Inside track: Anticipation building for Plate weekend

Jun 12 2009 by James Armstrong

IT is now less than two weeks until our biggest racing event of the year at Newcastle Racecourse, the John Smith’s Northumberland Plate Festival, and the ‘buzz’ is really starting to pick up around the course.

Planning for the festival began immediately after last year’s Plate and currently all the final adjustments are being made in preparation for the arrival of over 50,000 people and up to 250 horses across the three days.

Marquees for hospitality started popping up over a week ago and will continue to expand into all enclosure areas as the final touches are applied to the site.

The course has enjoyed a busy time of late and will benefit from a brief rest this weekend. I expect the showers forecast this week to perk it up nicely before the festival. The entire course has been vertidrained and ‘fed’ and given a few days of warm weather should look a picture of emerald green for the opening day on Thursday, June 25.

The ground saved on both sides of the home straight course and around the back in the past month or so will ensure a lovely level surface with a good cover of grass for the horses taking part. A ‘false’ rail will be erected on the back straight for the first two days and then taken down to allow a fresh 5m strip of ground for the big race itself on the Saturday.

I strongly recommend that anyone wanting tickets for the Premier Enclosure on the Saturday book as soon as possible as we will be sold out very soon. Looking ahead to Ladies Day, the Premier Enclosure is already a sell-out. To book call Newcastle Racecourse on 0191 236 2020.

:: JAMES Armstrong is clerk of the course at Gosforth Park.