Ripon Races - Yorkshire's Garden Racecourse

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Ripon scoops Best award

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Staff at Ripon Races are celebrating as we've scooped Best Small Racecourse in the North in the sport's most prestigious awards.

Organised by the Racegoers Club, the annual awards are the racing industry’s most keenly contested accolades. With Racegoers Club members going racing an average of 31 times per year, no one could be better qualified to pass judgement or more critical of standards.

Graham Orange of Go Racing in Yorkshire commented:

“This deserved accolade for Ripon reflects the popularity and enjoyment of racing at the course by the people who really matter – the racegoers. All at Ripon can be very proud of their efforts.”

Ripon Races last won the award in 2003 and before that, in 1996. This year’s award follows substantial work at the course to improve the facilities, including complete refurbishment of the Champagne bar, the Wakeman bar and the Club Stand amenities. Clearly a winner with the punters, Clerk of the Course, James Huchinson believes the changes have been a factor in winning the award again this year.

“We’re delighted to have been voted Best Small Racecourse in the North. It is a tremendous result and deserved reward for the consistent hard work put in by all our staff in striving to provide the most enjoyable racing environment.”

The board here at Ripon Races are committed to continuing investment to ensure the good quality racing continues and look forward to the start of the 2010 season on Thursday 15^th April. Annual membership badges are now available offering access to the Club enclosure for all 15 race days during 2010, plus free admission to 20 exchange day meetings at other racecourses throughout the country and to 11 of the best Yorkshire County Cricket fixtures.

All year round Ripon Racecourse facilities are now used on non-race days to host a variety of corporate and private events organised by Livius Events who are based at the course.

Glorious Ladies Day glamour

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With glorious summer sunshine, the best weather on record for Ladies Day at Ripon was met by our biggest attendance at this increasingly popular society event at Yorkshire’s Garden Racecourse.

Yorkshire ladies were out in style and giving the Ascot crowd a run for their money.

After racing tips from Graham Orange of Go Racing in Yorkshire, guests at the luxurious Grand Marquee Luncheon were entertained with a series of catwalk fashion show collections throughout the afternoon between races.

Also watched by other racegoers, models from Don’t Panik showed three collections of stunning occasion wear from the event sponsor, Huddersfield-based House of Elliot.

The graduating fashion students of Harrogate College also enjoyed the opportunity to present two of their collections; Zana O’Connell’s innovative ‘Something Old & Something New’ which recycled wedding dresses into new designs and Jess Reid’s partywear ‘Treasures I’ve Found’.

Always a popular highlight of the day, the Best Dressed Lady and Best Hat competitions presented a difficult choice for the judging panel of sponsors Sue Kropywnckj and Nikki Schofield with Suzanna Bain.

Perfect in oyster pastel, this year’s elegant Best Dressed Lady was Liz Akroyd from Hull who won £500 in gift vouchers from The House of Elliot. A close contender, Debbie Grogan was awarded Best Hat for her stunning floral hat reminiscent of My Fair Lady. Her prize, from The Hat Hire is to have a hat designed and made to her specifications by their expert milliners.

Local Ripon girl, Susan Jarvis, was presented with champagne and flowers for third place in the Best Dressed Lady stakes along with Carol Fawthrop of Tong who took 2^nd place with a magnificent hat which was certainly the largest.

Liz Akroyd will go forward to the final of Go Racing in Yorkshire’s 2010 Best Dressed Lady competition along with winners from all the other Yorkshire courses at Doncaster Racecourse on 9^th September.

Children's Day

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Our annual ‘Children’s Day’ Meeting on Monday is scheduled to begin at 2-15 p.m. Alonsgide a strong racing programme there is a wide range of activities for young racegoers especially in the Course Enclosure, including fun inflatables, kiddies kub karts, the fantasia fun house, balloon-modelling, face-painting along with vouchers for ice-creams; hurry while stocks last!

As on any race day at Ripon, accompanied children under 16 years of age will be admitted free into all enclosures, and there are designated play areas for children.

The principal race is the 54th running of The Armstrong Memorial Handicap Stakes, a contest for sprinters over six furlongs, offering prize money of £12,000. This race has been supported since 1957 by the Armstrong Family, one of the country’s most famous racing dynasties which included legendary Yorkshire trainers, the late Gerald and Sam Armstrong. Mr Colin Armstrong, whose father was Gerald Armstrong, is a director of the Ripon Race Company.

The Michael Moorhead Memorial Selling Handicap, over five furlongs for three-year-olds, is supported by Mr Moorhead's son Paul, who requested the race be named after his late father. Paul successfully bid for a race at Ripon, plus lunch for two and a visit in the morning to Richard Fahey's Malton yard as part of the Yorkshire Post's Christmas Charity Auction in aid of the Prince's Trust.

Destination Harrogate, a consortium of the leading hotels in Harrogate, support a handicap over a mile and a furlong for three-year-olds and upwards, while three-year-old sprinters take part in the At The Races Sky 415 Handicap Stakes. Maiden two-year-olds face the starter in the afternoon's opening race, the Children's Day Maiden Stakes – a contest supported by The European Breeders' Fund.

Ripon’s permanent giant screen will enable racegoers to see even more of the action up close.

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