden despite some rather coltish behaviour whilst being loaded into the starting stalls, and stayed on strongly to beat 2nd place "Jameel" by a convincing 2 ¼ lengths.
Jimmy Fortune bought home 15/8 favourite "Galiando" in last by 1 ¾ lengths at a strong pace, beating previous winner here "On Khee".
We next race on Saturday 27th August with our Summer Celebration, as we celebrate our sensational summer season with top class racing and are joined by Queen tribute band, "The Real Pretender", to continue the festivity live on stage after the racing on the Silver Ring Lawn. Check out our website for gate opening times - come along and set your heart racing!
You can follow windsorraces on Twitter and Facebook.
Racing hospitality packages are selling fast for August, for information on racing hospitality packages contact sukey.sherritt@windsor-racecourse.co.uk
16th August
Hawaiian shirts and flower garlands were everywhere you looked at Royal Windsor Racecourse on Monday Night! Steel Bands entertained the punters as they arrived, Havana House of Windsor sold Cuban cigars and Jamaican rum flowed from the aptly named "Jamaican Me Crazy" bar, suggested via Twitter - it could only be the annual Caribbean Night!
The stunning Caribbean weather could not last all day, by the time the "Floridita All Stars" took to the stage rain clouds were threatening! The large crowd that braved the weather were treated to a FANTASTIC performance, the Paddock Lawn was buzzing as racegoers danced late into the evening to a brilliant set of traditional funk, soul, Cuban and Latino music after the racing had finished.
The party atmosphere had started on the course as "Colinca's Lad" dominated the sportingbet.com Apprentice Handicap, beating joint favourite and course specialist "Choral Festival" by 4 lengths, gaining his 3rd win of the month.
George Baker had two wins under his belt by the end of the evening after two confident rides aboard starting favourite "Thistle Bird" in the Windsor Vehicle Leasing Fillies' Handicap, by a prominent 3 lengths and 8/1 "Shamahan" in the EBF Maiden Stakes, beating 4/7 favourite "Signor Sassi" by a similar distance. George mentioned that "Thistle Bird" might nick a Listed race, so keep an eye out for her!
George Baker wins on board
"Resplendent Light" took the 3rd by a nose, our resident tipster Christina's choice of the night "Dream of Fortune" came each way at 8/1 - look out on Twitter for her tip for next week!
It was a strange turn of events at the start of the sportingbet.com Maiden Stakes as "Lechlade Lass" veered sharply off onto the wrong part of the course passing the winning post long before the other runners. Frankie Dettori wasn't disappointed as his only ride of the evening "Eastern Breeze", after doing battle with the bookies only other contender in the race, "Russian Affair", pushed out over the final furlong to triumph by 5 lengths.
We next race on Monday 22nd August with our Ice Cream Festival - a perfect family treat for the end of summer with ice creams from a variety of suppliers. We finish off our fantastic summer season with a bang on Saturday 27th August with the Summer Celebration! Come and join us as we celebrate with an evening of top class racing and continue the festivity afterwards with top Queen tribute band, "The Great Pretender" live on stage. Check our website for gate opening times - come along and set your heart racing!
You can follow windsorraces on Twitter and Facebook.
Racing hospitality packages are selling fast for August, for information on racing hospitality packages contact sukey.sherritt@windsor-racecourse.co.uk
10th August
Strong winds did not deter Royal Windsor's racegoers from the Real Ale & Hog Roast Festival on Monday night, with over 6,000 people in attendance.
Ales from across Britain set up in our Ale Village on the Paddock Lawn all vying for the title of "Royal Windsor Real Ale & Hog Roast Festival Winner 2011". Betting is thirsty work and our racegoers had fantastic Ales to choose, ranging from; Black Sheep and Old Speckled Hen, to Hook Norton Bitter and Liberation (all the way from Jersey) and the overall winner of the night, Hobgoblin.
Now on to the racing! The E.B.F Michael Scally Memorial Maiden Stakes was won by the well-backed and 2/1 favourite "Amazing Storm". This was his first outing under 7f and the best of him is still to come.
With the unpredictable English weather changing the going from Good to Good to Soft after the first race, "Rebellious Guest" stole the show from joint favourites "Compton" and "Mehdi", the easy ground clearly suited him, winning comfortably by 3¼ lengths. Trainer George Margarson commented that "He will make a better three-year old, the break since Coventry has done him good and he's a proper horse."
Jim Crowley brought home "Joe Packet" in the third, an impressive win for the 14/1 horse and his first of the season. He then rode a second winner in the last on board "Urban Space" who beat the favourite "Snow Hill" by a comfortable 1 ¾ lengths, the move back to his previous stable obviously paying off.
The Vestra Wealth Management Handicap was blown wide open by the withdrawal of heavily backed "Viva Vettori" and was won by "Starwatch" at 6/1, beating "Ree's Rascal" by ½ a length, with the favourite "Orientalist" coming in 5th.
The nail-biting race of the day had to be the Sportingbet.com Maiden Stakes, with "Lucky Legs" fighting it out with "Aerial Acclaim" 12 ½ lengths clear of the rest of the group. "Lucky Legs" held on by a neck to take the race for trainer Barry Hills, who also announced his retirement from racehorse training as he passes on the reins to his son Charlie.
We next race on Monday 15th August - Caribbean Night - with the Miss Trinidad & Tobago girls and the "Floridita All Stars" take to the stage. Check our website for gate opening times - come along and set your heart racing!
You can follow windsorraces on Twitter and Facebook.
Racing hospitality packages are selling fast for August, for information on racing hospitality packages contact sukey.sherritt@windsor-racecourse.co.uk
4th August
On a rare evening of just racing at Royal Windsor Racecourse the sun shone brightly on all the racegoers showing the racecourse at its finest.
Radio 1 DJ Greg James made a dash to the course and arrived just in time to watch his choice "Salford Art" win the second race on the card; "Salford Art" is entered in a number of future high class races and is progressing nicely.
The evening belonged to the ladies as leading female jockey Hayley Turner rode her 500th winner aboard "Efistorm" in the last race - a superbly judged ride to grab the spoils on the nod at 7/2.
The first race was won by Amateur Jockey Nicola Dumelow, her first ever winner and judging by the ride she gave "On Khee" a very bright future lies ahead.
"Uncle Fred" at 7/1 upset the very well supported "Jewelled" in the fourth to take the Sportingbet.com Handicap, always travelling well he went clear 75yds from the line and never really looked in trouble.
"Polperro" at 2/1 was perhaps the easiest winner on the night, he cruised throughout and put a few 2nds behind him with this commanding performance, the Queen's horse "General Synod" was disappointing back in 6th.
Greg James went home happy, Eileen eventually stopped crying tears of joy, Nicola eventually stopped smiling constantly and Hayley Turner continued to show why she is the finest Lady Jockey ever - another wonderful night at Royal Windsor Racecourse!!
We next race on Sunday 7th August - Family Fun Day (afternoon meeting) with Sportacus & Stephanie from Lazy Town and then again on Monday 8th August - Real Ale & Hog Roast Festival (evening meeting), check our website for gate opening times - come along and set your heart racing!
You can follow windsorraces on Twitter and Facebook.
Racing hospitality packages are selling fast for August, for information on racing hospitality packages contact sukey.sherritt@windsor-racecourse.co.uk
