Racing News
HAYDOCK PARK PREPARES FOR SHOWPIECE OCCASION OF THE FLAT RACING SEASON
THE countdown to the richest horse race of the year at Haydock Park - and the climax to the racecourse’s Flat racing season - has begun in earnest.
Some of the fastest racehorses in Britain and Ireland will be making their way to the North West for the 45th year of the £275,000 Betfred Sprint Cup on Saturday 4 September.
The total prize fund on the day is not far short of £½ million.
Dickon White, the managing director of Haydock Park, said: “The Betfred Sprint Cup meeting is a hugely popular occasion with racing fans, attracts a big crowd, and is the highlight of our Flat racing season.”
A maximum of 17 horses will take part in the six-furlong race from the 20 that remain as possibles.
The Group One Betfred Sprint Cup is a race that top Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien has yet to win. On Saturday, he may saddle the favourite – the Australian-bred colt Starspangledbanner. A decision about whether the horse runs or not will be made later this week.
The sponsors Betfred make Starspangledbanner – a winner at Royal Ascot this year and the hero of the Darley July Cup at Newmarket - their 2-1 ante-post favourite (CORRECT AS OF MONDAY 30 AUGUST).
Opposing him are last year’s winner Regal Parade, last year’s third-placed horse High Standing, Equiano who was fifth last year, and the 2009 Nunthorpe Stakes winner Borderlescott.
The entire racecard at Haydock on Saturday 4 September is very classy, including the Betfred Kingspin Old Borough Cup, the Betfred ‘Goals Galore’ Superior Mile and the Betfred ‘The Bonus King’ Be Friendly Handicap, which commemorates the horse that won the first two runnings of the Sprint Cup in 1966 and 1967.
Be Friendly – owned by the former BBC ‘Voice of Racing’ Sir Peter O’Sullevan - remains the only horse to have won the race twice, and a life-size bronze of him now stands resplendent in the paddock at Haydock Park.
The first race on Saturday is at 2pm. Gates open at 12 noon.
*Admission into the Newton Enclosure is £11; it’s £20 into Tattersalls; £34 into the County Enclosure; and £45 into the Premier Enclosure. Accompanied children aged under 18 enter free. Senior citizens and students, with appropriate identification, enter Tattersalls and the Newton Enclosure at half price. More details are available at web site www.haydock-park.co.uk.
Hospital Patients having a 'Flutter'!
Wed 19th May 10 - 9:52
Patients with a heart flutter will now be able to have a flutter on the horses to relieve the boredom of being stuck in a hospital bed.
Hospital radio stations in Preston and Chorley have become the first in the country to offer horse racing commentary live from Haydock Park.
Avid horse-racing fans will now be able to hedge their bets and find out if their favourite is first past the post from the comfort of their beds at the Royal Preston and Chorley and South Ribble Hospitals.
The idea was the brainchild of hospital radio volunteers who decided to offer live sporting action to relieve the monotony.
They carried out a trial of live horse racing commentary and it was so successful it will now become a regular fixture on Saturdays.
Ian Gornall, sports editor for hospital radio at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We do live football commentary of Preston North End football matches, but we became conscious that we were not offering any other sporting commentary.
"My station manager told me she wanted more sport, so I went and organised live horse racing commentary from Haydock Park Racing Media Group, which owns the race courses, and Haydock Park management, kindly allowed me to go ahead.
"We have been given a private box with a telephone line and a television at Haydock Park and we do all the commentary live from there on race days. As far as I know, we are the only hospital radio station in the country to offer this.
"The hospital radio service that comes through the TV system is free of charge, but if patients wanted to watch the race, they would have to pay for a Patientline card to be able to watch the TV.
"Horse racing is something that we can offer good descriptive commentary on and this can keep hospital patients entertained on a Saturday afternoon when they may not have any visitors."
Joyce Openshaw, 95, who lives in Barton, near Preston, is currently in hospital after suffering a fall. She said: "I used to go to the Haydock Races with my husband, William. He loved horse racing and I enjoyed meeting friends. We occasionally used to bet on the horses. I think offering horse racing on hospital radio is a very good idea, provided they are, like me, not fools and know how to work it."
A spokesman for Lancashire Teaching Hospitals said: "Hospital radio provides an important aid to patient relaxation, comfort and recovery and it beats boredom.
"Hospital radio is staffed by volunteers and we are very grateful for their efforts in providing such a valuable community service."
The hospital racing commentary from Haydock will begin on Saturday May 29 and will run from 2pm until 5pm on race days.
Tuesday 14th September
Raceday
2:30PM
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