See the horses, have a flutter and luxuriate in nice slap-up dinners on the Hipódromo de la Zarzuela – a winner for households & buddies! Elliot Pigot goes exploring Madrid´s very personal racing mecca.
Final Saturday night time I headed to the horse racing on the Hipódromo de la Zarzuela for the primary of a number of particular occasions celebrating 100 years of GP in Madrid. On arrival I used to be instantly in awe of the simplistic modernist fashion of essential stands that overlook the pristinely stored racetrack turf. After grabbing a drink at one of many many outside bars I headed to put a wager on the primary race.
I’ve by no means been too involved with type and have at all times chosen my horses on names, which was simple utilizing the effectively designed free programme on supply. There have been greater than sufficient locations to put your bets and the environment was much more relaxed than the pre-race craziness in thr UK. I wore a full go well with however shortly realised I used to be overdressed as the one different individual I noticed sporting a tie was a horse proprietor, surveying his horse together with the punters as they have been paraded across the paddock earlier than the primary race.
As a music performed to sign the beginning of the primary race, spectators headed to quite a lot of completely different spots to look at the motion start. Being English, I opted for the shaded space of one of many 3 essential stands because the temperature remained excessive all through the Spanish spring night (just like a sizzling British summers day!). You get an actual sense of stepping again in time, the Nineteen Thirties fashion stand presenting the proper raised view of the solar drenched racetrack because the horses shot out of the beginning gate to the cheers of the expectant crowd of all ages.
Those that don’t have binoculars can watch the motion on an enormous display simply behind the monitor as they wait for his or her horses to return down the ultimate furlong in entrance of them. If like me you might be fortunate sufficient to select a winner, you get to look at your horse and jockey have a good time within the winners circle. All through the night time there have been 6 races, various in size from 1,100m to 2300m, the spotlight being a 1,100 dash gained by Borja Fayos on Antonella who showboated by standing on his horse as he headed to gather his trophy and the very best prize cash of the night time.
If not claiming your winnings or selecting your subsequent horse in between races there are a big selection of meals vehicles providing meals from all around the world and bars that will help you spend your winnings or to drown your sorrows. These wishing to increase their summer season wardrobes may also browse a number of eclectic garments stands with chilled home music enjoying within the background.
Simply because the solar had set on the ultimate race, the night leisure received underway with a mesmerising efficiency by Santo Serra, aka the Spanish horse whisperer. He had the gang within the palm of his hand as he received his Arabian horses performing tips to the mesmerised viewers. After he had enthralled the gang everybody headed to a Flamenco music live performance and people who had the stamina danced to 80s and 90s hits carried out by ‘The As we speak Band’ until effectively after midnight.
Whether or not you need a enjoyable household day trip or a unique expertise with a gaggle of buddies I might extremely suggest a day trip on the Hipódromo, particularly throughout one in every of this 12 months’s particular occasions, the place you’ll be able to get pleasure from a relaxed night of racing and leisure with out the pomp and stuffiness generally related to the races within the UK.
WHEN TO GO
Race conferences are each Thursday & Saturday from June thirteenth to August tenth. Additional data will be discovered on www.hipodromodelazarzuela.es
