Season Finale – Harvest, Hops, Horseracing and a fond farewell
Goodwood Racecourse will herald the end of its racing year with the Season Finale fixture on Sunday 15 October, which features a new theme of Harvest, Hops and Horseracing.
Amid the beautiful autumnal surroundings of the rolling South Downs, the Season Finale will have a distinctly rural atmosphere. A fiddle-band will play merry tunes alongside roaring fire pits, toasting marshmallows and hay bales, with a variety of mouth-watering food offerings.
Guests can sample a broad range of craft beers, including Goodwood’s own award-winning real ales and lagers, which are now brewed in-house by the Home Farm team. Tim Hassell, Home Farm Manager, will be hosting tastings and talking guests through the different palates. Professional brewer Andy Hepworth will provide a talk on the process of creating craft beers inside the Harroways Bar.
The racing will be fiercely competitive and this meeting often provides a chance to see some young horses making their first appearances in preparation for next season. Unique to this fixture is the Alderbrook Stakes, in which some of the country’s leading jump jockeys take on the fast turns and undulations of Goodwood. This great spectacle is always terrific fun and can throw up unexpected results.
The Dick Hern trophy will also be presented to the leading trainer at the course this season and eight trainers are in a strong position to take the spoils, with Mark Johnston currently out in front on seven winners.
The Season Finale will also be significant this year as it will be the last fixture for which Seamus Buckley is Clerk of the Course. Buckley has painstakingly cared for the turf and grounds at Goodwood Racecourse for 23 seasons and has won the respect, admiration and acclaim of the industry for his perfectionist attitude and affable nature. The Racecourse team, trainers and jockeys will mark the occasion with a presentation to Buckley during the afternoon.
Goodwood Racecourse is currently running a series of 23 facts about Buckley on its social media channels, which kicked off on Saturday 23 September, exactly 23 days before the Season Finale fixture. From his career in the saddle, his life-threatening injuries, his love of ‘Wolves’ and his extensive knowledge of the Grand National, to his Lifetime Achievement Award from the RCA, the series will cover many aspects of Buckley’s life, in and out of racing. Use the hashtag #ThankyouSeamus to follow the series.
Tickets for the Season Finale start from £26 with free admission to children under 18 in all enclosures. Gates open at 11.30am, with the first race at 2.00pm and last race at 5.25pm (race times subject to change). Gates will close an hour after the final race. For tickets, hospitality and further information, please visit www.goodwood.com
ENDS
For press information, please contact: Sam Hanson, Racecourse PR Executive
T: 01243 755 000
M: 07790 921 688
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/goodwoodracecourse
Twitter: @Goodwood_Races
Instagram: @goodwood_races
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