Stewards Cup success for Star Pelaw but Grand National is cancelled
The Stewards Cup was a great success for Star Pelaw says racing manager Dave Gray but the Grand National is off due to lack of entries.
No Grand National this year
Plans to revive and stage the Grand National have been shelved after Star Pelaw failed to attract enough entries - albeit the north-east venue is not about to give up on its intention to revitalise the code.
Star Pelaw racing manager Dave Gray said: “We were quite a few entries short to be fair, so we taken the decision to cancel and will reassess the situation.
“We’re going to have a look at our overall strategy for hurdles races. We’ll be speaking to trainers to get their views, but are looking at putting some maiden/novice hurdles races into the calendar to try and get a programme of events that will enable us to try and grow the hurdles scene.”
Meanwhile, Gray said he was delighted with how the SIS Star Sports Stewards Cup unfolded with the £10,000 final at the weekend attracting a good crowd and atmosphere to the Chester-le-Street venue.
The former Walthamstow showpiece was upgraded to Category One status this year, making it the first ‘major’ at the track.
“We were really pleased with how everything panned out,” he said. “There was a good crowd and a really great atmosphere around the place and the racing overall went well.
"The Stewards Cup final itself was a big success and I was so pleased for Tom Heilbron and the owners of Ballymac Sargie winning the race again.
"To win back-to-back titles is a fantastic achievement and extra special for Tom given Pelaw Grange, as we used to be, was where it all started for his training career some 12 years ago.
"His rise up towards the top of the Trainer of the Year standings year in, year out now is another reminder of how important grass-roots tracks are to our sport
"The undercard on Saturday was strong and I was personally pleased that we managed to get a marathon on. It’s a category of races which seem to have become more scarce these days and I was pleased that Richie Tabener and Stuart Forsdike, who travelled up with the dogs, managed to take home the prize.
“Doubles on the card for two of the track’s biggest supporters, on-site trainer Glenn Foot and longest traveller Rick Holloway, made the night complete.”
