The July Festival is the big event of the summer at Newmarket Racecourses and it is nearly here!
It all kicks off this Thursday 13th July at the Adnams July Course and features some amazing entertainment in the form of live music, kids’ entertainment, a classic car festival, and the Style Awards giving away a record £33,000 worth of prizes!
On top of all this there is, of course, some top class racing for you to enjoy in the form of the Princess of Wales’s Stakes, Falmouth Stakes and the feature Group 1 race, The July Cup.
Below we have outlined what not to miss across the three day July Festival so that you can make the most of this fantastic event.
Thursday 13th July
The racing kicks off on Thursday with the oldest horserace under rules in history, The Town Plate. This historic race was first run in 1666, organised by King Charles II and is still run on the very same course to this day.
Don’t miss this fantastic amateur race that is so important to the history of the sport.
The Style Awards for Best Dressed Lady will be taking place on Thursday with special guest judge, Christian Cowan helping to decide who the lucky winner will be.
Christian is a top fashion designer who has dressed the likes of Naomi Campbell, Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga, to name a few! There is a huge selection of prizes up for grabs including a holiday to Dubai and a bespoke ladies hat worth £500 from Rosie Olivia Millinery.
In keeping with the style theme on Ladies Day at the July Festival, fashion expert, TV presenter and DJ, Gok Wan will be playing a DJ set at the official after party, Après Racing, where you can dance the night away to some of the biggest hits.
When it comes to racing, don’t miss the Group 2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes which is open to horses aged three years and older and is run over 1 mile and 4 furlongs. Make sure you’re there to find out who can break Big Orange’s two race winning streak.
Friday 14th July
This year, racegoers will be able to explore a different kind of horse power with a fantastic Classic Car Festival. Admire some of the most amazing and beautiful classic British marques right on trackside so that you won’t miss a moment of the racing action!
Day two of the Style Awards celebrates the Best Dressed Gentleman where the most dapper entrant will win a whole host of fantastic prizes, including a made-to-measure suit worth £1,000 and two tickets to a Champions League fixture of your choice worth £900.
The Group-1 Falmouth Stakes, as ever, promises some fantastic racing from some of the greatest jockeys and trainers. The Duchess of Cambridge Stakes will also be taking place which has produced several 1,000 Guineas winners.
Gentleman’s Day at the July Festival will be rounded off with a DJ set from ex-Girls Aloud star, Sarah Harding, who will be pumping out some of the best tunes around so you can party on into the evening.
More info on Gentleman’s Day here
Saturday 14th July
Saturday is the day all you racing fans have been waiting for with the Darley July Cup taking centre stage. This is one of the most valuable and prestigious sprint races in the world and promises to be as thrilling as ever!
Day three of the Style Awards celebrates the Best Dressed Couple and will reward the most stylish pair with a huge collection of prizes for him and her, including a bespoke ladies hat worth £500, a made-to-measure suit worth £1000, a Jaguar F-Type for the weekend and a Summer Indulgence Spa Break at the Bedford Lodge Hotel.
The third day of the July Festival will be full of family fun, with all kids under 18 going free and loads of great entertainment in the family enclosure, including Rowley’s Kids Club, inflatables, face painting, craft activities – not to mention the brand new absolutely amazing playground where the kids can run riot!
Brilliant covers band The Guilty Pleasures will be playing a huge selection of hits live into the evening so that you can party the night way in style and celebrate the closing of another fantastic July Festival.
More info on the July Cup Day here
If you are looking to make this year’s July Festival one to remember, then you need to book a spot on our Race Day Tour. This amazing experience takes you to visit the legendary gallops, the National Heritage Centre for Horseracing & Sporting Art, then on to the July Course where you will get a behind the scenes tour – and even get taken into the Parade Ring before a race!
To find out more information about how you can take advantage of this fantastic activity, click here.
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