GUERNSEY will stage the richest race day in Channel Islands history on Monday. Race Club officials are keeping fingers crossed for a bumper Bank Holiday Monday turnout of punters and interested onlookers at L’Ancresse.
More than £14,000-worth of prize money is guaranteed.
‘Thanks to our sponsors for making it the richest race day in Channel Islands history,’ said Trevor Gallienne, local bookmaker and Guernsey Race Club committee member.
The final declarations are imminent but more than 30 individual entries have been received and some duplicates, which is not as many as the first year, but a couple more than last.
‘It’s as high class a field as we have ever had,’ said Gallienne.
‘We are hopeful the standard of racing will be as good as previous years.’
Much of the day’s success will depend on the weather.
‘Our costs continue to grow with our improvements each year. We are hoping for a massive crowd and hopefully the improvements we made last year should ensure easier access to the course and better parking facilities.
‘If we have the right weather it could be a record crowd,’ he said.
British trainers have entered some extra horses in case something happens to any of the others. The English invasion includes trainers Ron Hodges, Tony Carroll and Michael Appleby with others coming from Jersey.
Two Guernsey horses currently trained outside the island are also expected to compete.
The field is likely to include one of Britain’s top all-weather racehorses - Over To You Bert - which finished fifth out of 14 runners in a race at Kempton recently.
‘He had won his previous race at Wolverhampton and it was mentioned in The Racing Post recently his next race could be Guernsey but it wasn’t,’ said Gallienne.
Other likely starters include Crossways, which has won the Jersey Derby two out of the last three years, and won in Guernsey two years ago.
Previous winners in Guernsey, Hakam, Country Wide Pride and Highland Flight, could also return.
Other strongly fancied geldings will be crossing the water from Jersey.
There is currently a fairly even entry for each of the races - with the possibility of five or six in each - but withdrawals are certain.
‘I think we will have a reasonable entry,’ said Gallienne.
One of Britain’s top dual purpose jockeys Vince Slattery, who rides over jumps and the flat, should be here.
He is one of the few jockeys to have ridden every course in Britain.
‘We are hopeful of a bumper turnout - the Muratti won’t affect it,’ said Guernsey Race Club vice-president Jim Jamouneau.
The course rails are now up and repairs to the ground are ongoing.
‘There are not many rabbit holes to fill, only the new ones. We have put a lot of ground down,’ Jamouneau added.
The hot weather this month has caused some problems in preparing the course for the event.
‘We are going to put some water on some of the bare dry grass places. It’s been so dry over the last three or four weeks the moisture is very limited in places.’
‘We hope it will soak in the ground and make it easier for the horses. It’s by the finish and by the beaches there are a couple of bits that need attending to,’ he said.
‘We have not had much of an April shower this month. Farmers need the rain for the grass and crops and it’s not been there this month. It’s very unusual.’
‘The course will be in fair nick by the time all the work gets done,’ he promised.
‘It will get inspected and I’m sure it will go ahead, without any doubt.’
Article posted on 2nd May, 2007 - 12.00am
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