I’VE just about finished celebrating after Gosforth Park achieved an abandonment-free year following our Christmas raceday – the first ‘full house’ in my 11 years as clerk.
A combination of luck and hard work paid off. Taking no chances with the cold spell, the entire course was covered with heavy-duty frost sheets.
It took 24 men five hours to put them in place, but the real challenge was removing them in time for racing. Luckily, the conditions were in our favour and the last sheet was lifted minutes before the planned ‘off time’ for the first race.
Not only did we have a successful meeting but we also did not have a single faller, another first in my time clerking an NH meeting. The doctors on the course can’t remember filling in a ‘nil return’ for the jockeys’ medical returns!
We are now taking a brief and well-earned festive break before our eight-card extravaganza to kickstart 2012 on Saturday, January 7.
In the meantime I’m looking forward to sitting back and enjoying festive racing highlights from Kempton Park and Wetherby on Boxing Day. This year’s renewal of the King George VI Chase looks like it could be one of the best ever.
I’ll certainly be on the edge of my seat at 3.10pm on Monday when the great Kauto Star lines up with his stablemate Master Minded to take on last year’s winner, Long Run. It promises to be a real cracker.
I feel Long Run may well be improved after his Haydock run where he was behind Kauto Star. I’ll certainly be popping my Christmas money on him.
The first race on the Kempton card at 12.50pm has an interesting runner for Flat racing’s newest big supporter, Pearl Bloodstock, in Vulcanite.
Dunaden, owned by the same operation, won this year’s Melbourne Cup and Vulcanite has apparently been electric over his hurdles at the yard of trainer Charlie Longsdon.
I am not sure what price he will be but he’s one to watch.
The Christmas Hurdle at 2.35pm is a wide-open contest with a few faces that we will all recognise from the StanJames.com Fighting Fifth Hurdle. Overturn is likely to line up if the ground remains decent along with Binocular, who he defeated here at Newcastle.
I am sure Binocular will have come on for that run and will give a better account of himself.
It’s bound to be a thriller as we know Overturn will bound away in front, setting a good pace from the off.
Other exciting festive races in Ireland will be the Istabraq Festival Hurdle with the anticipated return of Hurricane Fly hanging on whether Willie Mullins thinks he is fit enough to run.
Also, Rubi Light is an exciting prospect in the Lexus Chase for trainer Robbie Hennessy – who is better associated with Sublimity, the ex Champion Hurdle winner.
Well there’s my Christmas money up the swanny!
All the best from everyone at Gosforth Park and here’s to another exciting year of racing in 2012 with plenty more kind weather.
For more information or to buy tickets for the January 7 race day, call 0191 236 2020 or please go to www.newcastle- racecourse.co.uk
:: James Armstrong is clerk of the course at Newcastle Racecourse
