Going at Newmarket is Good-to-Firm as Guineas Tickets Sales Rocket
Thursday 12th April, 2007
THE first official going report of the year for Newmarket's NatWest Rowley Mile is Good-To-Firm as the countdown to the start of the season at the Home of Racing begins in earnest.
The new-look, two-day Craven Meeting takes place next Wednesday and Thursday (18th & 19th April).
Just over two weeks later the Stan James Guineas Festival will see the first two Classics of the British season take place on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th May for which advance bookings are currently running 5.5per cent ahead of last year's record levels.
"We put some water on the track last week to wash in the fertilizer and we are putting on a small amount today to ensure that it does not become too firm out there," said Michael Prosser, Newmarket's Director of Racing and Clerk of the Course. "Temperatures could reach 20c by the weekend and the only serious threat of rain between now and the Craven Meeting is the possibility of some thundery showers on Sunday night.
"My aim is to ensure that the ground is not firm next Wednesday, so we will continue to water between now and then as necessary in order to maintain the current Good-to-Firm.
"Temperatures next week are due to be more in line with seasonal averages at around 15c, with no significant amounts of rain forecast at this stage. We have a good cover of grass and we are all set for a great two days of racing to open our season."
The highlights of the Craven Meeting, which is being run over two days for the first time instead of the traditional three days, are the Shadwell Nell Gwyn Stakes (Group 3) and Sporting Index European Free Handicap (Listed) on Wednesday and the banshahousestables.com Craven Stakes (Group 3) and Weatherbys Earl of Sefton Stakes (Group 3) on Thursday.
There should be plenty of clues ahead of the Stan James Guineas Festival two and half weeks later both from the Craven Meeting's classic trials and from Guineas entries working on the track.
"There is already a great buzz in Newmarket ahead of the new season and in particular in anticipation of the Stan James 2000 and 1000 Guineas in early May," added Prosser.
"Advance ticket sales were slow in the early part of the year but have really picked up in the last two weeks, with the clash between Ireland's stars in Teofilo and Finsceal Beo and Newmarket's best in Dutch Art and Sander Camillo really starting to capture the imagination. We have a very exciting few weeks ahead of us now."
A 20 per cent advance booking discount is available online both for next week's Craven Meeting and the Stan James Guineas Festival.
For more information, please contact Michael Prosser, 07802 844 578 or Alistair Haggis, 07884 026 487