Rishi Sunak, MP for Richmond (Yorks), opened the new Owners & Trainers stand at Catterick Racecourse on Friday 23 April.
The new facility has been named Dales Stand to acknowledge both the Dales’ connection to the racing industry and the racecourse’s proximity to the Yorkshire Dales National Park, which has recently been named the ‘Best National Park in Europe’ by TripAdvisor (January 2021).
The two-story Dales Stand features the Swaledale Room on the ground floor where owners can relax with trackside views of the course and enjoy a drink at the bar. The first floor is home to the Wensleydale Room, a restaurant which offers panoramic views of the whole course.
Rishi Sunak welcomed the improvements. He said: "The developments at Catterick in recent years have been very impressive and the new Dales Stand is an outstanding final addition to the course, bringing it up to the very highest standards now expected by modern racegoers, owners and trainers.
The team involved in designing, building and bringing the project to fruition have done a tremendous job."
The opening of the Dales Stand marks the completion of the third and final phase of a three-year, £3.5 million development project undertaken by Catterick Racecourse.
The first phase, including a new entrance, offices, horse box park and saddling boxes, opened in December 2018. Phase two opened in June 2019 and comprised of an enlarged parade ring, incorporating a new winners’ enclosure, and a refurbished and extended weighing room, including a new warm-up area for jockeys.
The final phase, the Dales Stand, designed by Northumberland-based Elliott Architects, draws on the history of horse racing and the buildings of the region, providing a subtle but distinctive addition to the racecourse.
Managing Director John Sanderson said: “It was fantastic to welcome Catterick’s Member of Parliament, Rishi Sunak, to open our new Owners and Trainers Stand. He is a great supporter of horse racing.
The opening of the Dales Stand coincides with the return of a greater number of owners to the racecourse and we are now also looking forward to welcoming a limited number of racegoers back to our fixtures after the 17 May.”
Catterick’s first meeting with spectators is due to be Friday (evening) 21 May. Tickets for this meeting as well as Saturday 29 May and Friday 4 June are now available for sale. All tickets should be booked in advance via: www.catterickbridge.co.uk.
Pictured in the photo below, from left to right: James Sanderson (Director), John Sanderson (Managing Director), Rishi Sunak, Valerie Worthington (Chairman), Greville Worthington (Director) and Fiona Needham (General Manager).