OFFICIALS at Newmarket are hailing the end of the flat racing season with reports of attendances up by 4% with more than a third of a million visitors going through the gates of the Rowley Mile and July courses.

There were 38 fixtures between April and November with a host of highlights. They included victories by Camelot, in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, the horse went on to win the Investec Derby, at Epsom Downs; Dawn Approach in the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes on Dubai Future Champions Day, the colt is now favourite for the 2013 QIPCO 2000 Guineas; Giofra in the Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes at the Piper-Heidsieck July Festival; and Reckless Abandon in the Vision.ae Middle Park Stakes, also on Dubai Future Champions Day.

Jockey Club Racecourses’ regional director Amy Starkey, who took up her position at Newmarket Racecourses in the spring, said: “The year-on-year attendance increase in 2012 is very welcome and shows that the investments we have made to date in improving the experience for visitors are paying dividends.

“However, there is still more to do, especially in increasing the attraction of coming racing on the Rowley Mile in the spring and the autumn.”

Crowds at the Newmarket Nights in 2012, which featured Jessie J and Sir Tom Jones, topped 100,000.