North West Hunts Club
Tabley
Sunday 18th May 2008
by Arthur Shone

The North West Hunts Club bring the curtain down on the 2007/2008 season in the North Western Area at Tabley this Sunday May 18th 2008. Their fixture has a attracted a bumper entry of 182, which is an increase of 28% on the corresponding meeting last season.

Clerk of the course Rob Hankey listed the going as Good with good to firm patches on Monday May 12th 2008. Speaking earlier today, Hankey said, "We will start watering the course from tomorrow (Tuesday) and will continue to do so as necessary up until the day of the meeting to ensure that the going is good on the day. We have sited the fences on fresh ground and overall we have a very good covering of grass all over the course."

The North West Hunts Club will be updating their website prior to this Sunday’s fixture, their address is www.knutsfordraces.co.uk. The original Knutsford races took place from 1729-1857.

Admission to this popular Cheshire course, is £30 per car for reserved car parking, £20 per car for normal car parking, with Single occupancy charged at £10.

Racing comes under starters orders at 2.00pm, and it is going to be a busy finale with 8 races on the card, there is an extra race this year in the shape of a 10yr old and over PPORA Club Members Conditions race which will be run at 6.15pm and will be the last race of our season.

The feature race on the card is the Dobson & Horrell PPORA Club Members Race For Novice Riders Championship Final. The sponsors have put a grand in prize money into this race, with the first rider past the judge collecting £700.00.

One of the most popular races on the card is Coniston Hotel Gordon Crawford Memorial Men’s Open race. The race commemorates the late bookmaker from Nantwich, who for many years was a great ambassador for this area. He used to provide ante post market for horses and riders in the North Western area for over 20 years. It is fitting that Bangor on Dee also have a memorial race to Crawford as he was instrumental in establishing the Bangor Final, a race that he won last year with Border Fusion, who was ridden by his friend and trainer Gary Hanmer.