British racing is preparing to return with a bang on Monday, as a ten-race card has been revealed for Newcastle’s all-weather track.
The meeting, which is scheduled to be the first British fixture since the sporting shutdown began, initially attracted 369 entries when set to carry eight races, but the card will now be extended with 120 runners, provided racing is permitted to return on its scheduled restart date.
The June 1 fixture will begin at 1.00pm, with races every 35 minutes until the final contest at 6.15pm.
This is not the first time a ten-race card will be held in Britain, but the move will please owners and trainers with a view to increasing opportunities for horses in training.
The 12-runner fields will showcase some of the nation’s top riders and trainers, including champion jockey Oisin Murphy and champion trainer John Gosden.
The most valuable contest on the card is the Betway Handicap (5.05), with Sir Michael Stoute’s Alignak an interesting contender despite his eight-month absence. The Phil Kirby-trained Ice Pyramid is proven over the course and distance and should have a major say, last seen scoring decisively at the northern venue in February.
The fixture concludes with a pair of maidens that should prove informative with a view to later in the season, with John Gosden’s Frankly Darling likely to take plenty of beating in the first division (5.40). The second division (6.15) sees an interesting newcomer in the shape of Luck On Sunday, a John Quinn-trained three-year-old sister to three-time Group 1 winner Alice Springs.
Simon and Ed Crisford will become the first training partnership in British racing history to have runners on the Monday card, represented by a trio of live chances in the shape of Freedom Flyer (2.10), Rock Of Diamonds (3.55) and Wise Glory (6.15).
The action will be live on Sky Sports Racing on Monday, while terrestrial viewers only have to wait until next Friday when ITV will broadcast 21 races across the following three days.
More to read: