The Victorians had a phrase for it. If you wanted excitement and thrills there was only one thing to do – Go West, young man.
More than a century later, heading west still provides plenty of excitement and thrills with some top class racing scheduled throughout the year at the West Country racecourses.
There is always plenty going on during Newton Abbot’s summer jumping programme, but a special word for the popular Ladies Night, which makes a welcome return on June 24.
The freak weather washed out this meeting in 2007, so it promises to be an extra-special occasion this year.
Festivities begin with a fashion parade in the marquee in the centre of the course from 2.30pm, take in a full programme of evening racing and end with a live band until midnight. Tickets to the marquee are strictly limited to 300, so pre-booking is essential.
Of course, the summer is principally about Flat racing and there is some thrilling action in store with 16 meetings scheduled at Salisbury with five of them in the evening.
High spot of the year at Salisbury is the meeting on August 13 and 14 which features some high quality racing including the group three Sovereign Stakes and the listed Upavon Fillies Stakes.
Cheltenham’s Festival may be the crowning glory of the National Hunt season, but there is still more excitement to come over jumps with some cracking evening fixtures.
On May 6, Exeter stages an evening meeting before bringing down the curtain on another superb season with an afternoon fixture eight days later before jumping returns to this beautiful racecourse on October 8
Cheltenham ends the season on May 7 with an all-hunter chase evening meeting on May 7, which is always one of the great social evenings in the racing calendar and the following evening Wincanton stages its final meeting before closing its doors until October 9.
Competitions