Jubilant Jess rocks Rasen in record-breaking style

Over 14,000 people packed into the racecourse - topping the crowds who saw the legendary Tom Jones perform 12 months ago. Racecourse officials have confirmed that the County and Tattershall Enclosures were sold out last Saturday.

There were only a few tickets remaining for the Lawn Enclosure, proving the annual ‘Rasen Rocks’ event is getting bigger and better every year.

Nadia Gollings, general manager at Market Rasen Racecourse, said: “It is thrilling that so many thousands of people came to the racecourse for Saturday’s horse racing and the Jess Glynne concert.

“We have produced crowds of around 13,000 before and the Betfred Summer Plate and Lincs FM Ladies’ Day last month was just short of 11,000 but this surpassed our expectations.

“It is great that we can attract such a brilliant singer as Jess Glynne because it brings in a whole new audience.”

Ms Gollings was also delighted that many people who attended Saturday’s racecard were newcomers to the sport.

She added: “Most of the crowd were new race goers.

“We really encouraged them to come for the racing and not just the music and I would say that 90 per cent were here before the first race and the atmosphere was fantastic.

“The crowd came from far afield, not just the many Lincolnshire people but also visitors came to the town from Nottingham, Manchester and Leeds.

“We hope lots of them return for some of our other racing fixtures.

“They certainly enjoyed a good evening’s racing with the champion jump jockey Richard Johnson in excellent form with two winners.”

There were a few complaints regarding lengthy queues leaving the venue but Ms Gollings defended the traffic management system that was in place.

She said: “The vehicles departing were managed in an efficient way by stewards although inevitably there will be some hold-ups as 14,000 people leave the racecourse at approximately the same time.

“The site was clear 90 minutes after the end of the event.”

Meanwhile, Jess Glynne was reported to be donating a portion of her fee to the equine charity, Retraining of Racehorses. The Jockey Club Live has pledged to match the donation.

The pop star did not make herself available for interviews but sources said she really enjoyed performing at the venue .

The racecourse is now on a late summer break.

The next fixture is Saturday, September 24. More information is available at: www.marketrasenraces.co.uk.