When he first took over a broken Towcester, Kevin Boothby announced plans for a string of Cat 1 events and major non-racing events, like pop concerts. There was an undercurrent of ‘yeah right (snigger) on social media.
Covid might have delayed his plans but they didn’t derail them. Today Towcester stages the latest in a series of new events to the Calendar, the £12,500 Stadium Bookmakers Empress Stakes, to be followed by a huge musical event later in the evening – Towcester Rocks.
Racing Manager Andy Lismore said: “They should both be fabulous events. In terms of the music, this is the big one. The tribute acts have been really popular with over a thousand people here, but these are proper bands in their own rights: Reef, The Feeling, The Hoosiers, Scouting For Girls.
“I have no idea how many tickets they have sold, but we are expecting quite a few early to watch the racing. What a great way to get new people into racing. It should be a fabulous evening.”
In terms of the big race, the RM sums the quality up with a single line
“If the Oaks Final is better quality than this, I’d be very susprised.”
In fact, five of the six in the line-up all featured highly, or won major competitions. The exception being Ritzy Lady, who has only run four times but ran Droopys Aoife to three quarters of a length in the semi finals and is the ‘find’ of the competition.
Andy said: “They are all quality – simple as. I find it very hard to choose between them, but I do have a very soft spot for Ballymac Trend. She loves the place, and won the Juvenile here, and in my book she is the Queen of Towcester. If she comes away at her best, she can lead them and then its ‘race on’.
“It would be nice to see some success for Colin Davey who has sponsored the Property 192 Graders Derby. We hold the regional final, which includes three Henlow dogs, with our own dogs due to run in the other semi at Doncaster on Monday, and we have four in that.”
With so many racing virgins expected to attend the meeting, the Greyhound Ambassadors, Gail May and Carly Philpott will be holding a ‘Meet & Greet’. Joining them with his own ex-racer, the 2017 Steel City Cup winner Tynwald Baz, will be GBGB Managing Director Mark Bird. It should be a hell of a day/night.
Tynwald Baz – on his big night – will be at Towcester today Photo: © Steve Nash
