BRIGG FOLK MIGHT FANCY AN EASTER TRIP TO MARKET RASEN RACES

Market Rasen Racecourse is getting ready for one of its most popular days of the year … the traditional Easter Monday fixture on 21^st April. As it’s the last day of the Easter school holidays in Lincolnshire - and with accompanied under 18s being given free admission to the racecourse as usual - it’s a splendid opportunity for a very affordable Family Fun Day out.

Pip Kirkby, General Manager of Market Rasen Racecourse, said: “We’re thrilled to be hosting racing on Easter Monday and we’re looking forward to welcoming a big Bank Holiday family crowd.  They’ll certainly be entertained with lots of fun activities in addition to the horse racing.”

There will be fairground stalls with prizes, an inflatable slide, an obstacle course, cub carts, face painting and balloon modelling – plus free Easter bunnies and eggs for children on arrival at the racecourse.

At www.marketrasenraces.co.uk can be found an ‘Easter Bunny Bundle Offer’ which comprises of Tattersalls admission, a food voucher to the value of £5 and a race card – all for a price of £20.  And accompanied children are admitted free of charge.  Gates open at 11.45am and the first race is at 1.45pm.  On-the-day adult prices: Family Enclosure £7.50; Tattersalls £16; County Enclosure £22.

Tickets for all racing fixtures at Market Rasen Racecourse can be bought in advance online at www.marketrasenraces.co.uk or on 0844 579 3009.  Savings of up to 25% are available on advance purchases.

Potted guide to a day at the races

Horse racing has rarely been more popular since the 1950s, with up to six million people visiting Britain’s racecourses every year, making it Britain’s second most popular spectator sport.  Market Rasen Racecourse is playing its part, offering excellent family days out, especially as accompanied under 18s are always admitted free.

So, what should first time or inexperienced visitors know when they go racing?

Race-day programme: The official programme is invaluable.  The silks worn by the jockeys are displayed in colour.  The programme shows the recent record of each horse running, the weight the horse will carry in the race, and the name of the jockey and trainer.

Betting: You can put your money on with the on-course bookmakers or with the Tote.  You ‘take a price’ with a bookmaker at the time when you put your money on, whereas with the Tote the bet goes into a pool, with the winnings decided after the race.

Making your selection: You can watch the horses in the parade ring.  Read the form – or just choose your favourite jockey or a horse whose name you like or whose rider is wearing your favourite colour!  After all, it’s just a bit of fun.

The races: Now watch the races from the grandstands and cheer the winners as they come back into the winners’ enclosure.

About Market Rasen Racecourse

Market Rasen Racecourse is staging 21 jump racing meetings in 2014 and is a leading conference and events centre in the East Midlands.  More information is available at www.marketrasenraces.co.uk.

Market Rasen Racecourse is part of The Jockey Club, which has been at the heart of British racing for more than 260 years. Today the largest commercial group in the sport, The Jockey Club runs the largest racecourse group in the UK by turnover (2012: £142.1m), courses (15) including those at Aintree, Cheltenham, Epsom Downs and Newmarket, attendances (2012: 1.8m), total prize money (2012: £35.3m), contribution to prize money (2012: £16.5m) and quality racing (Group and Graded races); more than 3,000 acres of world-class training grounds in Newmarket and Lambourn; The National Stud breeding enterprise and education provider; and the charity for racing's people in need, Racing Welfare. Governed by Royal Charter, every penny The Jockey Club makes it puts back into British racing.  More information is available at www.thejockeyclub.co.uk.