Easter crowds flock to Newton Abbot Racecourse in Cheltenham Festival style

Bumper crowds packed Newton Abbot Racecourse in Cheltenham Festival style for its Easter Saturday meet.

A spokesman said: “There was a packed grandstand, sold out hospitality and simply fabulous racing. The roar of the crowd was phenomenal and it had a brilliant atmosphere.”

The sheer number of racegoers flagged up its challenges with larger queues at the bars, food outlets and other facilities for what was such a large crowd on a very popular Easter weekend fixture.

View from the packed Newton Abbot Racecourse Grandstand Pic PPAUK

The spokesman said: “With an outstanding write up by Lee Mottershead, the lead writer at the Racing Post, it has certainly put the smallest independent racecourse in the UK well and truly on the map for avid racegoers.”

The Racecourse is destined for even bigger and better things to come. CEO John Baker said: “When hosting such a large crowd you are bound to get challenges but we have taken all comments on board and will be able to make improvements moving forward as our racecourse flourishes.”

The next fixture is on Tuesday April 14 with a Family Fun Day.

There will be creme eggs for the first 500 children, mascot Blaze will be wandering around and there will also be a face painter, biscuit decorating and colouring competition, bouncy castles, hook a duck, the human fruit machine and a magician. Adult tickets start from £13 in advance and children are free. Gates open at 12.30pm with the first race at 2.33pm.