Following the news that the William Hill Festival at Sunderland will be unaffected by the failure to reach a broadcast deal with SKY, sister track Newcastle have confirmed that their double-header, the Puppy Derby and All England Cup will go ahead in the autumn as planned.
GM Ian Walton said: “Both events will definitely be staged with the same prize money as last year, though we are looking at options as to which days we run them and whether to split up the competitions. I am still speaking to Hills but expect to make an announcement this week.”
The move could prove a bonus for RPGTV viewers with at least part of the competitions likely to be televised on the Thursday evening slot.
Meanwhile Ladbrokes’ Richard Brankley has confirmed that Monmore’s Gold Cup meeting will also go ahead with no cut in prize money, though there is a possibility that the prize money for the supporting opens might be reduced.
“We will sit down and look at the figures and make a decision in due course.”
