Andrew Cooper, Clerk of the Course and Racing Director at Epsom Downs Racecourse, reported on Friday, May 30, that the going is currently soft with a GoingStick reading of 6.3. However, conditions are forecast to improve by the start of the 2008 Derby Festival on Friday, June 6 - Ladies Day.
He commented: “After walking the course today, the ground is soft all over with a GoingStick reading of 6.3.
“We received seven millimetres of rain overnight and have experienced a dry day today. The weekend is also forecast to be dry.
“The Met Office have told me that the outlook for next week is slightly unsettled. There could small amounts of rain, around one or two millimetres a day, with average temperatures of around 20 degrees Celsius.
“The course should dry out and show gradual improvement next week. We will take another look on Sunday.”
TICKET AVAILABILITY
Ladies Day - Friday, June 6
Tattenham Straight - £15
Lonsdale Pedestrian - £15
Tattenham Picnic Package for 2 - £110 (Gives two people admission to the Tattenham Picnic Area, and a Carluccio's picnic box with food for two. Must be purchased in advance)
Hill Cars - £25
Derby Day, Saturday, June 7
Hill Cars - £30
Sun Marquee - £30
Epsom Downs has teamed up with The Sun newspaper to open an additional marquee facility on Derby Day only. Tickets cost £30 which includes the use of the marquee with its outside viewing area and patio furniture. It also includes a free hog roast roll, a complimentary welcome drink, free copy of The Sun and private cash bar. The marquee is situated on The Hill, behind the Walton area.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.epsomderby.co.uk or by telephoning 01372 47 00 47. The box office at Epsom Downs is open from 9.00am - 5.00pm.
A £2.50 booking fee will apply to every order.
Many areas have now sold out, including the Queen's Stand two-day badge, the Grandstand Enclosure on both days and the Ladies Day Queen's Stand Day Badge.
The only areas with availability on Derby Day are The Hill and The Sun Marquee.
On Ladies Day, there is some capacity in the Tattenham Picnic Area and the Tattenham Straight. Lonsdale Pedestrian passes are also still available and there is also limited availability for a number of hospitality packages - please contact the racecourse for further information.
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Nick Blofeld, Managing Director of Epsom Downs, said: “Ticket sales have been going phenomenally well and we are just about sold out in all the areas while filling the Hill is really down to the weather on the day. The open-topped buses all sold out about three months ago. We are also up on coach bookings and in almost every area.”
EPSOM DOWNS AND THE 2008 DERBY FESTIVAL
Britain’s Biggest Day Out - Derby Day
Derby Day stands alone as the single biggest one day event in the country, attended by an estimated 120,000 people. It is also the day when many people who don’t usually follow racing, anyone from Royalty to Pearly Queen, flock to Epsom Downs to soak up the atmosphere and celebrate the return of one the great English sporting and social events.
Guest of Honour - Vincent O'Brien
This year, Vincent O'Brien will be the Guest of Honour. The six-time Derby winning trainer will be attending the event with his wife Jacqueline and son, Charles.
An exciting new Grandstand and bright future
The £27.6 million Grandstand redevelopment programme is still running to schedule and will be completed in early 2009. Its first raceday will be the Spring Meeting on April 22, 2009 and after that we will have a full racing programme with the Derby Festival on June 5 & 6. There will be at least 14 days racing next year, including five consecutive Live! meetings in July - the popular Thursday evening racing followed by a live band. The Grandstand has also been designed to work hard for non-racing events, product launches, conferences, weddings, exhibitions and banqueting. Combined with the new 120-bedroom hotel on site, it will transform the appeal of the racecourse for many event organisers. The hotel itself will be an Express by Holiday Inn, but owned by the racecourse and managed by BDL, a hotel management company, and is due to open on September 1 this year.
2008 Derby not at a building site!
Whilst the re-development is still underway, it affects a relatively small area, the Grandstand enclosure only. The fantastic steppings of the new Grandstand will even be in use this year, giving all Grandstand enclosure badge holders an excellent position to watch the racing.
A number of sponsors not just one…
We do not have just one overall Derby Festival sponsor this year, but rather a number of sponsors and official partners. Vodafone have returned as the main sponsor on Derby Day, sponsoring The Derby and The Princess Elizabeth Stakes, whilst Juddmonte are the main sponsors on Ladies Day, taking The Oaks, The Coronation Cup and Diomed Stakes. Totesport have also come on board and will be sponsoring the Rose Bowl Heritage Handicap on Ladies Day, The Dash and the Heritage Handicap on Derby Day. Woodford Reserve, also sponsors of the Kentucky Derby, are the official whiskey of the Derby Festival and Jeep are back as the official 4x4.
Help for Heroes - the official Derby Festival Charity 2008
Help for Heroes was launched in October, 2007, to do something practical for the men and women of our Armed Forces wounded while serving in the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Chief of the General Staff suggested raising funds for a much-needed swimming pool and gym complex at Headley Court, the recuperation centre in Surrey, just two miles from the racecourse.
Face of the Derby - Catherine Dettori
This year the style on Ladies Day is set to be a cut above the rest, thanks to the classical beauty of Catherine Dettori, wife of last year's Derby winning jockey Frankie Dettori and mother of five, who is the official ‘Face of the Derby Festival 2008'.
‘Style on the Downs’ Competition
Friday, June 6 is Ladies Day again and along with the glamour, colour and fashion, the ever popular “Style on the Downs” competition returns, with the lady chosen as the “best dressed” driving away in a brand new Jeep Patriot.
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
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