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When Her Majesty The Queen unveiled the new National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art in Newmarket last November, it signalled the completion of the relocation from the museum on the High Street, which was also opened by Her Majesty in 1983. The new centre’s positioning is symbolic as it sits on the remaining elements of King Charles II’s sporting palace and stables and can be split into three different, but complimentary elements – Palace House, containing the Fred Packard Galleries of British Sporting Art, the National Horseracing Museum and the Rothschild Yard.
Chris Garibaldi, Director of the centre said, “The redevelopment was vitally important for the museum in terms of creating facilities for a truly national museum of the sport and a national gallery of British sporting art, but this project has never been just about restoring important heritage buildings and providing much improved galleries for our collections; it was about putting the community at the heart of everything we do and celebrating what makes Newmarket so special as the internationally recognised historic home of horseracing.”
The centre, which last week was announced as one of only five finalists for the 2017 Art Fund Museum of the Year and the first ever sporting museum to have been chosen, is open from 10am to 5pm Monday to Sunday. General admission costs £16.50, which is valid for twelve months from the day of purchase, allowing multiple return visits free of charge within that period.
Garibaldi said,“We are a completely independent charity and rely wholly on income generated from ticket admissions and trading through our cafe and shop. That being said, we wanted to make our ticket price as accessible as possible and the fact that tickets can be used for a whole year make them exceptional value for money, especially for our local audience.”
ROTHSCHILD YARD
The next stop on the tour of the centre is the Rothschild Yard, which is the flagship yard for the Retraining of Racehorses (RoR), offering the public an opportunity to engage with thoroughbreds and the chance to meet some of the stars of the sport. A few racing legends to have been stabled in the first six months include the likes of multiple Gr.1 winner Our Vic (Old Vic), Gr.1 Nunthorpe Stakes hero Kingsgate Native (Mujadil), multiple Graded winner Walkon (Take Risks) and Group-winning miler The Cheka (Xaar).
“We feel that it is so important to provide the opportunity for visitors to meet and interact with the equine heroes of the sport and to meet thoroughbred horses face to face. Without this it is too easy for the casual visitor to the town to miss the fact that there are up to 3,000 horses in Newmarket at any one time – it is an extraordinary statistic. It allows the public to understand the many incredible success stories behind the retraining of these incredible animals for a life beyond racing”, said Garibaldi.
The yard also houses horses who are in the process of being retrained. Stabled at the site for between two and three months, they are retrained before being rehomed. Everyday, twice a day, there are demonstrations held in the Peter O’Sullevan Arena for the Welfare of the Horse, allowing visitors to watch the processes involved in converting former racehorses to a new career outside racing.
Adapted from the EBN on FRIDAY, 5TH MAY 2017 – to read the full piece, please go to http://www.bloodstocknews.eu/pdf/2017/EBN2017-05-05.pdf
The Newmarket Open Weekend Busker’s Competition will take place during June, July and August 2017 culminating in a final to be held during the Food and Drink Festival weekend of 16th and 17th of September 2017. The application process is now open and we invite musicians/songwriters/covers acts from Newmarket, Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge and the surrounding area to enter the heat stages of the competition. If selected, the acts will busk in Newmarket at set locations over the summer months. The public will be able to vote on the day for their favourite act who will then go forward to the final. The prize fund is £1000. For more information see our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/nktopenweekendbuskerscomp .
To apply e-mail NOWbuskerscomp@gmx.co.uk with “Apply” in the subject field.
The 32Red Newmarket Open Weekend will take place on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 September 2017.
The Open Weekend gives visitors the unique opportunity to go behind the scenes at British horseracing’s HQ, enjoy two fantastic days of fun and entertainment, plus raise money for local charities.
This year’s Newmarket Open Weekend will take place in the heart of the town’s new cultural quarter at the new National Heritage Centre for Horseracing & Sporting Art, with the Food & Drink Festival being in the centre of the action. With no racing on the Saturday it will give visitors the perfect opportunity to explore the new attractions and enjoy an exciting programme of events taking place in the Peter O’Sullevan Arena for the Welfare of the Horse, which will provide entertainment for all the family.
The events taking place in the Peter O’Sullevan Arena over the weekend will all be accessible with the NOW2017 wristbands, available to buy online now. A special promotion for NOW2017 will also ensure that all wristband holders will get tickets to the galleries at the National Heritage Centre for just £5 all weekend (reduced from £16.50).
The highlight on Sunday will once again be the opening of the trainers’ yards, allowing visitors to see some of the best equine superstars in the flesh, after catching them in action on the historic Warren Hill Gallops earlier that same morning.
Now in its third year, the popular Food and Drink Festival will be right at the heart of the action, in the centre of Newmarket itself, for both days. The theme of the Festival is a relaxed “olde” English country Fayre, decorated in a vintage style. Visitors to the event will have the chance to sample, and purchase, some of the best produce of East Anglia from over 50 bespoke stalls.
Each year the Open Weekend aims to raise as much money as possible for local charities, with the 2017 chosen charities being: Racing Welfare’s Newmarket Housing Project (80%), the Newmarket Day Centre (10%) and the Newmarket Academy (10%).
Funds will also be raised during racing at the Rowley Mile the following Saturday, 23 September, with guest commentators taking to the microphone for a third consecutive year in aid of NOW.
For more information and to purchase tickets for the 2017 32Red Newmarket Open Weekend please visit phpstack-25489-1437829.cloudwaysapps.com. Early bird tickets cost £16 per person and U18’s go free all weekend.
Sara Cumani, Chairwoman of the 32Red Newmarket Open Weekend, said; “Just for this year we have had to separate the weekend from racing due to conflicts in the calendar, with racing at the Rowley Mile taking place the following Saturday. Fortunately, we now have the brilliant new facilities at the National Heritage Centre to work with and can set the wheels in motion for our plans to bring the Open Weekend, including the established NOW Food & Drink Festival, right to the heart of the town.”
ENDS
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The 32Red Newmarket Open Weekend is set to hit the home of British horse racing on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th September. One of the highlights of the weekend’s action is the Clipper Logistics Racing Personality Show Jumping Competition, which will see some of the stars of British racing go head to head in the main arena of the Rowley Mile racecourse on Sunday afternoon. The action will feature top jockeys as well as some of the most celebrated trainers in racing, it is a contest that is not to be missed.
The course that has been assembled is certain to offer a challenge to even the most experienced horseman as they charge around in double time, without knocking down any of those penalty poles, to finish in the quickest time possible. An additional element that will add even more spice to the mixture and not for the faint-hearted is the bonus ‘Joker Fence’, which for those valiant enough to brave it successfully, will see bonus points awarded.
Amongst those competing will be Classic winning trainer Hugo Palmer, the rider and trainer duo behind the magnificent Postponed of Andrea Atzeni and Roger Varian, flat racing leading jockeys Jamie Spencer, Adam Kirby, James Doyle, plus many more. The competitive spirit on the track is sure to spill into the show-jumping arena as they vie to dethrone last year’s champion Michael Hills.
Hugo Palmer, Classic winning trainer and NOW show jumping competitor, said; “The show-jumping competition is always a highlight of the Open Weekend, it is great fun for both the spectators and competitors alike. The jockeys clearly have an advantage but the trainers have been practising and will be hoping for some quick and clear rounds.”
For more information, including a full schedule of events, and to book tickets please visit phpstack-25489-1437829.cloudwaysapps.com. Children Under-18 go free.
T : @NktOpenWeekend
F : https://www.facebook.com/newmarketopenday
I : Nktopenweekend
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Jilly Cooper OBE book signing to take place at the National Heritage Centre and Rowley Mile Racecourse on Saturday 17th September for the 32Red Newmarket Open Weekend
Jilly Cooper will be in Newmarket on the 17th September to celebrate the release of her new book MOUNT! with a book signing that will take place at the new National Heritage Centre for Horseracing & Sporting Art at 11.30-12.30pm and the Rowley Mile Racecourse from 3.30-4.30pm.
Mount! is set in the glamorous world of flat racing and features the return of the famous character Rupert Campbell Black. Jilly Cooper spent some time in Newmarket visiting trainers and stud yards for inspiration.
Of course Jilly Cooper is not a stranger to the horseracing fraternity and is a huge supporter of the Retraining of Racehorses Charity that now has a flagship yard in the Rothschild Yard at the new National Heritage Centre. The Rothschild Yard has been returned to its former glory having been left derelict since 1986 and will be home for up to eight former racehorses. There will be daily demonstrations in the Peter O’Sullevan Arena to showcase how thoroughbreds can go onto successful careers in different disciplines after racing, and four galleries to highlight the work of RoR and engage the public with many of the wonderful success stories. The two additional components that make up the National Heritage Centre include the new National Horseracing Museum and a National Gallery for British Sporting Art
Jilly will be coming to Newmarket on one of the most popular weekends to visit the town; The 32Red Newmarket Open Weekend which takes place once a year allowing the public access to see trainer’s yards, a sneak preview of the new National Heritage Centre for Horseracing & Sporting Art watch horses on the gallops and entertainment at the Rowley Mile Racecourse.
Book signing will take place at 11.30 – 12.30pm in the Palace House shop at the National Heritage Centre in the Rowley Mile Shop from 3.30 -4.30pm, there will be with books available to purchase in both shops.
Jilly Cooper says of her time in Newmarket:
“I was so lucky to meet so many wonderful people in Newmarket who were unstinting in their help with my book. These included Silver Fox charmer, Robert Cowell, who invited me to stay at his lovely yard at Six Mile Bottom, where I met the great Prohibit, who got very up himself after winning the King’s Stand Stakes. Another highlight was meeting the wonderfully funny Sir Mark Prescott, who took me on a magical trip around his yard and horses, followed by buckets of the most delicious Pimms. Other great trainers who inspired me were John Gosden, Roger Varian, Luca Cumani, and David Simcock who introduced me to the great Caspar Netscher, who had just returned from stud. In order that he shouldn’t feel lonely, a new box was specially built for him, so he could look straight into David’s office.”
“Earlier in my research, I visited the yard of the most enchanting man, the late Sir Henry Cecil, who introduced me to the mighty Frankel while he was winning every race. Later when the wonder horse had gone to stud at Juddmonte Farm, George the stable cat led me across the lawn to meet him.”
“I was helped too by former star jockey Richard Hills, now racing manager to Sheikh Hamdan and by Alistair Donald at Newmarket’s International Racing Bureau, who unravelled a lot of racing red tape for me. “
“In addition, I enjoyed several exciting visits to the Racecourse, because included in Mount! is a titanic battle to win the 2000 Guineas. One of my happiest days was spent watching a stallion parade at Dalham Hall Stud, followed by a glorious lobster and champagne-fuelled lunch. Finally, I adored my visit to Tattersalls, watching the auctioneers revving up the buyers, and admiring some of the handsomest men on the planet.”
Photo credit: Edward Whitaker
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Taking place on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th September, the 32Red Newmarket Open Weekend will once again incorporate the popular Food and Drink Festival, positioned at the Rowley Mile Racecourse, now in its second year. Alongside a wide selection of local food and drink as well as lifestyle exhibitors, this year sees the addition of the G’s Fresh Cookery Live Kitchen, which will host approximately eight 45-minute demonstration slots over the two days. Working with a number of local chefs, as well as some special guests, it will offer racegoers an insight into some of the best cooks in the area with the demonstrations being interactive, engaging and of course, mouth-watering!
Making his Newmarket Open Weekend debut, Celebrity chef Jean-Christophe Novelli will be taking to the stage, to demonstrate the cooking skills that made him a star, one definitely not to be missed!
Noel Byrne, Chairman of the 32Red Newmarket Open Weekend Food and Drink Committee, said;
“We are very excited to be introducing the G’s Fresh Cooking Live Kitchen to the Food and Drink Festival at the 32Red Newmarket Open Weekend this year. It will add another dynamic to the event and it is fantastic to be associated with such a well-respected, global brand such as G’s Fresh.
“We are looking forward to another great event, raising funds for our two very worthy benefactors of this year’s event, the Racing Welfare Housing Project for Stable Staff as well as the Newmarket Day Centre.”
Mark Haynes – Managing Director Shropshire Brands, Organics and Business Development, said;
“G’s Fresh is a long-standing, industry-leading local business based in between Newmarket and Ely and are proud to be involved in the 32Red Newmarket Open Weekend by sponsoring the demonstration kitchen.
As growers of a wide range of salads, vegetables and mushrooms we take great pride in ensuring our products reach our customers in tip-top condition and that we can help give inspirational ideas on how people can use them.
The G’s Fresh Cooking Live Kitchen provides the perfect vehicle to showcase these and we look forward in helping to make the 32Red Newmarket Open Weekend a real success”.
With G’s Fresh kindly providing all of the fresh fruit and vegetables used for each slot, as well as the high calibre of the chefs, quality will certainly be at a premium. The line-up of demonstrations will be announced in due course so make sure you check the 32Red Newmarket Open Weekend Facebook and Twitter for further information.
Tickets are still available for both days with kids under 18 going FREE all weekend. For more information regarding all the activities taking place on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th September please visit phpstack-25489-1437829.cloudwaysapps.com.
Cooking demonstration timings are as follows:
Saturday
1:00pm Ann Hood – Smart Cookery School
1:45pm Neil Philips – The Wine Tipster
2:45pm Jamie Mountford – Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa (accompanied by Neil Philips)
4:00pm James Carn – The Packhorse Inn
Sunday
12.30pm Tim Turner – Jockey Club Rooms
1:30pm **Suprise Celebrity Chef**
2:30pm Luke Ames – The Leaping Hare
3:30pm **Surprise Celebrity Chef**
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Following the huge success of the 2015 Newmarket Open Weekend, in which a record amount of £50,000 was raised for its beneficiaries, the town of Newmarket is gearing up to open its doors again to the public on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th September.
The weekend kicks off on Saturday at 8am with a chance to see top class racehorses put through their paces on the legendary Warren Hill Gallops. In addition, there will be a number of equine sites available to visit throughout the day, including Rossdales Equine Hospital, the British Racing School, the National Stud and the historic Jockey Club Rooms. And, for the first time, the highly anticipated National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art will open its doors to the public for taster tours throughout both days.
The Rowley Mile will then host an excellent race meeting in the afternoon and will feature prominent trainers such as Roger Varian, George Margarson and William Haggas exclusively commentating on the live racing. The Food and Drink Festival will again be taking place at the Rowley Mile all weekend with over 30 bespoke stalls showing off plenty of local produce which will be accessible from all enclosures. There will also be the G’s Fresh Demonstration Kitchen with activities on both days and the crowning of the sausage King or Queen on the Sunday with the Love Pork East Anglian Sausage competition.
The main highlight of the weekend for many is the opportunity to get behind the scenes at Horseracing’s HQ and, on Sunday from 9am to 12:30pm, many top trainers are opening their yards, giving visitors a unique chance to catch a glimpse of their equine heroes and meet some of the world’s most famous trainers in person. The likes of Ed Dunlop, Luca Cumani, David Simcock and James Fanshawe will all be opening their historic stables which have sent out substantial Group 1 winners over the years, including recent Prix Jean Romanet Winner, Speedy Boarding. The Newmarket Equine Hospital and Europe’s leading Bloodstock Auctioneer, Tattersalls, will be open to visitors too.
Following the morning activities, visitors can then return back to the Rowley Mile for an action packed afternoon of fun. The Clipper Logistics Racing Personality Show Jumping is the feature entertainment of the day, with some of Newmarket’s best loved trainers and jockeys entered in the competition which starts at 3pm. Competitors include the likes of top jockey Andrea Atzeni, former leading female jockey Hayley Turner and Classic winning trainer Roger Varian to name but a few. An exciting first for the Open Weekend this year will be the inaugural Newmarket vs Lambourn football match which will take place on Sunday afternoon. Captained by classic winning trainer, Charlie Hills, a Lambourn team will be taking on Newmarket’s finest in what will be a competitive affair with bragging rights up for grabs. The Waitrose Stable Staff Games will also take place on Sunday afternoon, alongside free on course entertainment including face painting and pony rides for children attending on the day.
Sara Cumani, Chairman of 32Red Newmarket Open Weekend, said;
“It was brilliant to welcome thousands of visitors to the town for the Newmarket Open Weekend last year and we are currently putting the final preparations together to ensure that the newly sponsored 32Red Newmarket Open Weekend will be as enjoyable and entertaining.
“This is a great way to showcase the town whilst also raising much needed funds for our chosen and very worthy charities. We very much look forward to welcoming you all to Newmarket next month for an action packed weekend.”
Tickets are still available for both days with kids under 18 going FREE all weekend. For more information regarding all the activities taking place on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th September please visit phpstack-25489-1437829.cloudwaysapps.com.
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On Saturday, 17th September, the first day of the 32Red Newmarket Open Weekend, racegoers will once again be treated to exclusive on course commentary at the Rowley Mile. A handful of Newmarket based trainers, along with a special guest, have agreed to commit to learning the art of commentating in aid of the beneficiaries of the Open Weekend; The Racing Welfare Newmarket Housing Project and the Newmarket Day Centre.
Classic winning trainer and current holder of the Julian Wilson trophy for best commentary from last year’s event, William Haggas, will again be putting his commentary skills to the test. Trainers set to join the reigning champion in the commentary box will be George Margarson, Roger Varian and Gay Kelleway, all of whom will be aiming to knock Haggas off the podium.
These trainers may be masters of the horse but calling a race is no easy task. However, the special guest will be hoping that his experience behind the microphone will give him that competitive edge. Mick Quinn, former professional footballer and current presenter on TalkSPORT radio, will also be calling them home for one race on the day.
Each guest commentator will undergo rigorous training and receive some of the very best advice on offer from industry professionals, as they bid to ensure a word perfect performance for their allocated race.
William Haggas, Classic winning trainer and title defending commentator said;
“Having sneaked home victorious in last year’s inaugural contest, I am very keen to retain my crown in this year’s trainer commentary competition at Newmarket on September 17th, during the 32Red Newmarket Open Weekend.”
“It was a mixture of fear and shredded nerves that I stepped into the commentary box last year, and hope this year that I will give a more polished performance and fend off the six rivals who do battle again. It should be great fun and I hope just a little bit different to the norm on all other racedays at Newmarket. We look forward to seeing you there.”
Sara Cumani, Chairman of 32Red Newmarket Open Weekend, said;
“We are very thankful to the trainers who are taking the time to be part of this great initiative. It’s going to be a fantastic experience to both seasoned and novice racegoers on course and all proceeds raised will go to very worthy causes.
“This year’s 32Red Newmarket Open Weekend is set to be another fantastic occasion with lots of different aspects available for all the family to enjoy.”
Each trainer has a Just Giving page and has been randomly selected to represent one of the three chosen charities associated with this year’s 32Red Newmarket Open Weekend. To donate, please visit the team page via https://www.justgiving.com/teams/NOWTrainers
Tickets are still available for both days with kids under 18 going FREE all weekend. For more information regarding all the activities taking place on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th September please visit phpstack-25489-1437829.cloudwaysapps.com
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32Red is delighted to announce that it will sponsor the Newmarket Open Weekend on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 September 2016.
The online betting operator, an authorised betting partner and the biggest bookmaking sponsor in the sport in numerical terms, has committed to a three-year deal as the title sponsor of the event, further highlighting its ongoing commitment to supporting the racing industry in the UK.
The Newmarket Open Weekend gives visitors the unique opportunity to go behind the scenes at British horseracing’s HQ, enjoy two fantastic days of fun and entertainment, plus raise money for local charities.
The chosen charities for this year’s Newmarket Open Weekend are; Racing Welfare’s Newmarket Housing Project and the Newmarket Day Centre (10%). Both are local charities and aim to improve their services to the community with the monies raised from the event.
Sara Cumani, Chairwoman of the Newmarket Open Weekend, said; ‘I am thrilled that 32Red has agreed to sponsor the Newmarket Open Weekend. Their committed support for the next three years means that even more money can be raised for charity. We are currently busily preparing for the big weekend next month, which is set to be jam packed full of action’.
Edward Ware, CEO of 32Red, said; ‘32Red is delighted to be supporting the Newmarket Open Weekend for the first time. The open weekend is hugely important to racing fans and gives them the rare chance to visit some of the country’s top racing yards and meet their equine heroes, whilst raising money for some great causes’.
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Ilka is a member of the Royal College Of Veterinary Surgeons and puts her varied experience and different perspectives to good use in her training methods. Ilka is determined to do what is best for the horse to maximise wellbeing. Visit Ilka on Sunday 18th September at Saint Wendred’s in Newmarket.
1. How and when did you come to Newmarket?
Stéphane (Ilka’s husband) is to blame, I came to stay with him for part of the summer of 2008. I was in my final year in vet school, riding out in the mornings, seeing practice in the afternoons.
2. All-time favourite racehorse? My all time favourite horse is Ferdinand. I guess it’s a childhood thing, everyone obsessed with racing can remember the first horse they consciously watched win the Derby. In my case, this was the Kentucky Derby in 1986, Bill Shoemaker up and trained by one of the all time greats Charlie Whittingham. We were living in California at the time and one year later I was at Santa Anita when Ferdinand won the Breeder’s Cup Classic beating Alysheba in an unbelievable stretch drive. It was a surreal atmosphere; this is how you get hooked for life! Ferdinand’s life ended in a disgraceful way, a real wake up call for our industry. So when one of my four legged protégées is starting a second career decisions are not on a whim.
3. If you could swap jobs for one day what would you do?
I’m living the dream already but one day as a simultaneous interpreter at the United Nations would be an experience
4. What is your hobby outside of racing?
I don’t have much time for other things, I used to be a good skier and loved mountaineering
5. What is the highlight/best thing about the Newmarket Open Weekend?
That it’s for charity
6. What is Newmarket’s hidden gem in your opinion?
Saint Wendred’s well – ( The well was an ancient water source which became Christianised into St. Wendred’s well because of the restorative power of the water used for walking horses into, it’s a fitting link with Ilka’s veterinary skills and natural horsemanship.)
7. What is your favourite moment on a racecourse?
Winning
8. What is the biggest challenge facing racing?
Poor prize money
9. What are you most looking forward to in the flat season?
Debut of my two year olds
10. What is your favourite ice-cream flavour?
Lemon gelato, I would eat it every day if I lived in Italy
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