Salisbury Racecourse doesn’t tend to get an enormous amount of attention, but it will take centre-stage on Sunday. It’s one of the most-important days of the year, for the Wiltshire venue and the Listed Cathedral Stakes tops the bill. Here are 3 horses that have more than just a prayer…
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Age: 4 (Foaled April 29th, 2013)
Sex: Chestnut Gelding
Breeding: Elnadim (USA) – Chiloe Wigeon (IRE) (Docksider (USA))
Trainer: R A Fahey
Owner: Mr N D Kershaw & Partner
Richard Fahey’s 4-year-old won the rich Longholes Handicap, at Headquarters in May. Impressively, the Enaldim-sired gelding was able to give talented stablemate Eastern Impact 5lb and still beat him by over a length. 3rd in the Listed Leisure Stakes, at Windsor, last time out.
Mythmaker
Age: 5 (Foaled April 20th, 2012)
Sex: Bay Gelding
Breeding: Major Cadeaux – Mythicism (Oasis Dream)
Trainer: B Smart
Owner: Crossfields Racing
He’s not the most-consistent horse in the world and his starting-price often gives little away about his likely finishing position, but Mythmaker was at his commanding best when defeating Aeolus by a neck at Haydock in May. Should go close, if he’s in the mood.
Spring Fling
Age: 6 (Foaled March 29th, 2011)
Sex: Bay Mare
Breeding: Assertive – Twilight Mistress (Bin Ajwaad (IRE))
Trainer: H Candy
Owner: Six Too Many & Mr T A Frost
Did well to hold-on and win, despite hanging badly, at Haydock in September. Henry Candy’s inmate looked completely out of sorts, at Nottingham, but bounced back to finish 4th of 10 in the Listed Cecicl Frail Stakes despite getting hampered. Likely to be a lot shorter in the market, this time around though.
Others with a genuine chance include Stellarta, Pixeleen, Eqtiraan, Glass Office and Andrew Balding’s Dark Shot.
Racing At Salisbury
Only flat racing is held at Salisbury Racecourse. The course is a little bit too far to walk to from Salisbury town-centre, being over 4 miles away. There are 15 different meetings held here, each year. Racing begins at the start of May and carries through until the middle of October.
It’s a truly historic equine racing venue and racing has been held at Salisbury since the middle part of the 16th-century – a time when the Tudors were on the British throne. Some legendary horses have graced the Salisbury turf, including Gimcrack, Eclipse, Sun Chariot, Mill Reef and Brigadier Gerard. More recent equine stars such as Sir Percy and Look Here have also raced on this old track.
Salisbury also saw the racing debut of Steve Cauthen and it was here that the great Lester Piggott first rode in public. That was just after the end of the Second World War, in 1948.
Salisbury Sundays
Salisbury Downland Racecourse (to give the venue it’s full name) is well known for drawing big crowds to the Sunday meetings it holds 3 times a year. The most-important race to be held here is the Sovereign Stakes and this takes place in August.
The course is regarded as being somewhat testing for horses and not suited to those who are new to racing. There are some difficult bends to negotiate which certainly make life tough for the runners and riders.
There is a one-mile straight course which involves a gradual climb. There is another course for races of between one and two miles. Part of the course is looped. For some of the longer races, the horses begin by running the wrong way up the straight! They then turn through the loop before rejoining the straight (this time facing in the correct direction) and racing towards the winning-post which is close to the point where they started from. A low draw is much preferred in the sprint races and this is particularly true when the ground is soft.
Those wanting to watch the action can take their pick from two grandstands. However one of these is only for members. Compared to most courses in the United Kingdom, Salisbury is rather traditional. A formal dress-code is not strictly enforced on most parts of the track, but spectators tend to dress a bit smarter than at other similarly-sized racing venues.
Betting With RaceBets
A trip to Salisbury races is not terribly expensive, though. This is a fine old course and well worth the trip. Why not create a RaceBets account and get all of your bets on beforehand? We offer a terrific welcome bonus and have a whole-host of other brilliant promotions that you simply cannot get from the on-course bookmakers.
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