The festive season has long been a highlight at Catterick Racecourse, with racing fans continuing the much-loved tradition of attending fixtures on 28 December and New Year’s Day.
The Sky Bet Christmas Meeting takes place on Sunday 28 December, offering the perfect opportunity for racegoers to blow away the post-Christmas cobwebs and enjoy a fun day out with friends and family. The meeting features a competitive six-race card, with the first race off at 12.18pm. Adding to the festive cheer, racegoers wearing a Christmas jumper will have the chance to win a Christmas stocking filled with goodies, including a voucher for two Grandstand & Paddock tickets to a meeting of their choice in 2026.
Gates will open from 10:00am, with the first 100 racegoers through the gates treated to a complimentary mulled wine and mince pie on arrival.
The New Year’s Day Meeting is particularly special, marking the first fixture of the 2026 Yorkshire racing calendar and one of the feature racedays at the North Yorkshire track. The six-race card begins at 12:20pm, with the final race scheduled for 3:20pm. Gates will open to the public at 10:00am.
Emma Stevenson, General Commercial Manager at Catterick Racecourse, said: “Going racing over the festive period is a tradition for many of our racegoers, and we’re delighted to continue that this year with our 28 December and New Year’s Day fixtures. There’s always a fantastic atmosphere, and the fresh air on New Year’s Day is the perfect way to clear the head after the celebrations the night before!”
Racegoers attending the New Year’s Day fixture will also have the chance to win a sponsorship experience, which includes selecting the Best Turned Out horse in the parade ring and presenting the prize to the winning connections of one of the races on the day. Entry to the prize draw is via Raceday Ready, the official racecourse app.
The New Year’s Day meeting is the first of 27 fixtures scheduled at Catterick Racecourse in 2026, comprising 10 National Hunt and 16 Flat fixtures.
Following the New Year celebrations, Catterick’s National Hunt season continues on Thursday 8 January with its most prestigious race, the bettingsites.co.uk North Yorkshire Grand National. Kindly sponsored by bettingsites.co.uk — a website dedicated to providing comprehensive information on betting sites, bonuses and promotions from UK bookmakers — the race is a major highlight of the winter calendar.
The most recent running, in 2024, saw TRACK AND TRACE, ridden by Richie McLernon and trained by Jonjo O’Neill, claim victory, completing a hat-trick on the day for the successful partnership. Yorkshire-based trainers have enjoyed notable success in recent years, with Sue Smith and Phil Kirby responsible for six of the last eight winners.
The 2026 bettingsites.co.uk North Yorkshire Grand National will be run at 3:10pm as part of a seven-race card. Gates will open at 10:40am, with the first race at 12:40pm.
Racegoers are encouraged to book in advance this winter, with advance booking discounts offering savings of up to £5 per person. In addition, all racegoers who book in advance for January and February fixtures (excluding New Year’s Day) will receive complimentary admission to Catterick’s meeting on Monday 22 June 2026.
The popular Horseshoe Package — which includes Grandstand & Paddock admission, a racecard and the Dish of the Day from the Horseshoe Café Bar — continues to offer excellent value for money. The package is priced at £25 on standard racedays and £27 on feature days, and must be booked at least 48 hours in advance.
Tickets are available to purchase at the gates on the day, while advance and group booking discounts available up to 48 hours before raceday. Tickets can be booked online at catterickbridge.co.uk or by calling the racecourse office on 01748 811478.
Under-18s are admitted free of charge.