Racing weekend fills hotels across region

Nov 26 2007 By Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

TENS of thousands of racegoers flocked to Merseyside at the weekend for one of the region’s biggest events of the year.

The Northwest Racing Masters is one of the area’s major sporting and social weekends, with racing at both Haydock Park and Aintree Racecourse., it attracts around thousands of visitors, with many coming over from Ireland for the double-header from the two courses.

Around 18,000 racing fans were expected to attend, many coming over from Ireland: the event, with much of the event’s popularity because it is seen as an ideal opportunity to soak up the unique atmosphere of the races without having to wait until the Grand National in April.

It is also a rare chance to see horses jump the Grand National fences and so is widely seen as a chance to spot possible contenders for the major meeting in the spring. Hotels in the region were booked out with visitors from across the UK and Ireland combining the weekend with a stay in Liverpool or Southport.

Dickon White, Managing Director of Haydock Racecourse, said: "This year’s racing has been excellent, we had a excellent turn-out. This year shows the Northwest Racing Masters has come of age and is a firm fixture in the year’s calendar."

"Everyone one here worked extremely hard to make the weekend a success and we hope to welcome even more vistors to sample our unique racing experience next year.

Julian Thick, Managing Director of Aintree Racecourse, said the weekend had been a great racing festival.

He said: "The Northwest Racing Masters has been a fantastic weekend and a great success.

"We had brilliant Christmas entertainment for all the family and hopefully mums and dads managed to do some shopping for presents as well. "It’s a great start to the jump racing season and we hope have many more days like this over the course of the year."

Martin King, Director of Tourism for The Mersey Partnership, said: "We have been delighted to work with Haydock Park and Aintree Race- courses to create a great weekend and boost tourism on Merseyside."

"It's some great news as we end 2007 and look forward to our year in the spotlight in 2008"

This year there were plenty of highlights for racing fans, with Kauto Star emerging from his heroics in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in top form, according to trainer Paul Nicholls.

The seven-year-old held old adversary Exotic Dancer for a fourth time by half a length in the hands of Sam Thomas.

Thomas successfully filled the riding boots of the injured Ruby Walsh to partner Kauto Star for owner Clive Smith and trainer Paul Nicholls to victory in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday.

He went on to make the most of his chance by completing a treble, before taking the Becher Chase on Mr Pointment, also for Nicholls, over the Grand National fences at Aintree on Sunday.

At Aintree Sir Monty routed a decent-looking field to spring a 66-1 shock in the Weatherbys Bank Maiden Hurdle.

liammurphy@dailypost.co.uk