REDCAR Racecourse kicked off its first feature race meeting of the 2014 season with an Easter Monday Extravaganza.

Vast numbers of people flocked from all over the North East to attend the family friendly day of horseracing which also featured the Easter bunny, Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter.

Horse racing over Easter is always a popular event and with the fine weather the racecourse celebrated a bumper bank holiday crowd of 4,700 people.

James Crowther, aged nine years old and from Chester-le-Street, won the ‘colouring in the racecard competition’ with the front cover of the official programme featuring his artwork.

Not only this, James and his family enjoyed the full VIP hospitality treatment on the day and he presented the winning trophy for his race, The James Crowther Designed Today’s Racecard Cover Handicap Stakes to the connections of the winning horse, Dubara Reef.

James said:I’m having a really good time today. I took my time and I’m really proud to have won and presented the prize.”

The racecard design celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Petch Stand which was opened on Easter Monday 1964 by the then Chairman Lord Zetland, father of the current racecourse chairman.

Olivia Smith and Anna Broadley Featherstone came second and third respectively and were also presented with prizes in the winners’ enclosure after the presentation.

Caroline Smith, sales and marketing assistant at Redcar Racecourse said: “The day was a great success. The racing was fantastic and it was lovely to see James’ proud face as he presented the trophy.”

The racecourse teamed up with local performing arts company Page2Stage to deliver the fun-filled day.

Caroline added: “Our feature meetings are about much more than just horseracing as today proved. Families enjoyed an Easter treasure hunt, bouncy castles, face painting, stilt walking and a Mad Hatter’s Easter bonnet parade.”

The racecourse is holding a Caribbean Carnival, Help For Heroes Family Day and the ever popular Ladies’ Day. The last feature meeting of the season is the Two Year Old Troph on Saturday, October 4.

The next feature racing meeting is the Zetland Gold Cup Day on Monday, May 26.