community yearbook 2018

NEWBURY RACECOURSE

Newbury Weekly News W:286.501mm H:0.353mm ISSUEDATE_ID 2_13

Thursday, 25 January, 2018

Arabian heights

THEY came from halfway around the world to be part of the 8,000 crowd that joined the friendly free-for-all at the annual Dubai International Race Day on July 30. The headquarters of the Arabian Racing Organisation has been running racing’s biggest free day out for years, with free gifts for all, jewellery for a lucky few, ipads for some, holidays in Dubai for a very fortunate pair and a new car for a delighted individual. On a day of on-course surprises, Dutch trainer Karin van den Bos claimed the showpiece Shadwell Dubai International Stakes when champion French jockey Olivier Peslier got up on the line to score a remarkable win. All that generosity was down to His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and it seemed almost churlish of the racing fates that his largesse went almost unrewarded on the track as his powerful string of horses had to settle for a mere sprin- kling of places. Champion jockey Jim Crowley found the competition to be too fierce as the mixture of seasoned racing stars, hopefuls and dedicated amateurs

Royal winner On the ground is Goulanes after falling in Newbur y’s B tway Supporting Greatwood Veterans ’ Handicap Chaseas part of the Greatwood day in aid of the home for retired racehorsesnearMarlborough. PICTURE: TYRON MILLS

A huge crowd watched Olly Murs ’ set Olly leads party in the paddock POP star Olly Murs played to a sell-out crowd during Ladies Day. After a fine day’s racing, 23,434 people– the biggest crowd at any meeting at Newbury for five years – watched Murs put on an energetic

Big yes for Jess A BUMPER crowd of 18,294 braved the rain to watch chart- topping pop star Jess Glynne perform after a thrilling after- noon of racing. The 27-year-old singer, who has five UK number ones to her name, completed a near 90-minute set. Glynne rose to prominence as a featured artist on Clean Bandit’s Grammy Award-winning single Rather Be . In 2015, she became only the second British female solo artist to have five number one singles in the UK. During the day, Frankie Dettori guided his 3/1 favourite Magical Memory to victory in the £60,000 G3 bet365 Hackwood Stakes. But it was the UK Arabian Derby winner at Doncaster, Lightning Bolt , who got up on the line to edge out Gazwan and jockey Richard Mullen, with Crowley and Muraaqib third. produced a memorable day’s racing. In the main race with a £58,000 prize fund and a card featuring Sheikh Hamdan’s all-but perfect Muraaqib , was expected to have 2015 success Gazwan as his main rival. Pat Dobbs and Pronto win the Emirates NBD International at the annual Dubai International Race Day

HAPPY birthday Ma’am. The Queen was all

smiles at Newbury Race- course as she celebrated her 91st birthday watch- ing the Dubai Duty Free Spring Trials. The monarch has been a frequent visitor to the venue and this time was joined by her daughter, Anne, Princess Royal. Although the Queen was enjoying the racing, her three-year-old gelding Maths Prize finished fifth out of six. And a man on a stag do dressed as a jockey had to be escorted from the parade ring after being spotted by the race- course’s chief executive Julian Thick. The Queen was not present as she was having lunch in the royal box at the time of the stag-do jape.

performance on the Party in the Paddock stage. Murs shot to fame when finishing runner-up on The X Factor in 2009, and has since enjoyed a string of number one singles. As the evening

drew to a close, he belted out some of his hits, including Heart Skips a Beat and Troublemaker .

After his performance, Murs tweeted a picture of a packed crowd with the words: “Wow. Insane last Racecourse gig for the summer!!” As is tradition, thousands of women donned their best outfits and hats for Ladies Day and the weather held with blue skies and sunshine. During the racing, Lambourn trainer Owen Burrows recorded his first G2 success with Massaat , who stormed home under Jim Crow- ley in the £150,000 Betfred Hungerford Stakes.

Her Majesty returned to the course on Saturday to see Call To Mind , a three-year-old Galileo colt whom she bred, win the Dubai Duty Free Spring Trials.

The 6/4 favourite, trained by William

Haggas and ridden by Ryan Moore, saw off the challenge of Commander to win by a neck on his Newbury debut.