Fontwell National Spirit Hurdle raceday picture special

On their first lap in the first race / Picture by Malcolm Wells

It was a day to savour for horse racing fans.

The sun shone and temperatures were well above average for late February as Fontwell Park welcomed a good-sized crowd for the National Spirit Hurdle and a great supporting card.

Claire Hogben, Fontwell's commercial manager, said: "We couldn’t have hoped for a better day to host the 54th running of the National Spirit Hurdle, with glorious sunshine and a fantastic line-up of runners attracting more than 2000 racegoers to our flagship fixture.

"It’s a privilege to host such a fantastic race and to see the crowds enjoying the action. Our season continues with the next fixture on March 6."

See the best of the action in a slideshow of pictures by Malcolm Wells, above

Here's a report and video on how the National Spirit Hurdle and other races unfolded