St Patrick's Day At Belle Vue Dogs

Confidentials 1 March 2012

THERE'S two good excuses for a day out at the Dogs in March – one to honour the patron saint of Ireland, and one to honour your own personal saint, your mum.

Both events take place on the same weekend so Belle Vue Dogs are putting on two celebratory packages on Saturday 17 March. The Mother's Day dinner will take place in the delightful Granada Suite while the St Patrick's Day party will be in the Grandstand Restaurant.

St Patrick's Day Party

First off, St Paddy's. Belle Vue Dogs is mighty popular on this particular night so book ahead if you fancy it. The Grandstand Package includes a three-course Irish menu, live Irish music before and after the racing, admission, a race programme, and a drink.

In true old-school stylee, men and women are being offered different tipples. The women get a pint of Guinness and the men get a glass of Baileys (or was it the other way round?) Children get a non-gender specific Pepsi.

The atmosphere in the Grandstand Restaurant is buzzing every Saturday night (dog racing does that to a crowd) so you can expect the roof to be flying off on a big occasion like this.

If you want to do St Patrick's properly this year, get a ticket before they sell out. The Grandstand Package costs £30. Just call Belle Vue Dogs on 0870 840 7550 to book.

Mother's Day Celebrations

On the same evening, the Granada Suite at Belle Vue Dogs will be hosting a special three-course meal for Mother's Day (or Mother's Day Eve, to be exact). It's ideal for families who want a celebratory meal out with some added excitement on the side. The Granada Suite doesn't look onto the racecourse but you can easily nip into the Grandstand or trackside to get in on the greyhound action before and after your meal.

The three-course dinner looks delicious with a beef, turkey and ham carvery, or poached salmon as the main (roast, stuffed butternut squash for vegetarians). For your starters you have a choice of fresh tomato soup topped with bacon and crispy croutons or fresh mixed melon cocktail. The desserts are fresh fruit salad, cappuccino cup, or tipsy sherry trifles.

The £30 ticket includes your meal plus a welcome drink (pint of Carling for the men, glass of wine for the ladies, Pepsi for the children), plus admission, a race programme and a family photo. Children under twelve pay £10 for a children's meal. Thirteen to sixteen-year-olds who opt for the carvery meal pay £22.50.