SALLY and STUART HARRISON take a trip to Newbury races... and pick up on the tension behind the scenes

Sitting at home on the edge of the sofa, shouting and cheering as Auroras Encore, the winner of this year’s Grand National crossed the winning post, we promised ourselves a day at the Races.

There is nothing like the thrill of cheering on your horse, toasting a triumph or scouring the runners and riders for the next winner.

We plumped for the New to Racing Day at Newbury in April which was also the first flat race meeting of the season. The sun came out to greet us as we left Swindon and headed off down the M4 on an easy 45 minute drive to Newbury.

Newbury Racecourse is one of the most prestigious racing venues in the country offering a truly distinctive destination; Edward VII’s and Winston Churchill’s horses won races here and the 13-year-old Lester Piggott rode his first winner in 1949.

On our arrival we discovered that this meeting would be graced with the presence of her Majesty the Queen who avidly follows her own horses and clearly embraces the art of studying the form and the spirit of racing. The venue was brimming with an array of colours; the jockeys’ silks, the bright green immaculately presented parade rings and pretty summer dresses and hats.

We grabbed the opportunity of the complimentary Behind the Scenes Tour which is available at most weekend fixtures and comes with our recommendation. All activities are coordinated from the Inside Track Stand manned by very helpful staff that can help the novice plan their day.

We met Padge Whelan, a retired jump jockey with a wonderful Irish accent, who took us to the weighing room where we were able to meet the jockeys and the Clerk of the Scales. The tension was palpable as the jockeys stood on the scales and prayed they had met their target weight. It became apparent how stressful it is for them to weigh in, as if not light enough they returned to the sauna to try to lose a few more pounds to achieve 8 stone. We were astonished to be able to hold the tiny saddles; some of which looked like they belonged on a toy rocking horse rather than on a beast of a race horse.

We met the Race Course Judge and we were able to appreciate just how close the horses can be at the winning post and how he has the unforgiving job of looking at the photo finish.

The highlight of our day was to leave the hustle and bustle of the Parade Ring, be escorted by Padge in a minibus to the start of the Race and see the horses enter the stalls.

The start was far away from the stands and here we were able to observe the jockeys quietly focusing on the challenging task of getting themselves and the horses safely into the stalls.

The atmosphere was tense and the horses were eager to get started. It was amazing to be so close to the horses as they sped out of the stalls with the thud of their hooves shaking the ground beneath us and a rainbow of colours racing by.

Two little boys were in our party and were loving the whole experience. This racecourse definitely caters for the whole family and offers a free crèche on Saturdays for three months to eight- year-olds. Harry the Horse, the fun-loving mascot, provides lots of entertainment.

We were keen to get down to the serious task of choosing a winner and studied our programmes whilst soaking up the buzz of the noise of a sea of bookmakers shouting out their odds back at the grandstand. I tend to choose the horse with my favourite name or the one that “jumps off the page”. This strategy makes it more fun when you are up against the rails shouting for the outsider. However if you fancy a more calculating strategy Inside Track provide lots of tips and a betting master class. With hindsight maybe we should have taken the expert advice!

Refreshments are plentiful and diverse from simple snacks to fine dining, we found ourselves in the Brasserie which serves a great menu and has a wonderful balcony looking over the parade ring. The staff were very attentive and served us tasty starters of roasted Mediterranean vegetable bruschetta topped with feta and basil oil and a crab and mango salad followed by a scrumptious chicken Caesar salad and handmade burger.

The lemon tart was a definite favourite! If you don’t fancy a three- course meal the Brasserie also offer delicious afternoon teas.

A day at the races is an experience to savour and Newbury Racecourse behind the scenes tour gives a different dimension and it is definitely a winner.