A Celebration of Women in Racing This Weekend in Doncaster
The grand finale of flat racing’s turf season takes place this Saturday, November 9th, at Doncaster Racecourse. The Virgin Bet November Handicap Race Day features two Listed contests, and ITV Racing will broadcast three races from the South Yorkshire venue.
Doncaster’s Saturday meeting will be the last opportunity for flat horses to race on grass in 2024. © Getty Images
Race day sponsor Virgin Bet has announced the meeting will serve as a platform to celebrate women in racing, making it the latest effort in Virgin Bet’s long line of social impact initiatives to help create a more inclusive environment.
“Building on the success of the inaugural Women’s Day at Ayr Racecourse last season, this celebration aims to further highlight and honour the invaluable contributions of women in racing,” said Virgin Bet, which launched in 2019 and is a stablemate of Virgin Games, in a press release.
Incredible Women a Good Bet in Horse Racing
Reflecting on ‘Women’s Day Sponsored by Virgin Bet,’ Dominic Vye, Marketing Director of Virgin Bet, said: “Horse racing owes much of its success to the incredible women who contribute so much behind the scenes, and it’s time we celebrate their achievements.”
He added: “At Virgin Bet, as part of our ‘A Good Bet’ brand campaign, we want to make sport more accessible and highlight brilliance, no matter who the subject is, and this initiative is doing exactly that.”
In addition to enjoying Doncaster’s spectacular race offerings, attendees can attend two panels hosted by presenter Natalie Pike as part of the day’s proceedings. The first, ‘Women of Horse Racing’, features Sophie Green (Doncaster’s Trainee Clerk of the Course) and Charlotte Russel (General Manager, Go Racing In Yorkshire) as panellists.
Creative Inclusivity Partnerships and Celebration
Rachel Harwood (Executive Director, Doncaster Racecourse), Dawn Goodfellow (CEO, Racing Welfare) and Emma Kay (Founder, WalkSafe) are the panellists for ‘Creative Inclusivity in Racing’. WalkSafe is Virgin Bet’s Personal Safety Partner, and its app enables users to plan the safest route home.
The Virgin Bet November Handicap race day also marks the beginning of Virgin Bet’s continued partnership with Arena Racing Company – owners and operators of 16 turf and all-weather racecourses in the UK – for a series of key meetings throughout the 2024/25 season.
To celebrate Saturday’s meeting, Virgin Bet, one of the UK’s top online bookmakers, will make a donation to Racing Welfare as part of its race day sponsorship. Its work ensures the well-being and success of British horseracing’s workforce. Virgin Bet says its “support for Racing Welfare highlights the importance of giving back to the community that keeps the industry running.”
An All-Inclusive Sense of Belonging
Excited by Saturday’s meeting, Doncaster’s Executive Director, Rachel Harwood, declared: “We are proud to celebrate Women’s Day. This initiative shines a spotlight on the essential role women play in our sport. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to remind everyone that racing is for everyone, and we hope all racegoers feel that sense of inclusivity and belonging.”
“We’re also delighted to have Virgin Bet’s Personal Safety Partner WalkSafe integrated as part of their sponsorships with us. The experience and safety for all spectators at our racecourses is a priority, so it’s fantastic to see this as part of Virgin Bet’s ‘A Good Bet’ initiatives, which aims to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all.”
While ‘Ladies Days’ are a longstanding feature at racecourses, the forthcoming event reflects a growing trend within horse racing towards acknowledging and celebrating the diverse contributions of all participants – allied to an ambition to create a more inclusive environment.
