Ripon Races holds its final meeting of a lockdown-affected season today.

In common with other horseracing venues across the UK, Yorkshire's garden racecourse, with its paddock-side geraniums and lush lawns, can reflect on a reined-back and restricted year of business.

From February, the Boroughbridge Road course played an important role in the fight against the covid pandemic.

Over six months, more than 27,000 jabs were put in the arms of people from Ripon and surrounding areas, who attended the temporary vaccination centre  set up in the Wakeman Bar.

With the 2021 horseracing season now at an end for the course, it will again be utilised as a centre for the delivery of booster jabs.

Ripon Races marketing manager, Jon Mullin, told the Stray Ferret:

The seven-race card begins at 2.20 with a novice stakes and features the Class 2 Ripon Cathedral City of the Dales Handicap over six furlongs.

Ripon's management is hoping for a good-sized crowd as the curtain comes down on a 17-day season.

It can look back on a difficult year, whose highlights were the William Hill-sponsored Great St Wilfrid Handicap and EBF Ripon Champion Two-Year-Old Trophy, both run in August.

Mr Mullin pointed out:

Ripon's restricted season began in April and its first four meetings took place behind closed doors, with strict social distancing and hygiene measures in place.

As the vaccination programme picked up pace and the covid lockdown eased, crowds of up to 4,000 were allowed in the enclosures from 27 May and with the complete lifting of restrictions in July, the course began its return to business as usual.

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