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Now in its eleventh year as The Henry Cecil Open Weekend, Newmarket – Flat racing’s headquarters – once again opened its doors to the public for an unforgettable celebration of the sport. Held on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st September, the event offered racing fans and families alike a rare opportunity to go behind the scenes at some of Britain’s most prestigious racing yards.
A total of 27 trainers welcomed visitors this year, including leading trainers William Haggas, Roger Varian, and George Boughey. In a new and important development for 2025, the event also introduced two autism-friendly yards, run in collaboration with Autism In Racing – those of Ross Burdon and David Simcock – ensuring the weekend was accessible to even more members of the community. Many yards went above and beyond to try and secure the prize in the WorldPool Best Turned Out Competition and the high standards were a credit to all involved.
The weekend began on Saturday morning with access to some of Newmarket’s most iconic equine sites, including The National Stud, The British Racing School, The Injured Jockey’s Fund rehabilitation centre – Peter O’Sullevan House, the National Horseracing Museum, Newmarket Equine Hospital, Tattersalls, and the prestigious Jockey Club Rooms.
For those who purchased joint tickets with Newmarket Racecourse, Saturday afternoon offered an extra thrill: the inaugural Henry Cecil Open Weekend Newmarket Trainers Charity Race, featuring 12 local trainers taking to the saddle and going head-to-head on the famous Rowley Mile.
The action resumed early on Sunday morning, with spectators gathering on the heath to watch stable stars like Ombudsman and Field Of Gold canter up Warren Hill, kindly sponsored by Tattersalls. This historic gallop has played a central role in the preparation of thoroughbreds for over 400 years.
Sunday afternoon delivered a packed schedule of fun-filled activities for all the family to enjoy. Highlights included the Amo Racing Personality Showjumping competition, the Baker McVeigh Shetland Pony Grand National, the Parade of Retired Racehorses, generously sponsored by Al Shaqab, and the ever-popular Fun Dog Show – all set against Newmarket’s unique backdrop.
A standout feature of the weekend was the silent auction, which included a selection of exclusive prizes and experiences. The auction raised an impressive £12,926 adding significantly to this year’s fundraising total.
In a landmark achievement for the event, £107,454 was raised for charity – a 20% increase on last year’s total of £89,196. Proceeds will be donated to Newmarket Housing Trust and long-term charity partner Racing Welfare, continuing the event’s strong commitment to supporting both the local community and the wider racing industry.
Charlie Fellowes, Chairman of The Henry Cecil Open Weekend, commented: “We’re absolutely thrilled with the success of this year’s Open Weekend. To raise over £107,000 is an incredible achievement and a real testament to the generosity of the racing community and the public.
“It was fantastic to see so many people – from racing fans to local families – enjoying what makes Newmarket such a special place. I’m especially proud of the introduction of our autism-friendly yards, which marked an important step towards making the event more inclusive. Huge thanks to all the trainers, sponsors, and supporters who helped make the weekend such a memorable one.”
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Plan your day at the Henry Cecil Open Weekend and utilise the free shuttle buses to travel between yards.
Shuttle buses will operate from The Severals car park and run from 8:45am-12:45pm.
Many yards are in walking distance of The Severals car park and we encourage visitors to walk where possible.
Please utilise the map here to see walking times and plan your route. Yards are open 9am-12:30pm, visitors will only be able to go round a small number of yards in this time so we advise you plan carefully.
Please not there may be a short walk from the bus stop to the entrance to the yards.
There will be a Discover Newmarket bus also going from The Severals to Julia & Shelley Birkett’s who are based in Exning. Please utilise this service by asking a member of the team on The Severals for more information.
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World Pool is delighted to continue its support of the Best Turned Out Yard competition at the Henry Cecil Open Weekend for the third consecutive year.
The initiative rewards the yards that make the biggest effort in welcoming visitors, with prizes awarded across small, medium, and large yard categories. Winning yards will receive World Pool trophies along with a range of World Pool merchandise for their teams.
By backing the competition, World Pool is proud to recognise the hard work and creativity of racing staff who help showcase the sport to the public in such a unique and engaging way.
Yards will be judged on three key criteria:
World Pool, powered and hosted by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, commingles pools from more than 26 countries at over 60 major race meetings each year, including Royal Ascot, Dubai World Cup Day, and Cox Plate Day.
Click here to find out more about World Pool: https://worldpool.hkjc.com/en-US/about/about-world-pool/
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Life-saving defibrillators, paid for by money raised at the 2023 Henry Cecil Open Weekend, have been installed in Newmarket by the human welfare charity Racing Welfare for the benefit of the horseracing industry and wider communities.
Tragically, less than one in 10 people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, but by learning CPR and how to use a defibrillator, you are giving someone their best chance of survival.
Two defibrillators have been installed outside accommodation owned by Racing Welfare’s housing provider Racing Homes and were purchased with funds raised by the 2023 Henry Cecil Open Weekend. They can be found at the following locations: 22 Jack Jarvis Close, Newmarket, CB8 8HY and the archway at Jim Joel Court, Howard De Walden Way, Newmarket, CB8 0LX.
Aimee Hockley-Righton, Racing Welfare Regional Welfare Manager, said: “Our mission at Racing Welfare is to enhance and support the wellbeing of racing’s people, so the installation of defibrillators in the racing centre of Newmarket is just another way the charity is supporting the sector. The defibs we have installed are also accessible to the wider public too, so we want to raise awareness of their locations and encourage everyone to take the opportunity this Restart a Heart Day to know where their nearest defib is – it could save lives.
“It’s thanks to the generosity of the public that we have been able to install these defibrillators. We rely upon donations to carry out the vital support we provide to the workforce of British racing and would like to thank the organisers of the Henry Cecil Open Weekend for choosing Racing Welfare to benefit from funds raised at the event.”
To find your nearest defibrillator, please visit: www.defibfinder.uk
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SOLD OUT – Tours due to take place over the Henry Cecil Open Weekend at The National Stud are now fully booked.
We would like to thank everyone for their interest and support. We have lots of other tours and excitements on offer over the weekend.
If you missed out, please note that The National Stud hosts tours throughout the year courtesy of Discover Newmarket. Please visit their website www.discovernewmarket.co.uk for more information.
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Join celebrity miniature Shetland pony Jack Brock and owner Ali Stearn as they read their brand-new book, Jack Brock. Jack Brock is inspired by Jack and Ali’s visits to local care homes, providing joy and comfort for the residents. A book signing and opportunity to meet Jack himself will follow the reading.
There will be two sessions: 11am and 2pm each lasting 90 minutes.
Spaces are free but must be pre-booked. Please click here: https://www.nhrm.co.uk/events/story-time-with-jack-brock/
Location: John Lambton Rooms at the National Horseracing Museum
Why not make a day of it and visit the National Horseracing Museum at the same time! Entry to the museum is just £5 per adult for those with a Henry Cecil Open Weekend ticket and children go free.
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The Henry Cecil Open Weekend committee are delighted to announce that the 2024 event will support the newly formed Newmarket Housing Trust as the main charity beneficiary. Racing Welfare, a long-standing charity partner, will continue to be supported by the Open Weekend.
The Henry Cecil Open Weekend will engage a revised format in 2024 with all Newmarket trainers having been split into two groups and yards set to open on a bi-annual basis. The response has been incredibly positive with twenty-four yards open to the public this year including John and Thady Gosden, Sir Mark Prescott, Simon and Ed Crisford, Michael Bell and Charlie Fellowes amongst others. Trainers including William Haggas and Roger Varian will open their facilities in 2025. As a result of the revised format of the event, a host of yards who previously had not opened during the weekend, will feature amongst the list of yards that visitors can look around.
The annual event held in Newmarket in late September offers visitors the rare opportunity to go behind the scenes at British horseracing’s headquarters. Showcasing all Newmarket has to offer, the weekend provides invaluable insight into all aspects of the horseracing industry whilst raising vital funds for deserving charities. Not only do visitors have the unique opportunity to go behind the scenes at trainers’ yards, but several sites across the town will also be open for the public to explore, including: The National Stud, Injured Jockeys Fund Peter O’Sullevan House, British Racing School, Jockey Club Rooms, National Horseracing Museum, Tattersalls Bloodstock Auctioneers and Rossdales Veterinary Hospital.
An action-packed Sunday afternoon of events on The Severals featuring a Shetland Pony Grand National, Parade of Retired Racehorses sponsored by Al Shaqab, dog show and racing personality show jumping competition, completes the family friendly weekend. The 2023 Henry Cecil Open Weekend raised over £53,000 for Racing Welfare, local charity Newmarket Open Door and the British Racing School who last year celebrated their 40th anniversary.
For the first time in 2024, the Henry Cecil Open Weekend, taking place on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd September, will support the Newmarket Housing Trust. This new project, run by the Newmarket Trainers Group, will create a portfolio of accommodation for racing staff. Initially it will see the creation of a Halls of Residence consisting of 20-25 bed spaces for racing staff aged 16-18 years old, located at The British Racing School. Over time a collection of flats and houses will be acquired to meet the housing needs of 16–18-year-olds, 18-early 20s, couples and older people without children and families who work in the racing industry in Newmarket.
The Henry Cecil Open Weekend are thrilled to announce a three-year sponsorship agreement with both Juddmonte and the Niarchos family. Both generous sponsorships are particularly poignant as Sir Henry Cecil, the legendary trainer after whom the Open Weekend is named in his memory, trained Juddmonte’s champion sire Frankel to ten Group 1 victories. The Niarchos family were long-term allies of Sir Henry Cecil, enjoying Classic success in the 2007 Oaks with Light Shift.
Charlie Fellowes, Chairman of the Henry Cecil Open Weekend, commented: “I am incredibly proud to Chair the Henry Cecil Open Weekend and to see first-hand the contribution the event has made to Newmarket. As an industry we must showcase all the fantastic elements of our sport and the event is a unique opportunity to welcome new visitors and give them exclusive behind the scenes access. As a trainer, we are on the Newmarket Heath every day and it is fantastic that the funds raised by the event have been able to fund the mobile treatment room which is welcomed by all. All trainers in Newmarket are acutely aware of the need for accommodation for racing staff who work tirelessly behind the scenes. It is fantastic that the Open Weekend can directly support the core staff who are the backbone of our industry through contributing to improving the housing provision across the town through the Newmarket Housing Trust. My thanks must go to all the sponsors, partners, trainers and equine sites who support the event and a special thanks to both Juddmonte and the Niarchos family for their continued support, all without whom the event would not be possible.”
Douglas Erskine Crum, Chief Executive at Juddmonte, said: “Juddmonte is incredibly supportive of The Henry Cecil Open Weekend, and we are delighted to continue our sponsorship of the event. The weekend not only celebrates the life of the much-missed Sir Henry Cecil but is a fantastic opportunity for the sport to showcase itself to the wider communities. We are very proud to support the event and all the vital funds it raises for charities and our thanks go to all Newmarket based trainers for getting behind the event. We are in a critical time within the industry to broaden the appeal of horseracing and create new racing fans and this weekend enables us to do just that.”
Alan Cooper, Racing Manager to the Niarchos Family, commented: “We are proud to sponsor the Henry Cecil Open Weekend, named in memory of a great friend who provided the Niarchos family with a Classic victory in 2007. This is a wonderful and unique opportunity for the general public to go and meet the equine stars of our sport and gain an insight into how and where they are trained. It is fantastic weekend to make the sport more accessible and reach a wider audience and it’s great to see all of Newmarket’s trainers opening their yards to help raise a significant amount of money for charity.”
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Due to very high demand, spaces on the tours of The National Stud have now SOLD OUT.
Tickets for the Henry Cecil Open Weekend are still available though with many other activities on offer. On Saturday visitors can head to British Racing School, Injured Jockeys Fund Peter O’Sullevan House, National Horseracing Museum, Newmarket Equine Hospital. Or book onto a tour at Jockey Club Rooms by emailing: admin@discovernewmarket.co.uk
On Sunday, 24 yards are open between 9am-12:30pm. The activities on The Severals begin at 1:15pm including Dullingham Park Shetland Pony Grand National, Parade of Retired Racehorse sponsored by Al Shaqab, Daylesford Organic Racing Personality Show Jumping and Fitzdares Fun Dog Show.
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Plan your day using the map below to see where all the 24 open yards are located across Newmarket.
Shuttle buses will be available to take visitors around Newmarket on Sunday 24th September. They operate from The Severals car park. Plan your day using the bus routes and stop off at as many yards as you would like to see!
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Now in its eleventh year as The Henry Cecil Open Weekend, Newmarket – Flat racing’s…
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Plan your day at the Henry Cecil Open Weekend and utilise the free shuttle buses…
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