Enthusiasts see their sport booming despite the abysmal weather

8:40am Friday 29th August 2008

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HARNESS racing enthusiasts are refusing to let the weather wreak havoc with their season despite last weekend’s loss of the Welsh Classic meeting at Tregaron.

The sport is bouncing back with a huge entry for the televised Boughrood meeting next Sunday, which boasts a coveted S4C ‘Crock of Gold’ qualifier.

Horses will be off and pacing at the Boughrood track (near Glasbury) on Sunday at 1 pm.

Drivers and trainers from the region will continue their quest to assist in the quantum leap forward that the sport has made today (Thursday), when a Trial Harness Race will be held on the polytrack at Dunstall Park, Wolverhampton. Bookmakers William Hill are sponsoring a Championship Series at Dunstall Park in September, offering £25,000 in prize money.

Pacers from all over the UK and Ireland have been invited to contest the ground-breaking heats, which will be the last events (9.20 pm) on the card of evening thoroughbred races on September 12, 19 and 20, qualifying for a 12-horse final for the largest first prize ever offered for a harness race in Great Britain, £12,000, on September 26.

All these races will be screened live into betting shops and by the At The Races channel.

David Hood, the PR director of William Hill, will be gingerly trying the sulky seat for the first time at Dunstall Park after Thursday's Trial Race, when he takes up the reins of the top class pacer, Blue Russian for a 'jog'.