250 entries for £250,000 Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury in July
Newbury Racecourse has reported 'an excellent entry' of 250 for the 2018 running of the £250,000 Weatherbys Super Sprint, staged at Newbury Racecourse on Saturday, July 21.
Run over five furlongs and inaugurated in 1991, the Weatherbys Super Sprint is an innovative race for two-year-olds who were sold or bought in as yearlings by public auction at 'specified sales' and for specified sums - or as two-year-olds up to and including March 5, 2018.
For each £5,000 paid under £63,000, horses are given a 1lb allowance. Colts and geldings are set 9st 3lb before any allowance and fillies 8st 12lb. There are penalties against winners of previous races.
Richard Hannon saddled subsequent G1 winner Tiggy Wiggy to success in the 2014 Weatherbys Super Sprint, while his father, Richard Hannon senior, is the most successful trainer in the contest, with seven victories between 1992 and 2009. There are 32 entries from Richard Hannon this year - the most from any stable.
Three of the last five runnings of the Weatherbys Super Sprint, which has a maximum field size of 25 runners, have been won by horses trained by Richard Fahey in North Yorkshire - Peniaphobia (2013), Lathom (2015) and Bengali Boys (2017). The Malton-based trainer has 22 entries for the 2018 race.
Craig David, the acclaimed singer-songwriter, will take to the Party in the Paddock stage after racing on Saturday, July 21 - performing live at Newbury Racecourse for the first time.
In other news, Newbury Racecourse has been billed as one of the top 12 racecourses in Great Britain, assessed independently by VisitEngland and VisitScotland through the annual Quality Assured Racecourse Scheme. Newbury scored over 80 per cent and was awarded a rating of excellence.
In addition to the general assessment, Newbury Racecourse also achieved Excellence Accolades for Staff Customer Service and Visitor Information & Signage.
Julian Thick, Chief Executive of Newbury Racecourse: “It’s fantastic to be recognised in this year’s Excellence Accolades. Customer experience is paramount for us and I am particularly proud of all the team who have been presented with a number of challenges while we go through our redevelopment and it is pleasing to see they have been rewarded with an award in Staff Customer Service for the third year running.”