Invariably one of the quieter British racing days of the week, this Sunday sees just two cards on offer from Carlisle and Windsor. Nothing unusual there, but the action from the Berkshire venue will be rather different from the usual Windsor fare.
Initially a dual-purpose track, the Arena Racing Company-owned Windsor switched exclusively to the flat in 1998. The course hosted a selection of Ascot jumps fixtures during that track’s redevelopment in 2004 and 2005, but other than that, the iconic figure-of-eight course has stuck firmly to events on the level ever since. However, on Sunday, jumps racing will make a long-awaited return.
Windsor, but Not as You Know It
Rather than asking the runners to tackle a series of obstacles whilst navigating the famous twists and turns of the course, those behind the reintroduction of jumps racing have taken the sensible decision to construct an alternative jump-racing layout. As such, the challengers will face a relatively straightforward left-handed oval measuring around 1m4f in circumference.
We have 171 entries for this Sunday’s fixture, which represents our first Jumps meeting in 20 years!
For more info on the fixture and amendments made to the course following feedback from the gallops morning, head here ➡️ https://t.co/Zi9Fp70iwK pic.twitter.com/pJmpAxTrH1
— Windsor Racecourse (@WindsorRaces) December 9, 2024
With any new fixture, there will always be a degree of trepidation as to how well the meeting will be supported. The Windsor officials needn’t have worried too much. On the Monday before the event, the seven contests on offer had attracted an impressive total of 171 entries, including runners from the leading yards of Paul Nicholls, Nicky Henderson, and Dan Skelton. Those numbers had dwindled a little by final declarations on Friday. Nevertheless, an average field size of eight represents a solid start, with the only real disappointment being the four-runner field for the opening Novices’ Hurdle.
Bumper Crowd Expected
Happily, that support also appears to have extended to the racing public, with a crowd of around 5,000 expected to cheer on the return of the National Hunt stars. Sales have no doubt been helped by the Christmas Family theme of the race day, with Windsor laying on a choir, festive stalls, crafts stands for the youngsters, and an appearance by Santa Claus.
Mark Spincer, the managing director of the Arena Racing Company’s Racing Division, expressed his satisfaction when stating:
“Ticket sales are going really well, and people have been taking advantage of our £20 advance ticket promotion. It’s looking like our attendance will be somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000 based on current sales. We have less than 40 places left in restaurant and hospitality, and in every likelihood, that side of things is going to sell out, which is unheard of for a Sunday meeting, particularly given it is so close to Christmas.”
Windsor’s 2024/25 Jumps Meetings
| Date | Meeting |
|---|---|
| Sunday 15th Dec 2024 | Jump Racing Returns |
| Friday 17th Jan 2025 | Berkshire Winter Million – Day 1 |
| Sunday 19th Jan 2025 | Berkshire Winter Million – Day 3 |
Sunday’s card will be the first of three jumps meetings at Windsor in 2024/25. The track will also stage the first and third days of the three-day Berkshire Winter Million fixture, which runs from the 17th to the 19th of January. Advanced tickets for all three days (Day 2 takes place at nearby Ascot) are available for the great value price of £40.