Some days I wish I could be 18 years old again: drinking pints of Harvey’s Nut Brown Ale, listening to The Who’s “My Generation”, and dancing like I wasn’t a dad…

Ironically, while many in my age bracket might enjoy turning the clock back to those halcyon days, there is a younger generation that wishes it could turn the clock forward. Because, much as we welcome children at all of the fixtures at Kelso Racecourse, we are not permitted to allow anyone aged 17 or under to attend the after-parties that follow some of our most popular racedays.

Readers will appreciate that strict licensing laws prohibit the sale of alcohol to minors. And while 16 and 17-year-olds may be allowed to drink alcohol while eating a meal at a licensed premises under the supervision of a parent or guardian, it is illegal to purchase alcohol for a child in other circumstances. It is for this reason that Kelso’s Ladies Day After Party is for those aged 18 or over only. Not that all youngsters will be deterred from trying.

The bar staff operate a “Think 25” policy, which means that if you’re lucky enough to look particularly youthful in your Ladies Day outfit, you shouldn’t be offended if you’re asked to provide a valid form of age verification. You’ll have to be aged 18 or over, too, if you want to back this week’s selection: Star Of Guiting in Haydock’s Swinton Hurdle.

At the After Party that followed Kelso’s March meeting, the customer care team confiscated more than 30 identification cards from young racegoers – most of which were very convincing, and quite expensively produced, fake driving licences. Others were entirely genuine – but belonged to someone older than the person carrying them. Now, I know quite a few people who carried fake photo-copied student cards to support false age verification in the 1980s, but it should be noted that the maximum penalty for carrying a counterfeit driving licence can include up to 10 years’ imprisonment.

I’m not suggesting that’s what the local court would impose on a 17-year-old kid attending a party, but it’s a sobering thought. Sobering being the operative word, because while we seek to ensure that all racegoers enjoy Ladies Day to the full, and to swell the bars with merry customers, it’s not fun if people become benumbed to a point where they cause upset, concern, or worse: become a risk to themselves or others. Which is why the racecourse provides free bottles of water at various locations and encourages racegoers to “pace themselves”.

For those that are too young to enjoy the After Party, it’s not all bad news. Racegoers aged 17-years-old and under are admitted free of charge at all Kelso’s fixtures, including Ladies Day, as long as they are supervised by a parent or guardian with a valid ticket. There’s no prohibition on younger racegoers winning the style awards, and the atmosphere is fun for all – teenagers and Dad-dancers included.