THE Northern Echo is hosting an evening of horse racing specially designed to appeal to the fairer sex.

Ladies Night will be held at Sedgefield Racecourse on Wednesday with the first race due off at 6.40pm.

There will be various competitions, demonstrations and attractions throughout the evening.

Highlight of the night could be the Space Hopper Grand National, where 12 female racegoers will take part in a 25 metre race on the bouncy toys.

Course mascot Sedge the Fieldmouse will judge a Best Dressed Lady of the Evening competition, with a prize of dinner for two in the course's Pavilion Restaurant, plus the chance to experience being a racehorse owner for the night.

There will also be a smartest 1960's style skirt competition, a game of celebrity bingo and karaoke in the Theakston Suite.

Virgin Vie Cosmetics will be hosting two make-up demonstrations on models, plus a prize draw to win £100 of their products.

A demonstration on how to prepare an Ascot style hat will run alongside some flower arranging, and there will be the chance to win £50 worth of Next shopping vouchers.

There is a six-race programme, sponsored by The Northern Echo, Darlington & Stockton Times, O2 and Bosch, both with Currys, Teesside Airport and Pro-Active PR.

Clerk of the course Jim Allen said this could be the first time Sedgefield has held a race meeting of this kind.

He said: "Themed evenings are designed to attract people to racing who don't normally go or who have never come before.

"Sedgefield may have had a ladies event in the past, but we can't find any record of one."