Wednesday 17th June 2009
Sensational Best Dressed Prizes for this years Champagne Lanson July Festival
Just three weeks to go to the East of England’s most stylish summer event!
A luxury cruise to Dubai, a magical chocolate-lovers’ week in St Lucia and a year’s supply of Lanson champagne are just three of the sensational prizes that will be given away to those deemed to have “dressed the most stylishly” at Newmarket’s July Festival, which runs from Wednesday 8 to Friday 10 July and is sponsored for the first time this year by Champagne Lanson.
Frankie Dettori and his wife, Catherine, will be two of the main fashion judges at what is the East of England’s answer to this week’s Royal Ascot. The Champagne Lanson July Festival combines stylish fashion with world class horseracing in a relaxed, garden party atmosphere on Newmarket’s stunningly beautiful July Course, which lies just a few miles east of Cambridge.
“They have announced some fantastic prizes today for the best dressed racegoers on all three days and Catherine and I are really looking forward to helping with the judging and meeting the winners,” said Frankie Dettori.
“It’s one of my favourite weeks of the year – if you live in the East of England, the July Festival is an absolute must!”
Gemma Hussey, Newmarket Racecourses’ Marketing Manager, added: “We’re delighted to announce the most exciting and most valuable array of “best dressed” prizes that we have ever offered at the Champagne Lanson July Festival.
"Our central message is that every day of the Festival is special and every day will bring fashion to the fore - it’s not just all about Ladies’ Day.
“Our main goal is to make the three days fun for everyone and while it’s not obligatory to don your most stylish clothes, we try to encourage it. What better way to do so than to offer some amazing prizes and as a result I’m sure that the competition will be hotter than ever this year!”
Day 1: Wednesday 8 July
The first day offers some eye-catching prizes to the racegoers wearing the “Most Stylish Accessories” – the best hats, handbags, shoes, jewellery and pashminas will all be in contention - with Frankie Dettori on hand to help with the judging and meet the winners. On the track the highlight of eight great races is the £200,000 Abu Dhabi Falmouth Stakes.
Star prize is a week’s holiday for two at Hotel Chocolat’s magical Rabot Estate on the Caribbean island of St Lucia. The estate lies in its own 140 acre cocoa plantation and the winner will experience the beauty of this tropical paradise, staying in a cocoa lodge with the opportunity to explore the plantation, cool off in the plunge pool and take in the stunning views. And, of course, they will be able to enjoy the luxury, world famous “Hotel Chocolat” chocolate that is made from the estate’s cocoa beans!
Another great prize is a Champneys Midweek Spa Break at the magnificent Georgian manor of Henlow Grange, the UK’s most luxurious health spa resort, set in 100 acres of beautiful Bedfordshire countryside. Champneys Henlow Grange offers fantastic facilities, including a stunning 25 metre indoor swimming pool with whirlpool, Laconium heat room and herbal steam chamber. There is also a fully computerised gymnasium and two fitness studios offering dynamic and holistic classes.
Day 2: Thursday 9 July
Day two is Champagne Lanson Ladies Day when the star prize for the Most Stylishly Dressed Lady is a year’s supply of one of the world’s most famous bottles of bubbly, Champagne Lanson. Catherine Dettori will be one of the judges and there will be a host of luxury goody bags for the runners-up, while the highlights on the track are the £100,000 Princess of Wales’s Stakes and the £80,000 TNT July Stakes.
Day 3: Friday 10 July
The Champagne Lanson July Festival builds to a fantastic climax when the £400,000 Darley July Cup, Europe’s premier sprint race when some of the fastest racehorses in the world will be burning up the historic Newmarket turf, is the highlight of a sensational race programme. Also on the track, Richard Dunwoody will complete his remarkable 1000 mile walk which will raise a huge amount of money for charity.
If the racing is world class, then so too are the prizes which await the Best Dressed Couple for which Frankie and Catherine Dettori will be key judges.
The sensational star prize is a Premier Travel Cruise to Dubai – 20 nights of full board luxury for two people, starting in Southampton with exciting stopovers in exotic locations like Egypt and Muscat. It is a once-in-a-lifetime holiday which the lucky winning couple will never forget!
Another fantastic prize is a Stapleford Park Sporting Weekend For Two in the Leicestershire countryside. It offers two nights dinner, bed and breakfast in one of the Stapleford Park Country House Hotel, Spa, Golf and Country Club luxury suites, with champagne and dipped strawberries on arrival, a falconry display and a one hour spa treatment per person.
GARDEN ENCLOSURE TO OPEN FOR JULY FESTIVAL
The Garden Enclosure will be open for the Champagne Lanson July Festival for the first time in four years, it was announced today. The last time it was open to the public was in 2005 - for the last three years it has housed a hospitality village.
“Our main hospitality area on the far side of the racecourse is selling pretty well, but as with all major events up and down the country the overall uptake on hospitality facilities is down this year,” explained Newmarket Racecourses’ Managing Director, Stephen Wallis.
“We have therefore taken the decision to open up the Garden Enclosure to the public once again, with tickets priced at £10 for each day. It will give people the opportunity to enjoy the outstanding race programme over the three days for a very modest outlay, but I must stress that those in the Garden Enclosure will not be able to enter the “best dressed” competitions and will miss out on seeing the wonderful fashions which will be in evidence in the Premier and Grandstand & Paddock Enclosures.”
17-24 CONCESSION INTRODUCED
Those aged 17-24 will have special reason to come to the Wednesday and Friday of the Champagne Lanson July Festival, with a 17-24 concession being introduced. This will bring the price of Premier Admission down to £25 (from £35) and Grandstand & Paddock to £17.50 (from £22). There will be no concessions in the £10 Garden Enclosure and no concessions in any enclosure on the Thursday, Champagne Lanson Ladies’ Day.
“We are looking at launching a young persons racing club next year and have decided to test the market by introducing a concession on two days of the Champagne Lanson July Festival to see how much uptake we get,” explained Stephen Wallis, Newmarket racecourses’s Managing Director.
“Accompanied children aged under 17 already have free admission on every single one of our racedays, but we want to incentivise your people in the next age bracket to come to Newmarket for some of our major days.”
10% ADVANCE BOOKING DISCOUNT APPLIES UNTIL END OF JUNE
Tickets for all three days of the Champagne Lanson July Festival at Newmarket are on sale now: Premier Enclosure £35 per day and Grandstand & Paddock Enclosure £22 per day, Garden Enclosure £10 with a 10% advance booking discount for Premier and Grandstand & Paddock purchases made by internet, phone or post by the end of June. Visit www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk or call the ticket hotline on 0844 579 3010.
Adrian Simpson, sales & Marketing Director of Newmarket Racecourses, commented:
“With just three weeks to go, we are very pleased with tickets sales and it looks certain that Ladies’ Day on the Thursday will sell out once again in the Premier Enclosure. Our 10% advance booking discount applies to tickets for all three days and will be available until the end of June."
