Catterick Racecourse will officially open its new Main Entrance and Saddling Boxes at the Go Racing in Yorkshire Winter Festival race day on Friday 28 December.
The £1 million investment has been designed by local, Richmond-based, architects Harris Irwin Associates [HIA] to give a sense of arrival to racegoers and offer state of the art facilities for trainers to saddle their horses ahead of the races.
Katie Craggs, Project Architect for Harris Irwin Associates adds: “HIA have been delighted to be involved with the redevelopment at Catterick Racecourse. Having worked closely with the racecourse team over the past 5 years, we have assisted in delivering their vision for improving and upgrading the facilities. The scheme provides the racecourse with a landmark building, which will benefit racegoers and the wider racing community.”
Racegoers will be welcomed to the course through the new entrance on Friday 28 December and treated to complimentary mulled wine and mince pies on arrival, while stocks last.
This is the first of a three-phase redevelopment plan. The next phase of works is due to commence immediately following the end of the National Hunt season on 6th March 2019, when the racecourse will close in order to complete a scheme that will include an enlarged Parade Ring, incorporating a new Winner’s Enclosure, refurbished and modernised Weighing Room and jockeys facilities, as well as a new horsebox park.
The final phase of the £3.5 million investment plan will be a completely new, two-storey, trackside Owners & Trainers facility that is scheduled to be finished in early 2020.
John Sanderson, Managing Director at Catterick Racecourse said: “When finally completed, these developments will provide an enhanced ‘Race Day Experience’ for owners, members of our race going public, trainers, jockeys and the other racing professionals who work at Catterick, without changing the character or atmosphere of this friendly dual-purpose racecourse.”
Catterick will re-open on Monday 17 June for the start of our 2019 Flat season, before hosting it’s first Cocktails & Casino Race Night on the evening of Monday 1 July.