STRATFORD Racecourse will be hoping for record crowds at the third Coventry Evening Telegraph Family Day on Sunday, July 15.

The newsgroup will be sponsoring six of the seven-race card and providing a celebrity penalty shoot-out in the parade ring from noon until 1.15pm.

Other sponsors for the day include Richardson Develop-ments, a local property development firm based in Oldbury.

Families and spectators are encouraged to arrive early on what is traditionally the Luddington Road venue's biggest crowd of the year with 7,000 plus spectators expected.

Picnic areas are available in the centre course where cars can park up for an extra £2, and enjoy all the centre course activities.

Club admission is £15, Tattersalls £11 and Centre course £5 per adult. Accompanied children under 16 gain free entry to any area of the course.

Free entertainment in the centre course starts at midday and includes a bouncy castle, ball pond, bungee run until 5pm.

A balloon modeller will show those skills between 1 and 5pm, while the National Festival Circus will stage demonstrations at 1pm, 2.30pm and 4pm.

A face painter will be on hand between 12.30 and 5pm, a coconut shy noon to 5pm with Falconry displays at 12.15pm and 1.15pm.

Centre course shops will be open from noon until 5pm.

There will be free entertainment on the Stands side of the course from 1.30pm, including weighing room tours at 11.30am, 11.50am, 12.10pm, 12.30pm, Jockey autograph signing at 3.15pm, terrier racing at noon and 1pm and the Milestones jazz band from 12.30pm.

Gates open at 11am, with the first race at 2.20pm, and last race at 5.20pm.

For more details contact the racecourse office on 01789 267949.