Carlisle Racecourse staged its biggest day of the flat season on Wednesday, June 25 – Carlisle Bell & Cumberland Plate Day.
Helen Willis, general manager at Carlisle Racecourse said: “It was a fantastic day, great atmosphere, lots of people with us joining the day. It was a great celebration celebrating the history of the Carlisle Bell and obviously we had lots of other great races on that day as well… the Cumberland Plate, the Lady Daker Bell and another high value novice race as well.
“It was just a really fantastic day all round, lots of entertainment, lots of historical things to focus on and lots of things for people to look at – a really fantastic day.”
The Carlisle Bell is known as the ‘World’s oldest sporting trophy’ and dates back all the way to 1599, with the team at Carlisle saying they are ‘incredibly proud’ to host the special race.
Helen said: “It would be the highlight of our flat season from a racing perspective. We had £192,000 worth of prize money on offer, so a really great celebration of the pinnacle of flat racing at Carlisle.”
It is estimated there were around 2,500 racegoers at Carlisle on Wednesday, with the team ‘really pleased’ with the turnout.
Around 70 runners ran throughout the day, with the day supported by both local trainers and those from further afield.
Focus has already shifted to next years Carlisle Bell & Cumberland Plate Day, with the team also looking forward to another big day next weekend, July 5 when Carlisle Racecourse hosts the Caledonia Park Ladies Night.
Helen said: “We have got another big day coming up next Saturday. Attention is turning to that now, but we will be starting preparations for the Carlisle Bell & Cumberland Plate Day 2026 as well.”