The newly-formed Welsh Racing Festival will be staged at Chepstow
A general view of Chepstow Racecourse(Image: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images)
More than half-a-million pounds will be up for grabs at this year’s ambitious new Welsh Racing Festival.
Record prize levels will be on offer when Chepstow stages the three-day meeting from October 10-12.
The meeting acts as the launchpad for the winter jumps programme and course bosses hope the money on offer will help attract talent from the top stables in Britain and Ireland.
The meeting also sees a return to the track of the prestigious Welsh Champion Hurdle. The race has been won by some of the great names in National Hunt racing since its inception in 1969, but has been held at Ffos Las since 2010.
Other feature races include the Persian War Novices’ Hurdle – which last year was worth £50,000 – and the even more valuable Silver Trophy.
The Arena Racing Company track, which celebrates its centenary year in 2026, will be offering a ticket deal covering all three days for £39, while other offers are set to be announced in the coming weeks.
In addition, a Welsh Racing Hall of Fame is to be created. Live music will also follow racing.
The Welsh Racing Festival, which is being sponsored by leading Welsh bookmaker Dragonbet, replaces the two-day Jumps Season Opener which has been held at Chepstow for several seasons.
Organisers hope to attract thousands of racegoers across the three days. Its aim is not to replicate the Cheltenham Festival, the four-day extravaganza that brings large parts of Gloucestershire to a standstill every March, but to create a more intimate atmosphere while still staging top-quality action.
Chepstow general manager Luke Admans said: “This festival builds on everything that made the Jump Season Opener such a highlight of the calendar.
“By transforming it into the Dragonbet Welsh Racing Festival, and bringing home the Welsh Champion Hurdle, we’re creating a sporting and cultural event that celebrates the very best of Wales.”
A host of the sport’s biggest names will be at the meeting, led by Welsh champion jockey Sean Bowen. The Pembrokeshire rider landed his first title in April and is odds-on to retain his crown this term.
Dragonbet boss James Lovell said: “We’re incredibly proud to be the headline sponsors of the newly-formed Welsh Racing Festival, especially with our family’s long-standing connection to Chepstow racecourse since the late 1960s.
“Partnering with the Welsh Racing Festival is a significant milestone for us as a company, and a fantastic opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come.
“It also allows us to celebrate racing in Wales.”