Back in the saddle - racing returns to Carlisle for first time in 2023

Crowds returned to Carlisle Racecourse in large numbers for the first sell-out meet of 2023, and they were royally entertained by seven races with 14/1 odds on ‘Who's In The Box’ springing the biggest surprise.

Racegoers had to wait longer than usual for racing to return to Carlisle following the cancellation of the December races due to the extreme cold weather seen across the city.

There were fears that Monday’s races could meet the same fate, but they were eventually given the go-ahead.

“Overnight frost was a cause for concern first thing but luckily temperatures rose, and we passed our second inspection shortly before 10am,” said racecourse general manager, Helen Willis.

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“The team have been working really hard over the past couple of months to get the site ready for the new year, so it was fantastic to see the sun shining and customers flocking through the gates once again to enjoy another exciting race day with us.”

Lilith won the 3.15pm race ahead of La Renommee (Image: The Jockey Club)The meeting on February 6 represented the first of 25 coming up throughout the ‘packed’ year – with highlights including the ‘Go North Finals’ on Sunday, March 26, the Easter Family Raceday on Sunday, April 8, the Bell and Cumberland Plate Day on Wednesday, June 28 and Ladies Day on Monday, August 7 which is also the only all-female jockey meeting in the country.

Racecourses across the country were shut to fans throughout the pandemic, but with the worst firmly in the past, Ms Willis said it was ‘great’ to be back to normal.

“It’s nice to see everyone back after Covid and supporting us again,” said Helen.

“It’s great to see that the crowds are back, there are no restrictions and people can just go about their business as they used to do.

“It’s also nice to see people supporting us despite the cost-of-living crisis.

“We’ve had to deal with the rise in the cost-of-living but we have tried to help by keeping our ticket prices similar to last year so we’re not putting the fees back onto the customer.

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“We’ve also frozen prices on our annual memberships but it’s definitely something we have to consider going forward."

Focus for Carlisle Racecourse now turns to their next fixture, which is on Monday, February 20, with tickets free for under 18s and adult tickets available for £16 in advance.