IT’S great to see that Downpatrick racecourse is to play such a major role in next week’s DownTime Festival (June 14th to 17th) with racing being staged at the track on Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday, there will be live music after racing from The Iconettes, the Motown divas of Northern Ireland, and, on Sunday, Ritchie Remo, one of Ireland’s best Country acts, will take centre stage.

For the fashion-conscious, there will be four style competitions. Saturday will feature the AJC Group Winner Alright Ladies Upstyle Hair Competition and the Downpatrick Racecourse Most Stylish Hat and Accessories Competition.

On Sunday, racegoers will have the chance to impress the judges in the Rekorderlig Cider Most Appropriately Dressed Lady Competition and the Hannontravel.ie Best Dressed Gentleman Competition.

The winners and runners-up in of each of the four categories will receive prizes on the day, as well as ‘Golden Tickets’ into the finals at the racecourse’s annual ladies’ day on Monday, August 27th when fabulous trips to Vienna, Nice, and Thailand, and a seven-day cruise can be won.

If you have no significant other in your life then make sure to attend next weekend’s Festival of Racing to see if world-famous matchmaker Willie Daly can work his magic.

All the way from Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare, Willie has made over 3,000 matches in his 50 years’ experience and continues to find the key to people’s hearts.

If you have a racing-mad father, think about giving him a present on Sunday of a very limited (20 places) Downpatrick’s Ultimate VIP Father’s Day Package. The pre-booked price is £80 +VAT which covers complimentary breakfast, stableyard and weighroom tour, course walk, private tips with Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer Noel Chance, photo shoot with Pamela Ballantine and jockeys, racecourse admission, racecard, £5 bet voucher, prosecco, reserved table in the Festival Suite, Festival Suite luncheon with dessert and tea/coffee, and Ritchie Remo Country Concert after racing!