There are some weeks when you look at the diary and think, ‘Yes, this is going to be a good one’ – and this weekend is certainly one of those for us at Bath Racecourse.
After the frustration of the recent gap in racing, it was fantastic to be back doing what we love last Wednesday.
There is nothing quite like that feeling of seeing the horses heading down to the start again after a break, hearing the crowd react as they come into the straight and watching the winning connections celebrate.
For the team, it was a real boost. We spend so much time preparing for racedays behind the scenes, so when the gates open and the racegoers arrive, it is incredibly rewarding to see Lansdown come alive again.
And now we get to do it twice in one weekend.
Saturday's Absolute Country Raceday (September 12) is something completely new for us, and I have to say I am really looking forward to seeing how it comes together.
We have seven races during the afternoon before the focus turns to live country music, with tribute performances celebrating Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs.
I love the idea of taking racing and putting a different twist on it. We want people to come along, enjoy the sport, have a drink, listen to some music and simply have a brilliant day with friends.
There is a real festival feel to the event, and I think it will be something a little different for Bath.
Then we have our Sunday Family Raceday, (September 13) which is another event I am particularly fond of.
Getting families through the gates and giving children the chance to see horses and jockeys up close is hugely important to us.
Children aged 17 and under can attend free with an accompanying adult, and there is plenty of family entertainment alongside the seven races.
It is also a nice reminder that racing is about much more than what happens on the track.
I was reminded of that recently when some of the team and I had the pleasure of visiting Adrian Wintle's stable operation in Gloucestershire.
Adrian and his family and staff gave us a wonderful welcome, and we were able to spend some time seeing behind the scenes and, of course, meeting Blue Hero.
Now, Blue Hero is something of a legend at Bath. His 11 victories at the course are an extraordinary achievement, and he has become a real favourite with racegoers here.
It was brilliant to see him in his own surroundings and get a glimpse of the people behind the horse. A huge thank you to Adrian, his family and all his staff for making us feel so welcome.
And sometimes it is great to meet your heroes!
That visit was a lovely reminder of why racing is such a special sport. Yes, we come to the racecourse to watch horses compete, but behind every runner there are owners, trainers, stable staff, jockeys and countless others who put so much into the sport.
So, after finally getting racing back last week, we are now heading into a weekend packed with it.
Saturday will bring the music and atmosphere of Absolute Country, Sunday will be all about families, and across both days there will be the thing that really matters to all of us – live racing at Bath.
I hope you can join us. We cannot wait to welcome you back to Lansdown.
