With just one trial still to be held, and that runner Starburst already qualified among the 36, Central Park will provide more than half the runners for Wednesday’s Springbok first round trap draw.
Ricky Holloway has the fastest qualifier in Droopys Denny with a 29.26 (-30) run for the 480m hurdle course. The likely ante post favourite has won wins and two second places in race company.
The busiest man next Sunday will be Barry O’Sullivan with 10 qualifiers.
As was previously reported in Racing Post, Central Park have now taken over the rights to the Champion Hurdle.
Track spokesman Barry Stanton said: ” I can say we’re delighted Clive Feltham ceded ownership of the Champion Hurdle to us and very grateful to RPGTV for sponsoring the event later in the year. This is the last leg of the triple hurdle crown that Roger Cearns has put up a £10K bonus for a single winner of all three competitions this year.”
Stanton has also confirmed that he is unhappy with the BGRF following their recent decision to cap the £5 contribution to prize money.
He said: “We’re challenging the BGRF to review their divisive decision to cap the level of greyhounds per week that can benefit from the £5 per runner that had been available. Because funds are short they decided in their wisdom that only the first 336 dogs would benefit.
“This is in direct opposition to what was originally intended by the bookmakers that every dog and every owner would benefit equally. The tracks affected are those with the greater number of races, mainly those contracted to SIS, and ironically it is those tracks that generate the most turnover in shops and thereby the greater contribution to the fund.”
Trainer Luke Morrison is a new name on the Central Park racecard.
Stanton said: ” Luke Morrison is settling in well and he is our first trainer to be part of our trainer development scheme. He’s up to 16 graders and recently had his first graded and first open winner as a professional trainer.
“Depending on the success of this initiative it will be rolled out further to increase the number of up and coming individuals within the sport who want to make professional training their career at Central Park”
