Horse racing: Musselburgh take quality over quantity

Musselburgh's racing programme next year has been slashed - but it's a case of less quantity and much more quality.

The East Lothian track have lost four low-key afternoon fixtures on the flat but have acquired a Saturday date in September with 100,000 in prize money.

The 50,000 Scottish Sprint Cup will move from the track's major day in June to the new September meeting while the Edinburgh Cup will again be the highlight of the June meeting which will now be staged over two days - Friday, June 3 and the following afternoon.

That card will be televised on Channel 4, who also cover the Epsom Derby that day while Musselburgh will also get TV coverage for their New Year's Day jumping fixture which will have a new 25,000 hurdle race and a 20,000 chase on the card.

Musselburgh will break new ground with a two-day fixture on Saturday and Sunday over the Easter weekend - a meeting which will become a regular feature of the East Lothian track's calendar while Ladies Day is scheduled for Friday, June 17. Over jumps, the well- established Cheltenham Trials day will be staged on Sunday, February 6, while the Friday evening fixture in early August will move to a Friday night in June.

"We've gone down from 27 meetings - nine jumps and 18 flat - to just 24, but there's much more quality," said racecourse boss Bill Farnsworth. "This year, saw our number of fixtures peak but 2011 will see the best quality calendar Musselburgh has ever staged.

"Basically we have lost four midweek afternoon fixtures on the flat which were really just betting shop fodder and for which the betting industry won't pay properly and have gained a new Saturday fixture in September which will become a regular date and which has us very excited.

"Moving the Scottish Sprint to that day means it will act as a prep race for the Ayr Gold Cup and could help horses needing to gain a penalty to get into the big race at Ayr a fortnight later

"It won't be a premier fixture yet but we know that we will get 5000-plus racegoers through the turnstiles for a top-class card and it's a date we intend to develop over the next few years.

"We are delighted to extend the Edinburgh Cup meeting to two days - we hope the big race will be worth 100,000 in 2012 - and are really excited about staging a two-day meeting over the Easter holiday weekend."

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"We are delighted to extend the Edinburgh Cup meeting to two days" BILL FARNSWORTH