Summer truly begins when the gates open on the first race of the Möet & Chandon July Festival at Newmarket Racecourse. These three days of world-renowned racing and fashion are a must for any racing fan. Here, The Wine Tipster shares his advice for a memorable July Festival so read on for top quality wine recommendations, food pairings, celebration ideas and racing tips whether you are marking the festival at home or in person.

Thursday 8th July is Ladies Day

The Official Racecard will be available the day before each raceday so you won’t miss any of the top quality racing. On Thursday, The Wine Tipster is especially excited for the

Big Race Entries of the day will all be covered by Racing TV and include:

• 1.50 1m 5f (July) Bahrain Trophy Stakes (Group 3) (3yo) ITV3
• 2.25 6f (July) Tattersalls July Stakes (Group 2) (2yo Colts & Geldings)
• 3:35 1m4f (July) Princess Of Wales’s Tattersalls Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (3yo+) ITV3

To make the most out of your day at the races, download the free Jockey Club App to access mobile tickets, exclusive content, competitions and the chance to win prizes in the Raceday 5 Game.

Alongside the breath-taking racing, the racecourse becomes a catwalk of the best style and fashion of punters. The Style Awards celebrates the bold and the elegant outfits of you and your friends and family, and is the chance for you to win an amazing array of prizes. Show off your creativity and originality at the Style Marquee in the Grandstand & Paddock Enclosure to enter. Good luck!

Friday 9th July is Gentleman’s Day

Big Race Entries of the day will all be covered by Racing TV and include:

• 2.25 6f (July) Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2) (2yo Fillies) ITV3
• 3:00 1m6f (July) Trophy (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (4yo+) ITV3
• 3:35 1m (July) Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Fillies & Mares) (Class 1) (3yo+) ITV

When you’re not focused on the races, the hospitality available at racecourses is always second to none. This industry is coming back with a passion after the pandemic, with exciting and innovative cuisine gracing the enclosures this year.

This year, The Wine Tipster will be presenting in the Summer House Restaurant in the Premier Enclosure. This restaurant is a tasteful retreat from the busy raceday, and features an exquisite menu from the Executive Chef, Damian Adams. Having worked together for many years, The Wine Tipster admires Damian’s passion for food and his ingenious modern twists on traditional dishes. Don’t miss The Wine Tipster in action at the Summer House Restaurant!

If you’re looking for a walk-in hospitality experience at Newmarket, Mozart’s Bistro is an open-air restaurant with impressive lunch options that are quick enough to get you straight back out into the action. This year’s menu features some great bites from the sea and the grill as well as vegan options, created by Head Chef Damian Adams.

Saturday 10th July is Darley July Cup Day

The Darley July Cup is one of the most valuable and prestigious Group 1 sprint races in the world. Winners are known as the best sprinter in Europe so this day really isn’t one to miss. The July Cup was first run in 1876 and has a reputation as one of the most stylish events of the horse-racing calendar. The roll call of previous July Cup winners is so impressive and worth checking out before watching this year’s horses making history in the day’s top races:

Big Race Entries of the day will all be covered by Racing TV and include:

• 3.15 7f (July) Superlative Stakes (Group 2) (2yo)
• 3:50 7f (July) Bunbury Cup (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (3yo+) ITV
• 4:25 6f (July) Darley July Cup Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Class 1) (3yo+) ITV

The July Festival At Home

If you haven’t got a ticket this year or are still enjoying sports from home you can still be a part of the action of the July Festival. You can watch the races on ITV Racing and Racing TV, and don’t worry about missing a thing because Racing Replays are available 20 minutes after the winner crosses the line!

If you’re celebrating virtually with friends and family, why not download a July Festival Virtual Background and relive all the great action from the meeting!

Fizz is a must for the Möet & Chandon July Festival, and The Wine Tipster’s top fizz favourites should see you through the meeting. Although fizz is a celebratory drink, it can be a lot more accessible, affordable and available than you might think.

Champagne, of course, is a must for the July Festival, and what else but a bottle of Möet & Chandon Impérial, the house’s iconic champagne. This wine’s elegant maturity and bright fruitiness have made it a classic since its creation in 1869. This is a timeless wine which works on its own to celebrate the big wins, or as a pairing with sushi, a creamy or rich dish, or seafood platter.

For a touch of pink, the Möet & Chandon Rosé Impérial is another classic for any raceday. With juicy berries and peaches on the palate, this is a lively bottle you won’t be able to resist with a colourful summer salad, lightly grilled steak or a shellfish bisque.

Treat yourself to a Champagne Cocktail this Newmarket. The Wine Tipster will be trying out the Golden Hour from Möet & Chandon. This fruity cocktail is inspired by the delicate scents that float on the air at sunset. Here’s how to make one:

• Cut 1 strawberry, 2 raspberries and 3 blueberries and add to a large glass. Gently press them with the back of a spoon
• Add 10ml Creme de Peche Liqueur and 5ml Maraschino Liqueur
• Top up with 75ml Möet & Chandon Brut Impérial, stir and add ice
• Garnish with a sprig or two of mint and some extra berries

Balfour Chardonnay Ortega 2020 Hush Heath Estate, Kent, England (£13 Marks & Spencer) is a Group 1 dry, elegant blend of Chardonnay and Ortega. The 2020 vintage is the best yet and a must try this July Festival.

Fonte do Nico Adega de Pegões Rosé 2020, Portugal (Waitrose £7.99 on offer to £5.99). This is incredible value at £7.99 and on offer too! Beautiful, light, rosé bursting with summer fruits. Portugal does it again.

Beaujolais Village Louis Tete 2020, Beaujolais, France (£12.50 with Multibuy £11.25 The Great Wine Co). Vibrant, fruity summer red that can be served lightly chilled. Beaujolais is so underrated and The Wine Tipster has been a fan of the Louis Tete wines for years.

---

A quintessential summer picnic is top of the list for The Wine Tipster this July Festival. He can’t wait to shop local for scones, strawberries and salad to accompany Frazer Wilson’s, Culinary Director of The Jockey Club, perfect Pressed Picnic Sandwich. The Jockey Club website is also full of delicious recipes to elevate your picnic to the next level!

Now it wouldn’t be Newmarket without some famous Powters Sausages. The Newmarket recipe dates back to the 1881 and has stayed in the family ever since. The distinctly peppery taste of the sausage and its award-winning quality saw it recognised with EU Protection in 2012. This means only three local companies can produce official Newmarket Sausages! Get your hands on some here to really bring Newmarket home with you.

---

Share how you’re celebrating the Newmarket Möet & Chandon July Festival with The Wine Tipster on Social Media, and follow him for daily updates and Unibet Racing blogs, and subscribe to get his next blog straight to your inbox. Cheers!

The QIPCO British Champions Series features the 35 top Flat races in the British horseracing calendar from June – October, featuring all of British Flat racing’s key festivals.  QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday 17 October is Britain’s richest raceday with £2.5 million in prize money and marks the end of The Series. Although racing remains behind closed doors this year, let The Wine Tipster guide you round the Fan Zone at Home with tips for wines, horses, and activities.

Races

The Series includes five championship categories: Sprint, Mile, Middle Distance, Long Distance and Fillies & Mares. Each features the seven highest-rated races in that category and brings together the finest horses, jockeys and trainers to compete for the sport’s most prestigious prizes.

For QIPCO British Champions Day, the five championship races are:

• The QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes – over 6 furlongs (1,200 metres) for horseracing’s speed merchants.
• The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes is Champions Day’s Mile category – for four-year-olds and older horses. With prize money of £1.1 million, it is Europe’s richest mile race.
• The £1.3m QIPCO Champion Stakes (1¼ miles) – Britain’s richest ten-furlong race. The QIPCO British Champions Series Middle Distance category is the most important of all, full of hugely valuable, iconic contests.
• The QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup – over 2 miles (3,200 metres). In the QIPCO British Champions Series Long Distance category come the stamina-sapping races for horses that can stay the trip – the “stayers”.
• The £500,000 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes – over 1½ miles where the three-year-olds clash with the older fillies and mares. In 2019, Frankie Dettori and John Gosden teamed up for another QIPCO British Champions Day winner thanks to Star Catcher.

QIPCO British Champions Day is the ultimate raceday, and sees the kings and queens of the turf fight for victory in the last Flat Meeting of the season. The Wine Tipster is excited for what is a fantastic line up of runners in all the six races and you can check out his selection in each race in his Unibet Racing blog:

1:20 – QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup (Group 2) (British Champions Series) (Class 1) (3yo+) on ITV and Racing TV

1:55 – QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Class 1) (3yo+) on ITV and Racing TV

2:30 – QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Class 1) (3yo+) on ITV and Racing TV

3:05 – Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Group 1) (Sponsored By QIPCO) (British Champions Mile) (Class 1) (3yo+) on ITV & Racing TV

3:40 – QIPCO Champion Stakes (British Champions Middle Distance) (Group 1) (Class 1) (3yo+) on ITV & Racing TV

4:15 – Balmoral Handicap (Sponsored By QIPCO) (Class 2) (3yo+) on ITV and Racing TV

At Home

The Wine Tipster will be enjoying a glass of wine or two from Ascot Wine Club. Launched for the 2020 Royal Ascot Festival in partnership with Moët & Chandon, Official Champagne, and Official Wine Partner Hallgarten Novum Wines.

Official Wine Supplier, Ascot Wine Club delivers top quality bottles directly to your door in time for the races.

The Wine Tipster’s four bottles for the QIPCO British Champions Day are:

Sauvignon Blanc Reserva, Viña Echeverría, Valle de Curicó, Chile 2019 – Chile are now producing great value and very classy Sauvignon Blancs, like this Viña Echeverría. This bottle can also come as part of the Fame And Glory Case, taking its name from the Gold Cup Winner who had an impressive racing career winning 5 races and was the favourite for the Ascot Gold Cup in 2011, winning by three lengths. The case provides 12 bottles of 4 luxury and affordable wines.

Malbec, ‘Estate’ 2018, Doña Paula, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina – A high quality, complex and beautifully balanced wine. This bottle is also available from the Sagaro Case, another historical Gold Cup winner who won in every season from 1974 to 1977. The case is a middle range price point with 12 bottles of 4 top quality wines.

Sancerre 2019 Domaine Gérard Millet, Loire, France – a classic, top class bottle from the Loire which can also be purchased in the Yeats Case. Yeats made Ascot history becoming the first horse ever to win the Ascot Gold Cup four times in succession. The case is at the top end of the prices and features some truly wonderful bottles of champagne and wine.

Rosé, ‘Whispering Angel’ 2019, Provence, France – this Group 1 pink showcases all the elegance and style of the Provence region. It is also available in the top class Yeats Case.

Virtual Fan Zone

QIPCO British Champions Series and the Pony Club have joined together to create a list of unmissable activities for children on Champions Day. First stop – the Horseracing Handbook is a must read for children wanting to get involved with the day, or adults looking for some light entertainment! Design your own silks and fill in the winners for each race in this handy guide.

Why not enter a competition for a chance to win a limited edition QIPCO British Champions Day Decade of Champions jacket and mask, and a QIPCO British Champions Day scarf for your child. Details here.

There are a number of fun videos on the QIPCO British Champions Day website including how Tom Marquand rose through the ranks, a course ride with Frankie Dettori and see what is involved in the early life or a racehorse.

For those looking for an indepth analysis of this year’s QIPCO British Champions Day, why not check out the Media Guide for all the horse racing stats and more. Check out the QIPCO British Champions Day in Numbers below:

The Wine Tipster hopes you have a most fantastic QIPCO British Champions Day and see the Flat Season out in style. Don’t forget to engage on social media with The Wine Tipster, Ascot Racecourse and QIPCO British Champions Series.

Read more

See The Wine Tipster Live

View dates and locations >