THE jump season is in full swing now, and after a delayed start, we were delighted with the inaugural ABF The Soldiers’ Charity Raceday last week.

A crowd of 1,399 came out to support the event which raised in excess of £8,000 for the Army’s national charity.

Hereford has strong links with the military and it is something we hope to build on further in the future.

Our attention now turns to one of our biggest race days of the year, the Christmas Jumper Raceday on Saturday, December 16.

There is something for everyone that day with free children’s entertainment and festive music from the Ledbury Brass Band.

It’s a valuable day’s racing with over £70,000 prize money offered for seven races and we are also staging a race with a difference, the Lamb National.

What’s more, there is the ever popular best Christmas jumper competition so be sure to sport yours when you come.

Advance tickets offer the best value, for any raceday, and the popular Christmas Cracker Package for December 16 includes admission, racecard, hot turkey roll, mince pie and a pint all for just £29.

Whether a gathering of family and friends or a work or office trip, there can’t be many more fun ways to spend a winter’s afternoon.

We have been busy during the summer strengthening and building links with local business.

Central Roofing are significant investors and supporters of local sport and be it Hereford FC or Hereford Racecourse, they believe the city is better for its sporting resurgence and have backed both venues as you will see if you visit either.

We are fortunate to enjoy patronage from such a business committed to the city.

As we near the end of the year it is pleasing to recognise that over 20,000 racegoers enjoyed racing during 2016/2017, and more significantly we welcomed another 30,000 plus other visitors to the racecourse during the same period for other events.

From small meeting rooms to large scale events like the Hereford Food Festival that attracted 7,000 visitors, we are a multi-purpose venue and can accommodate many styles of events.

With a footfall of over 50,000 in our reopening year, we will be looking to ensure that the racecourse remains an interesting and exciting place to visit.

Finally, do follow us on social media (@herefordraces) to stay up-to-date with the latest news and offers.