Pelaw Grange’s big Sky date is still a couple of months away but the enthusiastic North East circuit is already well advanced with their plans, which they hope will enhance their profile in the sport in a similar manner to those other ambitious northern racecourses Kinsley and Doncaster that are on the up writes John Forbes.
The feature events are the £5,000-to-the-winner Pinpoint Recruitment Trophy over 435 metres and the McKenna Family Anniversary Stayers over 590 and they will start with heats on Sunday, August 2 leading to finals in front of the cameras on Tuesday August 11, but trainers will have the opportunity to give their charges an early sighting of the track.
Racing manager Dave Gray has organised opens for the meetings on Sundays, July 19 and 26, the first sponsored by Savva Roberts and the second by Pinpoint, which will be virtual trials stakes for the main events and supporting opens on the August 2 programme backed by Pinpoint means that it will be an all-open card.
Gray says: “The Sunderland Festival will be over by the time we get round to the build-up to our competitions and I am putting on these additional opens as I feel it is advantageous to have a look round our track because of its unique style. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to be able to show what we have to offer to everyone in the sport and we will also be busty tidying everything up and getting it just right for the Sky cameras.”
