CARTMEL Races bowed out for 2016 in glorious sunshine, capping a fine year for the South Lakes track.

Another bumper crowd – building on the near-17,000 who flocked through the gates on Saturday – enjoyed the seven races, lighting barbecues, toasting champagne flutes and splashing in the stream that winds its way through the paddock.

Estimates put this crowd above the Saturday figure – with Cartmel Races managing director Jonathan Garratt saying he had never seen as many cars packing into the car parks both inside and outside the course. When racing began, there was hardly a gap on the grass, so packed was it with spectators.

Hundreds of them had spent the weekend in tents or caravans camped on the enclosure, though they had endured some less clement conditions during their nights beneath canvas.

Racecourse bosses must wish all Cartmel meetings are blessed with such weather, when the rain falls between racedays rather than on them and punters are able to meander peacefully in T-shirts and shorts – Sky Sports football analyst and former Scotland international Alan McInally among them – with nary a thought of carrying an umbrella or raincoat while drinking in the atmosphere.

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Owners and trainers were there in good numbers too, with 61 entries across the seven races – justified by two £20,000 races and one with a prizepot of £10,000, big money all over this ground.

“If every day was as sunny and wonderful, it would be perfect,” said Mr Garratt after watching Hygrove Percy, ridden by Noel Fehily, win the Wicks Waste Services Juvenile Hurdle early in the afternoon. “This is Cartmel at its best.”

The second August raceday marked the ninth and final card at Cartmel in 2016 – the first time the course has hosted so many meetings, with the same calendar already in place for next year.

Mr Garratt is happy with how the year as a whole has gone for the course, and said: “This is the ninth fixture we have held this year and that’s the first time we have done that. All of our meetings have gone particularly well – I think we had just the one meeting, one day in June, where we had wet weather, I’m sure we’ve beaten the odds on that one.

“Every season hasn’t gone as nicely as that, but this year we have been very fortunate with the weather.”

The skies stayed blue throughout the afternoon and the racegoers stayed happy, many enjoying themselves until the sun went down on the day and on another year at Cartmel.