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SALISBURY SET FAIR FOR 2005
£1 million new facility to be officially opened on June 23

Posted April 25th 2005

Salisbury's 2005 season gets off to a flying start with its traditional curtain-raiser, the Family Fun Day on Sunday, May 1 and this season promises to be very exciting with improved facilities at the racecourse due to open shortly.

A new £1 million building is nearing completion and will incorporate a new Owners & Trainers bar, improved Tote betting facilities, two new corporate suites and an open-terraced roof bar. The building is due to be officially opened on Thursday, June 23 by a "Racing Legend" - who will be revealed nearer the time.

It was hoped that the new building would be open in time for the start of the new season, although unfortunately this will now not be the case. Clerk of the Course Jeremy Martin explained: "This was always a tight schedule and we have not quite managed it. The building has to be right before it is officially handed over and should be ready for use very soon - either at our second or third fixture. It is does not affect our ability to race on Sunday, May 1, and we are looking forward to getting underway again."

The 2004 season was not the greatest for the racecourse, as three racedays were lost through waterlogging, including the transferred fixture from Ascot, and the weather was fairly poor overall. However, there were the usual nice bunch of winning two-year-olds including Suez, victorious in the Listed Dick Poole Fillies' Stakes before finishing runner-up in the Group One Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket, and Godolphin's Perfectperformance, who won twice at Salisbury before landing the Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes at Ascot. In addition, the highlight of the season, the £60,000 totesport Sovereign Stakes won by Norse Dancer in a thrilling finish from Lucky Story, was the highest-rated Group Three race in the country last year. This was especially pleasing as 2004 was the first year that the contest had been run with Group Three status, having previously been a Listed race.

In total, there are 16 days of racing in 2005 at Salisbury, with the main highlights being the "Salisbury Splendour - Summer Festival" on Wednesday and Thursday, August 10 and 11, when the feature will again be the £60,000 Group Three totesport Sovereign Stakes. Salisbury's final meeting of the year on October 8 is set to be a transferred fixture from Ascot.

Sunday, May 1 features a six-race programme and starts with the £20,000-added betfair.com HANDICAP (2.25pm) over six furlongs. This is the richest contest of the afternoon and will also be broadcast live on Channel 4. The second race of the day is the £7,500-added BUTLER & CO RACING POST TAX TIPS MAIDEN STAKES (3.00pm), over six furlongs. Two-year-old fillies get their chance to shine in race three, the £10,000-added DELTA DANCER & CATISFIELD STUD FILLIES' CONDITIONS STAKES (3.35pm) over five furlongs. There is further competitive handicap action in the fourth race of the day, the £10,000-added LINES WILSON TAX ADVISERS HANDICAP (4.10pm) over a mile and a quarter while there could be some informative clues in the fifth race of the day, the £7,500-added BRYANT HOMES AT SALISBURY MAIDEN STAKES (4.45pm) over a mile and a half. Last season this was won by the John Gosden-trained Day Flight, who went on to finish fourth in the French Derby and has won both his starts this year, including the Group Three John Porter Stakes at Newbury. Bringing the racing action to a close is the £10,000-added betfairpoker.com HANDICAP (5.15pm) over a mile and six furlongs.

Clerk of the Course, Jeremy Martin said: "Our May 1 Sunday is a real family day and there is always a great atmosphere

"We are also delighted that the £20,000 highlight, the betfair.com Handicap Stakes, is being shown live on Channel 4 Racing. The giant screen will be here and gates open at 11.00am."

Admission prices on May 1 are Members' Enclosure £18, Tattersalls Enclosure £11 and Course Enclosure £6. Accompanied children under 16 are admitted free and all car parking is free.

For further information, please contact Jeremy Martin, Salisbury's Clerk of the Course, on 01722 326461

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