Ahead of the Cheltenham Festival 2019, Musselburgh has requested special permission to hold their Cheltenham Trials Day next week. This is the biggest NH fixture on the East Lothian track.
Because of the weather and the recent equine influenza outbreak, this event was cancelled twice. It was already set last Sunday, with a record-breaking prize money of more than £165,000 for a single day. However, the race did not happen due to BHA’s decision to put the races in lockdown, which lasted for six days.
Now that the lockdown was lifted, the people of Musselburgh is hoping to hold the Cheltenham Racing Trials again after all of its cancellations. Bill Farnsworth, racecourse boss, said that the BHA had expressed support for this by promising to provide additional opportunities in the future. But as of the moment, they are just adding extra races to a couple of cards.
Farnsworth also said that the BHA is now in favour of holding the races on February 23rd since the horses that received vaccines will become eligible to race. If their request for a replacement fixture can be staged on February 22, Musselburgh can give everything they got for the Cheltenham Festival Trials. On top of that, it is also a huge help for them as they already lost a number of fixtures in the northern area.
According to Farnsworth, the Trial Races is a significant part in preparing for the annual Cheltenham Festival 2019 where plenty of people participates.
This story appeared on https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/more-sport/musselburgh-ask-bha-for-special-permission-to-host-cheltenham-trials-next-week-1-4872321. Click the link for more details.
Never let yourself be left behind with the latest news and tips for the Cheltenham Festival. Visit our website for more Cheltenham Festival updates.
