New Year Sprint has new date and new venue due to Covid

The 152nd New Year Sprint meeting has been re-scheduled for the weekend of January 16-17 next year.

Ian Horsburgh, right, won the 2020 New Year Sprint at Musselburgh Racecourse. Picture: Stewart Attwood

The event is traditionally run on New Year’s Day at Musselburgh racecourse in conjunction with a horseracing meeting but will be staged at a new venue this time around.

Both days of the event will take place at the East Lothian Athletics Arena at Meadowmill Sports Centre in Prestonpans.

The change of date and venue is due to the on-going Covid-19 restrictions.

Entries are now open and will close on November 1. The sprint carries a £5000 first prize.

The New Year Sprint is a professional 110 metres handicap race which can trace its history back to 1870.

It used to be run at the old Powderhall Stadium in Edinburgh before moving to Meadowbank. Both venues have since succumbed to the wrecking ball and the sprint found a new home in Musselburgh in 1999.

It was won this year by veteran Ian Horsburgh.

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