The British National Hunt season will officially burst into life on Friday 10th October - Sunday 12th October with the launch of the first-ever Welsh Racing Festival, hosted at Chepstow Racecourse and proudly sponsored by Dragonbet, the leading Welsh-owned bookmaker.
Formerly known as the Jump Season Opener, the now three-day event has been reimagined and expanded as the Dragonbet Welsh Racing Festival, but it proudly remains the official start of the UK jump season, attracting top-class horses, trainers, and jockeys to the historic Welsh venue, which is in it’s 99th year of operation.
In a major boost for the event, the prestigious Dragonbet Welsh Champion Hurdle is returning to Chepstow for the first time since 2002, having been staged at sister racecourse, Ffos Las since 2010. Its homecoming adds a fresh layer of prestige to the festival and underscores Chepstow’s role at the heart of Welsh horse racing.
Luke Admans, General Manager at Chepstow Racecourse said: “This festival builds on everything that made the Jump Season Opener such a highlight of the calendar. By transforming it into the Dragonbet Welsh Racing Festival, and bringing home the Welsh Champion Hurdle, we’re creating a sporting and cultural event that celebrates the very best of Wales.”
Dragonbet, a family-run, proudly Welsh bookmaker deeply connected to the sport, has signed on as the festival’s headline sponsor in a move to support and grow racing in Wales.
“We’re incredibly proud to be the headline sponsors of the newly formed Welsh Racing Festival, especially with our family’s long-standing connection to Chepstow racecourse since the late 1960s.
This festival carries all the prestige and excitement that fans have come to expect from the traditional jump season opener, while offering an affordable, accessible way for racegoers to enjoy everything a festival has to offer.
Partnering with the Welsh Racing Festival is a significant milestone for us as a company, and a fantastic opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come. It also allows us to celebrate racing in Wales”
Highlights of the festival will include; the Grade 2 Persian War, The Welsh Champion Hurdle; the launch of the Welsh Racing Hall of Fame, the inaugural Piercefield Cup Trainers Championship, Live Music after racing and much more.
In it’s former guise as the Jump Season Opener, Chepstow Racecourse has seen many of the sport’s biggest stars begin their campaigns at the track. One such star was Altior, who had his first race over hurdles at Chepstow under trainer Nicky Henderson and jockey Nico de Boinville. He went on to win 10 Grade One races, including four victories at the Cheltenham Festival.
With a focus on making the festival fantastic value for the racegoer, Chepstow are also offering a ‘Weekend Pass’ ticket, which will cost £39 and guarantees entry to all three days of the festival, making the cost of entry just £13 per day. This will be run alongside group booking discounts and other compelling offers to be announced in the coming weeks.
All tickets are now on sale at chepstow-racecourse.co.uk, with packages and hospitality also available.
