Fresh from success in August and a sell-out Ladies Day Meeting, Musselburgh Racecourse is preparing for another positive weekend of racing on the 11 and 12 of September.
The East Lothian course will host the Edinburgh Gin Summer Finale on Saturday, with the Musselburgh Gold Cup Family Day completing the weekend festivities on Sunday.
The Edinburgh Gin Summer Finale
A highly-stacked race card will feature several Flat races on both weekend days. Still, the Edinburgh Gin meeting will also present live bands during the day and offer a “final twist of summer” with a celebratory atmosphere and a selection of food and drink options.
Gold Cup Family Raceday
With the conclusion of the flat racing season upon us, Musselburgh racecourse is celebrating with its Gold Cup Family Raceday as one of the final flat meetings of the calendar year. It’s a horse-racing spectacle available for all ages; children can enter free of charge with a paying adult.
The family day on Sunday will primarily focus on the youngsters with a Superhero theme, locations filled with rides, shows, face painting, prizes for the best-dressed Superhero, and a kid’s disco to complete the evening’s fun.
Aisling Johnston, the Musselburgh Racecourse marketing manager, said: “We’ve had a fantastic summer season, and we want to go out on a high with an event that brings together the whole family for a spectacular finale – we can’t wait.
“We have designed our race days with the safety of everyone in mind – the thrill of the races and the excitement from the thundering hooves crossing the finishing line will be plentiful.
“Racing isn’t just for grown-ups as our Musselburgh Gold Cup Family Day shows. Gather the clan, dress them up as their favourite Superhero or character and bundle them in the car for a day filled with entertainment and exciting racing.
“Bring on the invasion of the superheroes – we’re ready for them.”
Neil Boyd, representing Edinburgh Gin, said: “We are delighted to continue our long relationship with Musselburgh Racecourse and are looking forward to a fitting end to a hot summer season with a fantastic race day on September 11.”
Youngsters 17 or under will receive free admission when entering the venue with a parent or guardian who’s purchased a ticket.
The Racing at Musselburgh
Betting sites across the UK will prepare for another intense race in this finale racing event at Musselburgh. Bettors who backed Haizoom – trained at Carluke by Keith Dalgleish – in 2021 left the racecourse with a winning ticket.
The race prize holds a value of £25,000, and Dumfriesshire-based trainer Iain Jardine is a fellow past race winner alongside the current champion Haizoom.
The Musselburgh Gold Cup handicap race is the main event of the evening. This class three race is held over one mile and seven furlongs, which translates to a stern endurance test for prosperous and proven horses.
Musselburgh course history
Musselburgh Racecourse is a horse racing venue positioned in the Millhill area of East Lothian, Scotland. Scotland’s second largest racecourse and the fourteenth biggest in the UK.
During its 2016 season, Musselburgh hosted 28 events. It was referred to as ‘Edinburgh Racecourse,’ but for local residents, it’s widely known as ‘Musselburgh.’
The course hosts flat racing and National Hunt races and is 2 km long. Located in the middle of the course is a nine-hole golf course.
With a rich history, Musselburgh began hosting races in 1777.
Attendances for this course have generated more than 70,000 annually, a 32-thousand incline since 1999. Ladies Day during the summer months is often the most successful event with sell-out crowds of 10,000.
Musselburgh collected the Dual-Purpose Award at the Neil Wyatt Racecourse Groundstaff Awards in 2011, defeating the widely recognised Ascot Racecourse that finishing in second place. In addition, Musselburgh has won multiple awards through the RCA Showcase Awards.
Notable races:
- Queen of Scots Stakes, 7 Furlongs.
- William Hill Scottish Spring Cup (Class 2 Heritage Handicap), 5 Furlongs.
- Royal Mile (Class 2 Handicap), 1 Mile.
- Edinburgh Cup (Class 3 Handicap), 1 Mile 4 Furlongs.
- Queen’s Cup (Class 2 Handicap), 1 Mile 6 Furlongs.
- Edinburgh National (Class 2 Handicap Chase), 4 Miles.
