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RICHEST DAY OF THE SEASON APPROACHES

Posted August 18th, 2003

Salisbury opens its doors for two days of high-class racing on Thursday, August 28, and Thursday, September 4, with the latter meeting being the beautiful Wiltshire racecourse's most valuable day of the season with total prize money of £100,000 on offer.

A big screen will be in operation on both days, while a bouncy castle and creche will be available on Thursday, August 28.

The feature event on the six-race programme on Thursday, August 28, is the £17,000-added EUROPEAN BREEDERS FUND CHEVIOT CLASSIFIED STAKES (3.55pm), over a mile.

Last year Karl Burke launched a successful raid on this event from his Middleham training base with Blue Sky Thinking, who won a shade cosily by a neck from Passing Glance under a fine ride from Richard Hughes.

Few racegoers at Salisbury a year ago would have realised they had seen this year's Vodafone Oaks heroine, Casual Look, after she had finished fourth behind Wondrous Story in Division I of the equivalent of the opening £7,000-added "GOOD JOB IT'S WILSONS" E.B.F. MAIDEN FILLIES' STAKES (2.25pm), over seven furlongs.

This really was a tremendous heat as, in addition to the future Classic winner, the John Dunlop-trained Santa Sophia was eighth. She subsequently won this season's Listed Bet Attheraces On 0800 083 83 83 Oaks Trial at Lingfield in May.

The other principal heat on Thursday, August 28, is the £8,000-added NUMERICA MAIDEN STAKES (2.55pm), over a mile, for three-year-old maidens.

The £30,000 E.B.F. DICK POOLE FILLIES' STAKES (4.15pm), over six furlongs, on Thursday, September 4, has been granted Listed status for the first time this year. Last season this event was won by Wimple, trained by Clive Brittain, who also saddled Crimplene to take this contest in 1999. The following season Crimplene won three Group One races including the Irish 1,000 Guineas, the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Vodafone Nassau Stakes at Goodwood.

Lovers of handicaps will appreciate the £22,500-added E.B.F. LOCHSONG FILLIES' HANDICAP (3.15pm), over seven furlongs, which is always a hugely competitive affair. Last year this event, named after the great filly Lochsong, went to the James Fanshawe-trained Curfew.

Other highlights on Thursday, September 4, are the £15,000-added CATISFIELD HINTON AND STUD CONDITIONS STAKES (4.45pm), the longest heat of the day over a mile and six furlongs, and the £15,000-added EUROPEAN BREEDERS FUND QUIDHAMPTON MAIDEN FILLIES' STAKES (3.45pm), over seven furlongs.

One regular racegoer at Salisbury said that he had never heard a cheer like it at the racecourse after Persian Punch, arguably the most popular horse in training, was announced the winner of last year's renewal of the former after a photo, getting the better of subsequent Coronation Cup hero Warrsan by a short-head in a tremendous finish.

The gelding joined an illustrious list of former winners including 2001 scorer Hatha Anna, who was successful two months later in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Flemington, Australia, Sir Michael Stoute's Tote Ebor winner Clerkenwell (1997) and the Roger Charlton-trained Royal Ascot dual winner, Source Of Light, in 1995.

Local handler John Gosden has won the last two runnings of the European Breeders Fund Quidhampton Maiden Fillies' Stakes courtesy of Air Adair last year and Sulk in 2001. Sulk gained Group One glory on her next start in France in the Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp.

Jeremy Martin, Salisbury's Clerk of the Course and Racecourse Manager, said: "We are looking forward to the next two meetings at Salisbury on Thursday, August 28, and Thursday, September 4.

"The fixture in early September is one of the highlights of the year here and season after season, the races on this card seem to be won by very decent horses."

The next two meetings at Salisbury follow on from a highly-successful two-day meeting on August 13 and 14, when over 6,000 people over the two days enjoyed watching the good horses on view including the Andrew Balding-trained Passing Glance, part-owned by Salisbury Racecourse Chairman Michael Wates together with racecourse director Ian Balding, who scored in the Listed Sovereign Stakes, just beating last year's winner Priors Lodge by a short-head in a cracking finish.

Another interesting winner was Iqte Saab, trained by John Dunlop, who looked extremely promising on his racecourse bow when successful in the 'Race Down To Salisbury Playhouse' EBF Maiden Stakes by half a length from the more experienced Treasure House. The Bahri colt received a quote of 33/1 from Ladbrokes for next year's 2000 Guineas.

For further information, please call Salisbury Racecourse on 01722 326461

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