Warwick Racecourse prepares for season showpiece
PRIZE money in excess of £160,000 will be up for grabs tomorrow (Saturday) when – weather permitting – Warwick Racecourse hosts its feature raceday of the year.
The Betfred Classic Chase Day is Warwick’s richest raceday of the season and should attract the UK’s top trainers and jockeys.
The racing is being broadcast live by ITV Racing, which is visiting Warwick for the first time since winning the free-to-air broadcasting rights from Channel 4.
The fixture is also expected to attract a bumper crowd, on the back of more than 6,500 people attending Warwick’s New Year’s Eve Raceday.
The feature race, the Betfred Classic Chase, is often contested by several horses who will compete in the Randox Health Grand National and has a £60,000 prize pot up for grabs.
The 2016 Grade 3 race was won by the Kerry Lee-trained Russe Blanc – ridden by local jockey Charlie Poste.
The race card also includes the Grade 2 Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle Race (registered as the Leamington) which carries prize money of £35,000.
Andre Klein, General Manager of Warwick Racecourse, said: “Warwick is renowned for the Betfred Classic Chase and the quality of the field and the prize money at stake will see some very high calibre horses grace the course.
“It was a great moment to see local jockey Charlie Poste ride Russe Blanc to victory in the feature race of the year last January, and we’re eagerly looking forward to what should be another great day of racing.
“We were thrilled to attract what was a huge crowd on New Year’s Eve, well up on the great attendance we had the previous year, and continued the positive upward trend we’ve enjoyed over the last 12 months.”
Gates open at 10.40am ahead of the first race at 12.40pm. The final race of the day will be at 4.05pm.
