Musselburgh ready to crown Scottish champions

Musselburgh racecourse is hoping for a 5,000-strong crowd on Saturday when the East Lothian track hosts a £100,000 “Champions Day”, bringing together Scotland’s top Class 5 and 6 horses.

The Betfair Bonus Scottish Flat Racing Series has been played out over the summer months at Ayr, Hamilton and Musselburgh, with the best runners at each track qualifying for Champions Day. More than 40 horses have qualified for each of the three Champion’s Finals – a sprint, a one-mile race and a stayer – and Musselburgh general manager Bill Farnsworth predicts the day will be “ultra competitive” with an expected maximum 14 field in all races.

Top prize in each final is £25,000 with three consolation races of £8,000 each providing comfort for those entrants which don’t make the final cut.

Farnsworth said: “As you would expect for the kind of prize money on offer, the Champion’s Finals promise to be seriously competitive and the huge entries underline how much owners and trainers have got behind the Betfair Bonus Flat Racing Series.

“Champion’s Day will feature the best of those horses which racegoers have been watching all summer at Ayr, Hamilton and our own course and the three successful horses can effectively be crowned Scottish Champions.

“As well as the excellent prize money up for grabs, with Betfair’s support the prize money for each qualifying race was improved by as much as 60 per cent on the average flat meeting, so the whole event has been a welcome boost to Scottish racing. The number of runners in the qualifying races was noticeably higher than other meetings, which shows the Scottish Flat Racing Series has grabbed the attention of owners and trainers.”

Meanwhile, jumps jockey Jason Maguire faces a spell on the sidelines after injuries suffered in a fall at Cartmel at the weekend turned out to be more serious than first thought. Maguire parted company with Keyneema and was airlifted to hospital. He was discharged with what were thought to be minor injuries but he sought a second opinion and doctors have found that he has picked up a spinal injury.