Hospitality & racing diary - April

20 April 2011

It would have been easy to mistake Monday nights meeting for a midsummer one rather than an early spring race night; the weather was sublime and the racing very exciting.

Standing on the Racecourse Hospitality Suite balcony overlooking the Parade Ring was Liz Armstrong - equine artist - she sketched her next piece of work with the sun shining down, the Thames glistening and the Castle glowing in the distance is so quintessentially Royal Windsor, I cannot wait to see the finished work!

It's not hard to see why Richard Hannon is so popular at Royal Windsor Racecourse, his charge "Best Terms" scooted clear under Richard Hughes to take the opener, a good start for both favourite backers and followers alike at 7/4. That winner proved to be his only one of the night as "Dubai Glory" (10-1) won by a neck in the second race, before "New Code" (7-1) ensured the evening did not go past without a visit to the Winners Enclosure by Ryan Moore.

12th April 2011

Our Monday night race meetings have now returned and normal service resumed as Richard Hannon and Richard Hughes were back in the Winners Enclosure after winning the EBF Sportingbet.com Maiden Stakes with the very smart looking "Lord of the Shadows", one to keep a very close eye on as the season progresses.

"Izzi Top" won the Maiden Fillies Stakes for John Gosden and is highly regarded by her trainer, his horse "Zenda" followed a similar route on course for the French Guineas 9 years ago and lucky racegoers may have seen a star in the making.

The night however belonged to Richard Fahey who saddled two winners and with Champion Jockey Paul Hannagan seen walking the track before racing his winner "Kay Gee Bee" in the third race it was no surprise to those with beady eyes!

There comes a time when something happens that few will ever see and even less will capture with a camera, Gavin James the official Royal Windsor Racecourse photographer likes the unusual however not even he could have planned for the startling sight of a Swan taking flight with the winning line as the target.

So with a whole host of tight finishes and fantastic racing this week's winner, by a "beak", goes to our lovely winner of its own race "The Swan".

photo by Gavin James, copyright.

15 April - Racecourse hospitality sales are going very well this year, we have fantastic hospitality packages still available with only:

• 2 Racecourse hospitality suites left on 23rd May - The Curry Festival
• 1 Racecourse hospitality suite left on 4th July - American Independence Night
• 1 Racecourse hospitality suite left on 11th July - Irish Night with "The Saw Doctors"

We next race on Monday 18th April and our Barbados Family Fun Day is on Bank Holiday Monday 2nd May. Royal Windsor Racecourse tickets can be purchased at a discount online - come racing!