A Beach Picnic Races day will see magnificent horses galloping down Port Douglas’s Four Mile Beach on August 8.

The competition will feature eight rounds across four horse breed categories including Arab, Quarterhorse, Thoroughbred and other breeds, with the top two placegetters going through to the Cup finals. 

There are three informal ‘furry hooves’ races in the Clysedale, Show and draft horse breed categories.

Entry to to the day will be free, but pre-ticketed sections will be able to serve alcohol.

A children’s playground area will also be featured with paid and unpaid attractions. 

There will also be live music and fun events like foot races, in addition to the quirky Fashions on the Beach competition, featuring the Worst Taste Hawaiian Shirt and 'ankles-down' Fillies Feet categories.

Organiser Katrina Kruse, the driving force behind the massively popular Yabusame horse archery and jousting events at this year’s Port Douglas Carnivale, said. that the day would be fun for everyone involved.

“As soon as I saw the beach and felt how compact the sand was I thought, ‘What could be more fun than watching horse races galloping down such a beautiful beach’?” Ms Kruse said.

“The festival will cater for everyone, from serious horse racing enthusiasts to families and tourists looking to attend and participate in an event that offers something completely different.

 “The aim is for the event to become a major drawcard for the Douglas Shire and add other events and activities to the festival as it grows in future years.”

Douglas Shire Council have also signed on as major sponsors of the event. 

Mayor Julia Leu said the Port Douglas Beach Picnic Races represented a great opportunity to promote the Douglas Shire.

“Council is proud to support another major event that will bring economic benefits to local businesses and give locals an exciting event to look forward to,” Mayor Leu said.

“With a breathtaking stretch of beach and the fact it is such a unique and accessible event, the Port Douglas Beach Picnic Races are a fabulous fit for the Shire’s major events calendar and are destined to attract significant interest from horse, fun and sun lovers from around Australia.”

Catering for the Beach Picnic Races will be provided by the highly esteemed Ochre Restaurant, and Ms Kruse added that additional sponsors can still express interest.

More information on the Beach Picnic Races day is available on the event’s website.