Race meetings are a brilliant way to spend a day or evening in Summer if you are not working at Pavilion or spending the evening on our al fresco terrace on Kensington High Street. London is lucky to have several very close to Kensington and the Epsom Derby has certainly got our interest spiking…The season is far from over and we have picked four of the best race meetings of the next few months for you to consider:
Royal Ascot – 16-20th June
The world’s most famous race meeting is on next week, and if you have not already booked your ticket, you should get in there fast.
Royal Ascot is Britain’s most valuable race meeting, and annually attracts guests and horses from around the world. The Queen and members of the Royal Family attend every day, and the Royal Procession that officially marks the start of each day of racing is considered to be a highlight.
If you needed any reason other than the races themselves to persuade you, the fashion at Ascot might convince you. The feature of newspapers and magazines in the days and weeks that follow, the fashion at Ascot is world-renowned, and watching guests arrive is considered to be an event in its own right. A highlight in the social fashion calendar as well as the racing one.
Restaurant reservations are quickly selling out, and you do not want to miss some of the fine dining options available. We recommend the Panoramic restaurant for impressive views down the Straight Mile while you eat, as well as over the rolling countryside of Berkshire. (www.ascot.co.uk/royal-ascot-2015-new)
Coral Eclipse Day, Sandown Park – Saturday 4th July
This is the race to attend if you are more interested in the party atmosphere than the racing. Located just outside of London in Esher, Surrey, Sandown Park hosts an afternoon of Group 1 racing starting at 1:30pm and finishing at 5pm.
In the evening racegoers will be able to celebrate their winnings in the Parade Ring which will feature former TOWIE star and now Heart Radio presenter, Mark Wright, as a DJ playing classic floor fillers well into the night.
A more relaxed event, but the dress code is still formal/smart depending on which enclosure you are in. Fine dining packages have largely sold out, but other dining options are available. (www.sandown.thejockeyclub.co.uk/events-tickets/whats-on/coral-eclipse)
The Moet & Chandon July Festival, Newmarket – 9-11th July
One for the fashion lovers: there is a three day competition across the festival, sponsored by The Spa at Bedford Lodge, starting on Ladies Day for the Best Dressed Female, onto Gentleman’s Day for the Best Dressed Man, and concluding on Darley July Cup Day with the Best Dressed Couple. All to go for with this completion with an array of prizes on offer to the winners each day.
As for the racing: Newmarket is synonymous with race quality, being recognised as a hub for the sport worldwide and the local area houses more trainers, horses, stable staff, stud farms and racing organisations than anywhere else in the world. Each day of the meeting showcases world class horses competing for big money, from Thursday’s Group 2 Princess of Wales Stakes to Sunday’s Group 1 Darley July Cup, each day will attract big names in the field of horseracing.
Ladies Day fine dining packages have sold out, but there is still availability for the other days, and other dining options are available across all three days. (www.newmarket.thejockeyclub.co.uk/events-tickets/whats-on/the-moet-chandon-july-festival)
Glorious Goodwood: Qatar Goodwood Festival – 28th July-1st August
Goodwood Racecourse has announced a new 10-year partnership with Qatar, the single biggest sponsorship deal ever done for the benefit of British racing. This sponsorship is set to make Glorious Goodwood one of the most significant and valuable meetings in the world.
The five day festival begins with the Opening Ceremony celebrating past winners and unveiling the specially commissioned cups for the week’s feature races. Day two features the Sussex Stakes (British Champion Series – Group 1), day three is Ladies Day featuring the Goodwood Cup (Group 2), day four features the King George Stakes (Group 2) and day five rounds off the festival with the Nassau Stakes (British Champion Series – Group 1). All of these races are interspersed with other significant races across the Group 2 and 3 categories.
Hospitality is still open across all days of the festival, and be sure to dress to impress. Gentlemen in the Richmond Enclosure at Goodwood usually wear Panama hats, and there is a strict no jeans policy. Across the Gordon and Lennox Enclosures the dress code is relaxed to smart casual. (www.goodwood.com/horse-racing/glorious-goodwood/glorious-goodwood-home.aspx#SDsdy6PiLF66UsDq.97)
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