A Thimble Full of Diamonds

While the village of Cartmel has been described as a ‘thimble-full of diamonds’, the racecourse has been compared to a beautiful bloom – fragrant and colourful, yet fleeting in appearance due to the short Summer season.

It’s therefore fitting that the winning jockey, of the Banks Lyon Jewellers Lady Riders Handicap Hurdle Race on Saturday 16th July, will pick up a £5,000 diamond cluster pendant featuring a classic flower design. The pendant is made from 18ct white gold, set with seven fiery and spectacular brilliant cut diamonds totalling 1.39ct with a single 0.30ct brilliant cut diamond sitting proudly above.

The race, which is sponsored by the Lancaster based luxury family jewellers, is the most

valuable contest over obstacles for lady riders in Britain – with a prize value, in addition to the diamonds, of £10,000. It’s the second time that Banks Lyon Jewellers have sponsored the race, which is open to both amateur and professional jockeys. The Banks Lyon trade-stand will be returning its position, adjacent to the parade ring, where racegoers will be able to see the latest range of Hublot watches and other goodies – especially for those fortunate enough to have enjoyed big wins on the horses.

If you’ve been following the tips in this blog over the past few weeks, you might have enough funds to buy yourself a watch-strap. This week I’m hoping that we’ll secure another instalment towards the Hublot fund, by following the Celestial Path in York’s 3 o’clock race on Saturday.

If this were any other racecourse, we’d call the event at which we give away diamonds something like ‘Ladies Day’. Here at Cartmel, however, the fixture is known as the ‘Barbecue Meeting’ – in recognition of the fact that, elsewhere in the enclosures, racegoers will be concentrating on other forms of carbon.

Less hard and darker in colour, the carbon fuelling visitors’ barbecues is better known as charcoal and bears a strong resemblance to the sausages and burgers that I usually turn out when I’m put in charge of lunch – which wouldn’t be such a problem if they weren’t still raw in the middle.

But you don’t have to follow my example. As has become a tradition in July, we’ll be offering a prize for the most stylish picnic or barbecue on the racecourse. It may be an award for the best spread of food, the best dressed racegoers, the best dressed table or the snazziest chairs – anything that takes our eye.

Sadly the prize won’t take the form of a flower-full of diamonds on a pendant necklace – but there’ll be a return trip to the racecourse, with a Cartmel hamper including food from Furness Fish and Game, Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding and a bottle of Louis Roederer Brut Premier Champagne. Start preparing now and have fun.