Bumper crowd set for Warwick racecourse New Year's Eve celebrations

The Warwick stands were packed as 8,000 people enjoyed the party atmosphere at last year's meeting (photograph by David Pratt)

placeholder image — The Warwick stands were packed as 8,000 people enjoyed the party atmosphere at last year's meeting (photograph by David Pratt)

One of its biggest crowds of the season will be at Warwick's final meeting of 2025 when the course gets the New Year's Eve celebrations underway with seven races starting at 12.20pm.

The main enclosure is sold out, but a few tickets are still available in the Centre Course Party Enclosure which offers race viewing from the tiered stand, bars and food concessions plus live music throughout the afternoon, continuing after the last race.

The most valuable race on the card is the opener, The PricedUp Daily Racing Boosts Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Chase over three miles, which is followed by the PricedUp The Jumps EBF Mares' 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle over two miles and five furlongs.

There are two more hurdle races, a handicap for novices and the longest race of the afternoon, which is a qualifier for the Challenger Stayers' Hurdle Series, over three and a quarter miles.

Warwick jumping action viewed from the centre of the course (photograph by David Pratt)

The Racing Blogger Handicap Chase and the PricedUp.Bet Handicap Chase complete the jumping action before the PricedUp Supports British Racing Open National Hunt Flat Race, won last year by one of this season's leading novice hurdlers, No Drama This End, brings the racing action to a close at 3.22pm.

Although he will have plenty of runners in the coming days, Alcester trainer Dan Skelton has confirmed that his two stable stars, Grey Dawning and The New Lion, will not take up engagements over the Christmas period, but will, instead, wait for Cheltenham's Trials Day on Saturday 24 January.

One horse who will be running over the holiday is Mydaddypaddy who heads to the Grade 1 Formby Novices' Hurdle at Aintree on Boxing Day. Easy wins at Carlisle and Haydock Park have seen him amongst the favourites for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, the opening race of the Cheltenham Festival in March.

With four months of the season and all the big festivals still to come, Skelton has already amassed over £2m in prize money, more than twice that of his nearest rival Olly Murphy, and is odds-on favourite to be crowned champion next April having twice finished runner-up to Willie Mullins.