This is where you should be on May Bank Holiday weekend

There’s something about the races. A gentleman is not normally much of a gambling man; he is level-headed, he is wise, he knows that the house always wins. Yet arriving trackside, he finds himself in the throng, the anticipatory clamour building gradually to a roar. Suddenly, the frenetic atmosphere is too much – he places a £350 bet on a wild outsider. He has succumbed to fortune’s siren call.

This May Bank Holiday weekend, it’s the QIPCO 2000 and 1000 Guineas Festival at Newmarket Racecourse, Suffolk, which is simultaneously celebrating its 350th anniversary this year. Expect excitement to be at fever pitch – there’s even been a 350th Anniversary Newmarket Monopoly game commissioned. Marking the start of the flat racing season, the Guineas are a mainstay in the British racing season, making up two of the 5 ‘Classic’ races. With Cheltenham and the Grand National having already passed, the season is well underway, with excitement showing no signs of abating. Alongside the racing, expect an abundance of on-course entertainment, including the official opening ceremony in the Parade Ring, a flyover and live music throughout the day. A gentleman needn’t confine his enjoyment to the daylight hours either, as Radio 1 DJ Sara Cox will usher in the evening’s entertainment at the end of the last 2000 race.

The Guineas Festival runs from April 31 – May 1.