When Yarmouth closed for track repairs, almost a year ago, there were cynics who suggested it would never reopen. Stalls selling humble pie would be appropriate, then, when it resumes action this weekend on a new surface that one trainer yesterday compared favourably to Newbury and Doncaster.
Phil McEntee, based in Newmarket, is one of Yarmouth’s biggest supporters and attended a pivotal trial at the Norfolk seaside venue ten days ago, when it received permission from the British Horseracing Authority to get back to business.
The belated approval, after an earlier rejection, came after Arena Racing Company (ARC), the owners, had spent £300,000 on resurfacing. Ridges and undulations, which were deterring some trainers from running horses there, have been removed.
“I’ve been going to Yarmouth 15 years and it’s as lush as I’ve ever seen it,” McEntee said. “It’s a beautiful, level track now, like Newbury and Doncaster. There will be no excuses.
“I galloped three horses at their trials’ day and it rode really well. I also walked the course with various jockeys, trainers and ground staff and it has knitted together nicely.”
Advertisement
Racing was first recorded at Yarmouth 300 years ago and it was once a regular nursery ground for some of the leading two-year-olds trained in Newmarket, which is 70 miles away. In 1998, for instance, the outstanding Dubai Millennium won on his debut at the course and, five years later, Ouija Board, the subsequent dual Oaks winner, won a maiden there.
In more recent times, quality and quantity has been in decline, and that has also caused attendances to dip. ARC needed a remedy and the early signs are that they have found one. Sunday’s seven-race card has drawn 176 entries —74 more than two years ago — and many top yards could be represented. Demand for tickets has also been high, with advance sales up 20 per cent on 12 months ago and the restaurant sold out.
“Some trainers openly admitted that they were not sending horses here because they said the ridges and undulations were getting worse,” Glenn Tubby, executive director at the course, said. “I cannot think of one who would come to us now and say ‘I’m not going to send a horse to Yarmouth because it is too flat’.
“It’s still a young track and has got some maturing to do, but the reason for this project is to hopefully create one of the best turf miles in the country.
“Ridges and undulations are not good for two-year-old maidens who, perhaps, have not seen a racecourse before, so that was another reason to change. We want quality juveniles who maybe will go on to be a Derby winner, which is what we used to have here in the past. That is definitely one of our ambitions, to get back that reputation.”
Advertisement
The flip side is that horses with a penchant for Yarmouth’s former idiosyncrasies could be nullified. These include the McEntee-trained Jonnie Skull, who will seek to gain an eighth course victory on Sunday provided the ground is not too soft.
“He’s so well balanced that the undulations did not make any difference to him,” McEntee said. “He loved the old place but, now that they have evened things out, he may never win there again. It will be interesting to see how he performs.”