SCOTLAND’S first flat meeting of the season – at Musselburgh on Easter Sunday – will play host to three of the UK’s leading jockeys.
Fans favourite Frankie Dettori and Kieren Fallon, who have between them nine champion jockey titles, will be joined by leading northern jockey Paul Hanagan, who rode 119 winners last year and has got his 2010 campaign off to a blistering start.
Says a spokesperson:” Godolphin retained Dettori has his eye on challenging champion jockey Ryan Moore for the title, and with a declared target of 150 winners this season, returns to Musselburgh for the first time since Easter 2007.
“Fallon, meanwhile, is determined to make every race count following his enforced holiday due to an 18-month ban which ended last September, and has opted to travel north to the Edinburgh course for the UK’s only flat meeting on Sunday.
“Hanagan, a 25-1 shot for the champion jockey title, will have the pick of Malton based trainer Richard Fahey’s stables which last year saddled 165 winners and he is not making the trip just to make up the numbers.”
Musselburgh Racecourse general manager, Bill Farnsworth, is delighted to attract the cream of the crop of UK jockeys for the opening meeting of the season.
He said: “It’s a great way to start the flat season in Scotland and will give our race goers an up-close view of who will be contending the championship six months down the line.
“Dettori is a crowd-pleaser wherever he goes, Fallon is still a force to be reckoned with and Hanagan is one of the brightest prospects in UK racing, so the stage is set for a wonderful day’s racing. Each of these guys will be there or thereabouts at the business end of the season so I hope the crowds will come out in large numbers to see them in action.
“We had a challenging time over the winter which caused a number of cancelled meeting but we are raring to go and have some real high quality fixtures in the coming months, including the £50,000 Scottish Sprint Cup and the £80,000 totepool Edinburgh Cup, both on June 5.”
Feature race of the seven card meeting is the £20,000 totesuper7 Musselburgh Gold Cup handicap, which is the fourth race and run over 1 mile 6 furlongs.
As its Easter Sunday, Musselburgh is combining the turf action with a massive family day and a host of free child-friendly attractions. Gates open at 11.30am, first race is off at 2.20pm and online booking qualify for a discount on entry price. For full details visit www.musselburgh-racecourse.co.uk
Ends
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Contact: Stephen Rafferty
Phone: +44(0)7980 598764
Email: moreinfo@surepr.co.uk
Website: http://www.musselburgh-racecourse.co.uk
