THE ladies of Uttoxeter braved the unseasonal weather to don their best dresses for one of the most popular events of the calendar at the town’s racecourse.
There was plenty of entertainment on offer through the evening with tribute acts to Lady Gaga and George Michael providing the soundtrack and rock’n’roll bingo proving a hit in the marquee.
The racing on the track was also top quality, with one of the night’s big races ending in a dead heat much to the punters excitement.
Commercial manager Sharon Dean told the Advertiser that despite the ‘awful’ weather everyone managed to have a great time.
She said: “It was a fantastic night. All the boxes were full and it was our best year in terms of hospitality despite the weather.
“The weather was awful — it was wet and by the end of the night really cold but our tribute acts kept entertaining people right to the end.
“The racing was really good — we had a dead heat which I have not known here before. The weather certainly didn’t stop people having fun.” The next big race day at Uttoxeter Racecourse will be the John Smith’s Summer Cup on Sunday, July 1.
The new event for 2012 replaces the English Summer National and is expected to attract a strong field of horses from some of the country’s top trainers.
The main race will mirror the distance of the Cheltenham Gold Cup at three miles and two furlongs.
The British Horseracing Authority has given its full backing to the new race which the racecourse believes will quickly become as popular as the Midlands Grand National.
Tickets and more details are available by calling 01889 562561 or at www.uttoxeter-racecourse.co.uk.
