THE theming of raced days can be a creative person’s dream and a racing aficionado’s nightmare, and either way there is a fine balance to be met between looking to appeal to a wider audience without disengaging racing’s stalwarts that enjoy the pure and raw love of jump racing.

Hereford’s season runs between October and March, so high profile summer evening music nights are not in the mix.

However, looking to broaden the appeal and reach of our race days is.

Our fixture list is such that we have two weekend race days, with the remaining falling midweek in the term time.

This does not mean that nothing can be done to add to the razzmatazz of a raceday, but realism is required to understand that no matter what the marketing budget and advertising channels, an early January midweek fixture is only ever going to attract a certain size crowd.

So step forward Saturday, March 10, the 188BET Ladies Day and our biggest race day of the season.

The focus remains the racing, with seven races and £73,000 prize money on offer, including the feature £25,000 188BET Handicap Steeplechase.

But weekend fixtures also allow us to the opportunity to do more, to appeal to those that might not ordinarily consider a day at the races.

One of the key ways of doing this is to put on a day’s entertainment that has something for everyone, and that offers great value for money.

After all, we are competing for the leisure pound and discretionary spend so we have to make a day at the races a compelling offer.

Whilst Ladies Day will boast the traditional best dressed prizes, it also offers entertainment in the form of a comedy fitness duo and live entertainment from gates opening to the first race from the hugely popular and entertaining Granny Tourismo shopping trolley dance display team.

The Six Nations rugby tournament is also in full swing and we will be showing the England v France game in the Paddock Bar after racing on a big screen.

The aim is for the additional entertainment to attract and appeal to new racegoers, whilst not diluting the core product of a raceday which is to watch and marvel at the sheer athleticism of the horse and bravery of the jockeys as they compete in thrilling jump races at the heart of Hereford.

I hope you will join us on the day and see for yourself how good a day at the races can be.