The Wanted increase dates to five at Hamilton

BRITISH racing's summer concert season, which starts with Rick Astley at Haydock on Saturday, has added three dates to the biggest racecourse programme ever assembled.

Hamilton has added a second stand-alone show, with chart-topping boy band The Wanted booked for Friday, July 22. They are followed the next evening by Westlife.

Course chief executive Vivien Kyles said: "Over the last few years our strategy has been to develop our capability of hosting high-profile events on non-racing days and we are now building on the huge success of our first stand-alone concert with JLS last year."

Tickets start at £25 and are available online from hamilton-park.co.uk and ticketmaster.co.uk, or by calling 01698 283 806 or 08444 999 990.

The booking means that The Wanted become the most popular racecourse artists of the year, with five appearances.

Doncaster hosts McFly in August

 PICTURE: Edward Whitaker 

Their first outing is on Saturday, May 14 at Doncaster, which has completed its line-up of music events by booking Sharleen Spiteri and Texas for Saturday, June 25 and McFly for Saturday, August 13.

Tickets are on sale and can bebooked online at doncaster-racecourse.co.uk or by calling 01302 304200.

Carlisle, which hosts Sharleen Spiteri and Texas on Saturday, July 2 and features Alexandra Burke on ladies' day, Monday, August 1, has finalised a three-date series of concerts with an eye on the younger generation by booking X Factor finalists for Sunday, July 24.

Already confirmed are Rebecca Ferguson, runner-up toMatt Cardle last December, and Aiden Grimshaw, the 18-year-old from Blackpool.

Pre-booked tickets from £11.90 are available online at carlisle-races.co.uk, or by calling 0844 579 3002.

Biggest crowd for a racing-music event this summer is almost certain to be at York on Saturday, July 23, when Scouting for Girls - not as previously published - take to the stage, following the previous evening's performance by Blondie.

Last year's equivalent raceday, which featured X Factor finalists, was a 42,500 sell-out, and course rep James Brennan expects a similar crowd this year.

He said: "All bar about 500 people arrived before racing last year, so it's clear that we are selling the sport to people, as well as the concert, and the proceeds help us to finance prize-money for a £100,000 Group 2 race and a £50,000 sprint."