When most people think of Christmas, they will think of Santa Claus, Christmas trees and presents. Depending on where you live, you might also think about snow, woolly gloves and Cliff Richard. If you think about an animal then the likelihood is that it’s going to be a reindeer. For some, though, Christmas time means a chance to enjoy some horse racing, with some big events such as the King George VI Chase scheduled to take place around the Christmas period. Having spent most of the year hosting flat racing, Ascot turns to jump racing towards the end of the year, with the Christmas Racing Weekend offering exactly that.
Given the time of year that it is, it isn’t all that surprising that this is a meeting that is aimed at families. It is typically held just a few days before Christmas itself, meaning that it is the last jump racing meeting of the year at Ascot Racecourse and has a sense of excitement associated with it as a result. The racing throughout the weekend is action-packed, with plenty of fun on offer both on and off the course. There are Graded races on both days, with some of the sport’s biggest names having turned out for them in the past. When it comes to the off the track entertainment, the activities on offer are sure to delight young and old alike.
About the Weekend
It goes without saying that the horse racing will always take centre stage at any big meeting, with Ascot’s Christmas Family Racing Weekend being no exception. On the Friday, the Noel Novices’ Chase is a Grade 2 race that will offer plenty of excitement to those watching, whilst the Long Walk Hurdle is a Grade 1 offering that is assigned to the Saturday. It means that there is a feature race on both days for everyone to focus on, whilst all of the racing that is happening either side of those races is also more than a little bit exciting for people to focus on. That being said, what happens off the course is also pretty good.
As you can imagine, Ascot Racecourse is decked out in all of the usual garb ahead of Christmas, with all concerned ready for the Festive period. There is an excellent atmosphere across the two days, with activities on offer that the kids will find thrilling. If you are there on the Saturday then you might also be lucky enough to have an encounter with a very special guest, given the fact that Father Christmas himself stops by the spread cheer and joy to all. The Christmas Family Racing Weekend is a highlight of the calendar for everyone, such is the level of fun and excitement that is on offer from all at Ascot Racecourse.
The atmosphere is almost one of people being de-mob happy, knowing that they’re done with work for at least a few days and faced with the opportunity to have a few drinks and a laugh with friends and family. In fact, there are more than a few people that treat the meeting as the start of their Christmas period, drinking mulled wine and eating mince pies as if there’s no tomorrow. Whilst the weekend lacks the pageantry of other meetings at the racecourse, such as Royal Ascot, it is much more relaxed and also lacks the servitude that that meeting asks for, so it’s a win-win situation. It is also less busy, which is what makes it a good meeting to take kids to.
Christmas Racing Weekend Schedule
There is a page for both the Friday and the Saturday of the Christmas Family Racing Weekend, so we’ll tell you more information about the two days there. That being said, it is still worth offering you a little bit more knowledge of what the two days entail here:
Friday
Whilst Fridays of racing meetings are usually a little bit quieter and tend to be more focussed on the racing itself, the same can’t really be said of the Friday on the Christmas Family Racing Weekend. The reality is that the vast majority of people in attendance will have finished work for the holidays, so the ‘weekend racegoers’ aren’t limited to the Saturday in terms of their revelry. If they’ve chosen to bring their kids along, which a lot of attendees will have done, then they obviously won’t be able to let their hair down too much unless an agreement is in place about which member of the family is going to be watching them the most closely.
The Grade 2 Noel Novices’ Chase is the feature races of the Friday and previous winners of it have gone on to enjoy success at the Cheltenham Festival, with both Politologue and Simonsig having won here in the past. The racing will obviously keep many people occupied, but for those that find their attention wandering there will be plenty to do off the track that amuse and entertain. Once the racing is over, the candle-lit carol singing accompanied by the Ascot Brass Band is a real favourite and is a definite summary of the overall vibe that racegoers are likely to encounter during the Friday of the meeting.
Saturday
Although the Friday will have its fair share of revellers who are happy to let their hair down, there is no question that that goes up a notch on the Saturday. Weekends naturally lend themselves to those that are keen to have a bit of a party and the fact that Christmas is so close means that that is doubly the case on Christmas Family Racing Saturday. It is another day when kids and adults alike are going to be happy with what they’re seeing off the track, given the manner in which Ascot Racecourse goes all out to make itself a Christmas wonderland for the meeting. Both on and off the track, it is one of the happiest meetings of the year.
On the track, that is thanks to the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle, which is the feature race of the day that all of the other races fit around. Aside from anything else, it is one of the most prestigious races of the entire season for staying hurdlers, having seen the likes of Thistlecrack, Big Buck’s and Paisley Park win it in the past. Off the track, the excitement is palpable with kids on their best behaviour as the big man himself, Father Christmas, drops by to say hello and spread some Christmas cheer. Add in the now-traditional Ascot Brass Band accompanying the carol singing and you can see exactly why everyone loves the Saturday of this meeting so much.
Summary
The entire vibe over the course of Christmas Family Racing Weekend at Ascot Racecourse is one of fun and excitement. If you’re the sort of person that only really cares about the racing then you’ll be absolutely delighted to learn that there are two Graded races on offer, one on each day, to ensure that you’re happy with your lot. If, on the other hand, you like to get a little bit more out of your racing experience then you’ll be super happy with the manner in which the entire venue becomes akin to a Christmas wonderland. Ascot knows how to do themes better than almost any other course in the UK, taking full advantage of that here.
The Friday sees the Noel Novices’ Chase lined up as the feature race of the day, whilst off the course there are plenty of activities and enough entertainment to keep everyone pleased and in the Christmas spirit. On the Saturday, meanwhile, the Howden Long Walk Hurdle is the race around which the entire day is based, with a visit from Father Christmas being the focus of the off the course action. Both days also end with the candle-lit carol singing that is accompanied by the Ascot Brass Band in order to ensure that everyone heads off home feeling full of the spirit of Christmas and excitement for the festivities to come.