The July Festival at Newmarket: High Stakes Excitement in a Classic Setting
If you’re looking for an exciting glimpse of top-tier Thoroughbred racing this summer, look no further than the July Festival at Newmarket. This venerable festival features some of the best Group 1 sprinters in the world in a gorgeous, lush setting that is an international center of horse racing. Here’s why you should clear your calendar for early July and put in a call to your milliner, and if you have bonus bets from your bookmaker, you’ll certainly want to put your free bet offers to use here.
The Moët & Chandon July Festival
The Moët & Chandon July Festival is a huge, well-loved event held on the July Course at Newmarket. With three days of racing featuring some of the best Group 1 and Group 2 horses, it promises to be an exhilarating experience for all in attendance.
In addition to the fabulous racing, the summer party atmosphere makes it a must on everyone’s social schedule. With fashion on parade, open-air bars and the amazing bucolic setting of Newmarket, the festival attracts racing fans from around the globe.
Ladies Day
The July Festival kicks off with Ladies Day on 9 July (11.45 – 20.0). You’ll spot some lovely (and some outrageous) headwear on this day, with many women vying to win the Fashion at the Festival Best Dressed Ladies competition. The highlight of the day is the Group 1 12-furlong Princess of Wales Stakes. After the races, the crowd moves into high gear with live music, dancing and cocktails into the night.
The Gentleman’s Day
Not to be outdone by the ladies, the gents have their day on 10 July (11.45 – 19.00). Hang out with your mates and family or entertain colleagues at the racecourse. The Gentleman’s Day features the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes, a one-mile race for fillies, and the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes, a Group 2 race for two year olds. The lads can show off their style sense too, with the Fashion at the Festival Best Dressed Gentleman competition and continue the partying when the final horse has crossed the finish line.
Darley July Cup Day
The highlight of the entire festival is Darley July Cup Day on 11 July (12.00 – 21.00). The Darley July Cup is a Group 1 race for some of the world’s best sprinters, and the winner is widely acknowledged to be the best sprinter in Europe. The race, which was first run in 1876, was elevated from Group 2 to Group 1 status in 1978. It is now also the sixth leg of the 10-race Global Sprint Challenge, which includes races run in Australia, the UK, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai.
Springfield, a colt bred by Queen Victoria, won the first two runnings of the July Cup. Lester Piggott holds the record for the most jockey wins with 10. This year’s race is sure to bring on more stiff competition.
There’s fun for the whole family at Darley July Cup Day, including activities for kids in the Family Enclosure, the Best Dressed Couple competition and of course, more parties when the racing winds down.
Watching Horses at Newmarket
Tickets for the Moët & Chandon July Festival can be purchased in advance online. The venue offers a way for everyone to enjoy the three days of incredible racing. There’s the Family Enclosure, the Grandstand and Paddock Enclosure and the Premier Enclosure. Viewers can savor a meal in the tranquil conservatory environment of Summer House or sample world cuisine at any of the six walk-in restaurants. With private hospitality packages for VIPs and the Diamond Club for pensioners, no one has to miss a thing at this classic event.
If you’ve received some free bet offers from your bookmaker and want to play around with your bonus bets, Newmarket is the ideal place to do it. You can get the inside track on many of the top Thoroughbreds by watching them on the gallops through town during their training sessions. Newmarket has the best gallops in the nation, and you’ll remember the rest of your life watching the finest horses in the world thundering by you from your perfect bird’s eye view.
