Musselburgh Racecourse’s £240,000 Easter Parade gets Flat season off to a flyer

Musselburgh Racecourse’s £240,000 Easter Parade gets Flat season off to the flyer

The £100,000 Betway Queen’s Cup lifts the curtain on Musselburgh’s 16-fixture summer Flat season on Easter Saturday. (16 April).

The Betway Easter Saturday meeting also features six other quality races on a card which boasts almost £240,000 in prize money.

The feature race, a Class 2 event over 1m 6f, has attracted 29 entries – many from the leading UK stables – which will be whittled down to a maximum of 14 runners before starter’s orders at 3.14pm on Saturday.

The supporting feature is the £50,000 Betway Holyrood Handicap five furlong sprint (2.39pm), while the proceedings get underway at 1.32pm with the £30,000 Betway Royal Mile Handicap over one mile.

Last year’s traditional Easter Flat season curtain raiser was restricted to owners and trainers due to Covid-19 regulations, but the East Lothian course is hoping for a healthy attendance, drawn by the mix of first class racing and a host of off-track attractions and premium food and hospitality offerings.

As with all Musselburgh race meetings, children aged 17 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. For younger racegoers, there will be chance to meet the Easter Bunny and there is free face painting and children’s fairground rides. After the final race the post-racing After party which gets underway at 5pm, hosted by popular Forth One presenter Boogie in the Morning.

Leading tennis coach Judy Murray, OBE, is expected to present The Betway Queen’s Cup to the winning connections, and said: “It’s been two years since my last visit to Musselburgh Racecourse and I can’t wait to go back.

“Whether you like a wee flutter or just looking for something different to do with friends or family over the Easter weekend, Musselburgh Racecourse is a superb place to be and the Betway Easter Saturday meeting is honestly one of the highlights of the year for me.”

Musselburgh Racecourse general manager, Bill Farnsworth, said: “With just under a quarter of a million pounds on offer over the seven races and four races broadcast live by ITV, there is a great deal of excitement around our opening Flat meeting of the season.

“On the turf, the Betway Queen’s Cup is a huge draw, with many trainers viewing this race as a precursor to the top staying handicaps, including the Chester Cup, Northumberland Plate and the Ebor.

“There will be a fantastic atmosphere on Saturday as everyone welcomes back live Easter racing and with the bank holiday weekend we have pulled out the stops to make this a genuine family event to keep visitors of all ages entertained throughout the day.”

Chad Yeomans, Betway’s Head of Communications and PR said: “The Betway Easter Saturday fixture is a great meeting that in 2022, will see the return of racing fans to Musselburgh racecourse. The Betway Queen’s Cup is the feature race on the card and is a great staying handicap while the Betway Holyrood Handicap promises a competitive dash over five furlongs.”

Gates open at 11.30am on Saturday and guests booking in advance before midnight on 15 April will receive a £5 discount on admission price.