Ascot hoping for crowd of 19,000 on Saturday as Kempton and Chepstow report healthy ticket sales for festive meetings

Ascot is forecasting a potentially record crowd for Saturday’s Grade 1 Howden Long Walk Hurdle card, with other courses hosting headline fixtures over the festive period reporting encouraging ticket sales.

The Berkshire track's two-day meeting starts on Friday with “around 10,000” spectators expected, before up to 19,000 people come through the gates on Saturday, which would surpass last year's attendance of 18,652. The Long Walk features ten runners, including last year's winner Crambo and a strong Irish challenge.

Will Aitkenhead, Ascot's head of corporate and industry affairs, said: “The weekend as a whole seems to be going from strength to strength and the King Edward VII enclosure on the Saturday sold out at the end of November, which is the earliest we can remember that happening.

“Ticket sales for the Queen Anne enclosure were really strong over the weekend and that has continued into this week, which is fantastic. We’re expecting around 2,000 young racegoers on Saturday, and the day as a whole will have a real family feel to it.”

Ticket sales have been “very positive” at Kempton for its two-day Christmas meeting next week, with the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase taking place at the course on Thursday.

Last year, a crowd of 11,703 attended on December 26, an increase from 2021 and 2022 but down on the five-year pre-Covid average of 19,645.

Hewick wins last year's King George at KemptonCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Kempton's general manager Simon Durrant said: “Ticket sales have been tracking very positively for the Ladbrokes Christmas festival. Numbers are holding strong compared to last year and Boxing Day is showing a slight increase, with all tickets for our premier enclosure sold out.

“The team have been working incredibly hard to give the racecourse a real Christmas makeover and we're looking forward to making it a special couple of days for the thousands of people who will be joining us.”

Officials at Chepstow have also been encouraged by engagement with this year’s Coral Welsh Grand National fixture, which has been impacted by coronavirus lockdowns and poor weather in recent years.

Alongside "strong" hospitality sales, the racecourse is aiming for up to 8,500 spectators for this year's meeting, which will feature Sophie Evans, the partner of former Wales rugby union international Ellis Jenkins, singing the Welsh national anthem for the first time.

Phil Bell, Arena Racing Company's regional director for the south-west, said: "The meeting has had a tough few years in terms of the non-racing action, and the weather makes such a difference.

"This year the weather looks fair and like it’ll be on our side, so we’re really looking forward to people being able to come along and embrace the day and enjoy themselves. 

"It’s a raceday that has a lot of tickets sold in the final week because of how conditions can be, and we’d be looking for an attendance of somewhere around 8,000-8,500 people."

Read these next:

Crambo and Strong Leader set to face strong Irish challenge in Long Walk Hurdle as Ascot declarations are revealed 

Il Est Francais given green light for Kempton as King George jigsaw starts to fall into place 

Sam Thomas has three shots at 'mega' Welsh Grand National success but main contender to miss key prep run 

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