Perth Racecourse will welcome thousands of racegoers including special guests and enjoy UK-wide TV coverage this Sunday as bet365 Perth Gold Cup Day caps a weekend of celebrations across the city.

New Perth and Kinross Provost Xander McDade will be in attendance at the start of the prestigious raceday to present the prize to the winners of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Novices’ Hurdle. The race, the first of seven across the afternoon, has a revised start time of 2.20pm to enable the racecourse’s flagship event to dovetail with Jubilee celebrations in Perth city centre earlier in the afternoon. Gates open at 11.30am and racegoers are advised to make their travel plans in advance in anticipation of City Centre traffic congestion due to the Perth Mela parade.

On the track, close to £100,000 in prize money is up for grabs across the race day, proudly sponsored by bet365, including the feature race at 4.01pm – the bet365 Sam Morshead Perth Gold Cup Handicap Chase – live on ITV. The race is run in memory of Morshead, a successful jump jockey of 400 winners, who arrived at Perth as Clerk of the Course in 1998 and became General Manager just five years later, holding that role for 25 years during which he spearheaded the creation of Perth’s Gold Cup meeting in 2000.

Perth Races, Ladies Day 2019.

Tickets remain available for racegoers to join what is expected to be an electric Perth Racecourse atmosphere both in the Grandstand and in the new Picnic Enclosure, the ideal place for families to enjoy a day at the races. The Picnic Enclosure’s new Stables bar adds to the food and drink options available while a Big Rig Assault Course, 3D Elephant Bouncy Castle and Giant Jungle Slide will help keep children entertained. New policies introduced in 2022 will continue, with the new Picnic Enclosure offering both a beer garden and outlets for teas, coffees, hot and cold snacks, with no alcohol permitted to be brought on site.

Looking ahead to bet365 Perth Gold Cup Day, Perth Racecourse CEO Hazel Peplinski said: “We are excited to be staging one of our most prestigious race meetings during the celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Our slightly later start (first race 2.20pm) gives the Perth community the option to enjoy the Perth Mela parade in the city centre and hop on our shuttle bus service out to the racecourse in time to take in our seven race card. The improving weather forecast for the weekend offers a superb opportunity to enjoy a day at the races locally, a day of entertainment I’m certain would receive a Royal nod of approval from Her Majesty!”