Newmarket hosts “grey horse” race

Racegoers attending Newmarket races on Saturday (16 August) will be able to bet on a new kind of race at the meeting, which is destined to go down in history.

The track is to stage an exclusive event for grey horses only, called the SportingOdds.com Grey Horse Handicap, which will be over six furlongs.

Permission to stage the race was given only after the course agreed to provide an equivalent event for brown, bay and chestnut horses at the same meeting, which will take place on Friday evening.

“It will be fantastic to see a big field of greys battling it out up the Newmarket straight,” said Lisa Hancock, managing director of the course.

“At the end of the day it’s something fun and a bit different. We’re hoping that a lot of people will come along and enjoy the spectacle.”

The £10,000 handicap has already caught the imagination of owners and trainers, attracting an impressive 25 entries at the five-day entry stage, of which at least 15 are expected to run.

The idea came from a race in Melbourne, which was attended by Newmarket’s director Peter Jensen. Peter was surprised that nobody had thought to do the same in Britain.

Greys are often cited as a popular choice among the betting public, as Alistair Haggis from Newmarket points out: “When people are new to betting, or they don’t fancy anything else, they will often bet on the grey.

“Greys stand out, look great and there is undoubtedly something a bit special about them, so we thought it would be nice to reflect that this season,” he added.

For tickets and further information contact Newmarket races (tel: 01638 663482) or visit: www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk.