Two significant memories stand
out from the winter of 2014 at Worcester Racecourse. The first is the angry floods which drowned
the course for days on end, and the second has to be the spectacular display by
local horse, Pineau De Re to win the Crabbies Grand National.
The January and February floods,
accompanied by savage storms were responsible for ripping up the running rail,
washing away tarmac and decking, the loss of 2 very rare Indian Bean trees, and
water levels which left a 5 foot tide line inside the Owners and Trainers
bar. It was nature at its worst.
More encouragingly, when the
waters finally receded, the grass picked up rapidly and the kinder warmth of
the March sunshine helped to restore the track to somewhere near normality in a
relatively short space of time.
The Grand National was a
phenomenal success for Claines trainer, Richard Newland. Speaking to his assistant trainer, Rod Trow
at the yard the day before the big race, he said that Pineau De Re had come out
of his Cheltenham race well, but that he was a
little apprehensive of how the horse would take to the pomp and ceremony of the
Aintree occasion.
We were delighted for the Newland
team who regularly have runners at Pitchcroft and indeed plan to parade their
stable star at a Worcester
meeting in the near future.
There were three former Worcester runners in the
Grand National this year. Balthazar
King, who won his chasing debut with us and finished a very creditable runner
up, Lost Glory who finished the race but was unplaced, and the somewhat
disgraced Battle Group who refused to start, denying Brendan Powell junior his
first ride in the race.
The recent annual Worcestershire
Hunt point to point at Chaddesley Corbett was a huge success which only goes to
underline the level of support for horse racing in this county.Over 5,000 people packed the
track on the sunny Easter Saturday afternoon at which Worcester Racecourse sponsored
the opening hunt members’ race. This was
won by amateur jockey turned point to point trainer, Tom Weston from Hindlip,
aboard Cold Knight. Coincidentally, Weston
also won the first race of the new season at Pitchcroft last year on Mount Welcome
In the month when Paul Nicholls
regained the champion trainer title from Nicky Henderson, Nicholls was present
to watch his daughter, Megan win the Ladies Open race on Gwanako at Chaddesley. The trainer had nothing but praise for the
track and said it had been several years since he had last been there.
With 22 fixtures stretching ahead
until the end of October, it will be interesting to see if Jonjo O’Neill can
regain his 2013 Worcester trainer’s title, and if Ladies day on the Saturday 7 June can bring in another record crowd this year. There is so much to look forward
to as we put the wet and windy winter months firmly behind us and return with
gusto to the business of racing.
Racing resumes at Pitchcroft
this evening, when the first race is due off at 5.30pm. For more information, visit our website, www.worcester-racecourse.co.uk.
