The hard work and dedication of racing staff on Christmas Day — as well as the rest of the year — has been acknowledged in a special video.
Some 6,500 stable staff will work over Christmas to ensure that 14,000 racehorses are exercised, fed and cared for ahead of Boxing Day, one of the biggest and busiest days in the racing calendar.
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Great British Racing created the video to thank racing staff for their efforts over Christmas and to highlight the hard work that goes in to Christmas Day.
2015 Grand National-winning trainer Oliver Sherwood, who appears in the video, said it comes down to the dedication of his staff.
“It’s dedication – end of story. They’ve got to be dedicated to work with horses all year round,” he said.
“Everybody comes in on Christmas Day and they know exactly where they stand, we get the whole lot out very quickly.
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“There’s plenty of jokes, it’s just a question of light-heartedness and being professional at the same time.”
There will be more than 350 horses racing on Boxing Day with over 100 jockeys in action. Fixtures include Fontwell Park, Huntingdon, Kempton Park, Market Rasen, Sedgefield, Wetherby, Wincanton and Wolverhampton.
“This makes it one of the busiest and most exciting days in the racing calendar with eight fixtures taking place all over the country. However, even those which are not racing will be receiving expert care over the Christmas period, just as they do throughout the year,” said a spokesman for Great British Racing.
“If you are keen to get out of the house after being cooped up with the family on Christmas Day then there is no better Boxing Day activity than going to see some top-class racing at one of the eight horse racing fixtures around the country.”
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
