A NORTH-EAST racecourse was transformed into a fun-packed corner of Germany at the weekend as frauleins and lederhosen-clad punters let their “Herr” down.

Beer, bratwurst and oompah music were on the menu at Redcar’s annual Oktoberfest Raceday meeting.

And an earlier trip to Germany proved to be a winning move for fun-loving couple Ben Johnson and Daniella Marchetta, who emerged as winners of the fancy-dress competition.

While they were in Munich for an Oktoberfest event recently, they bought traditional Bavarian costumes and decided to wear them to the races on Saturday.

The couple, who got engaged three months ago, won a VIP day out for four people at a Redcar meeting next year.

Ben, a mechanical engineer from Middlesbrough, said: “We watched from the sidelines last year and fancied having a go this time round. Buying the outfits in Munich turned out to be a wise investment.”

Danielle, from Chesterfield, added: “I can’t believe we won but it’s been a lot of fun.”

It was also a memorable day for Richie Young, of Redcar, who chose Redcar’s Oktoberfest Day for his stag do ahead of his wedding on November 1. He spent the day in an inflatable horse costume, being led by friends and family members in Peaky Blinders outfits.

Meanwhile, Lee Smith, of Gateshead, turned a few heads dressed as a pig-tailed fraulein.

Redcar’s general manager Amy Fair said: “It’s the second year we’ve held the Oktoberfest Raceday to coincide with our richest race of the year – the Racing UK Two-Year-Old Trophy – and the response has again been wunderbar.”