Anticipation is beginning to build in Berkshire ahead of the return of National Hunt racing to Royal Windsor Racecourse this Sunday. The meeting represents the first jumps fixture at the track in over 20 years.
With £100k in prize money on offer across the seven race card and proudly sponsored by Fitzdares, there have been a total of 171 entries made with top trainers such as Nicky Henderson, Dan Skelton and Paul Nicholls all represented.
Windsor staged a gallops morning in November for trainers and jockeys to experience the layout of the track and provide invaluable feedback to racecourse chiefs.
Six-time Champion Trainer Nicky Henderson was in attendance and is excited at the prospect of Windsor welcoming jumpers once again.
He said: “It's great to be back and it's a great incentive. It's going to be different because it's not going to be the traditional figure of eight. The back straight will be lovely, and a bit like going down the back at Newbury. It's an exciting and welcome new addition for racing.”
Clerk of the Course at Windsor, Charlie Rees, has been hard at work with his team acting on the feedback given to him by those who attended the gallops morning and provided an update ahead of racing this weekend.
He said: "We are delighted with today's entries ahead of the return of jump racing to Royal Windsor on Sunday. The going is currently Soft, Good to Soft after a weekend with 9.2mm of rainfall and the high winds brought by Storm Darragh. We have a settled forecast for the week, with light cloud and remaining dry throughout. It looks like a cool start of 2c on Sunday ahead of racing, warming up throughout the morning.
He added: "Following the feedback after our gallops morning in November, we have been able to make a few amendments to the layout of the course. Specifically, the top bend beyond the winning post will now be shared by both hurdlers and chasers. Also, the chase fences down the home straight have been moved to the far side of the track to offer horses racing on that course a more sweeping bend out of the dog leg turn. These moves on the chase course have resulted in some minor distance amendments to those previously advertised, whist the hurdle course remains unaltered."
The action will kick off at 12:10pm with the ‘Fitzdares Welcomes Jumping Back @ Royal Windsor EBF "National Hunt" Novices' Hurdle’ set to be run over 2m4f. Racing will conclude at 3:40pm with The Fitzdares Windsor Christmas Handicap Hurdle over 2m4f.
Tickets for racing at Royal Windsor Racecourse on Sunday 15 December are still available alongside ticket offers for the three day Berkshire Winter Million in January 2025.
