Clwb Trotian Tregaron marks its 40th year in 2024 and to celebrate will run a slot race at its feature race festival at the end of the summer.
The Clasur Cymru - Welsh Classic is a race of the highest prestige within British harness racing. The move to make it a slot race event will see the total prize purse grow to £100,000, which will make it the richest pacing horse race in Europe and the richest of its type on turf in the world.
In a slot race, the slot refers to an automatic entry/starting position within the race. These slots are sold as licences, with the slot owner entitled to start whichever eligible horse they determine in the race.
Slot holders can nominate the horse starting in their slot anytime up until close of entries. They can do so by nominating a horse they own to participate or negotiating with the connections of other eligible horses.
Club director Huw Evans said: “As a club we have always looked for new trends in global harness racing that we look to incorporate into our race meetings and have been impressed with the success of the slot race initiative.
“With slot racing you don’t need to own the racehorse to get involved and the true beauty of the concept is the flexibility it offers slot holders to negotiate with horse owners a partnership that works for the slot holder.”
The change to a slot race for the Clasur Cymru, effectively gives supporters of the club and its festival a greater opportunity to participate.
Huw added: ““The people of Tregaron and the county of Ceredigion have traditionally been true horse lovers, this being the birthplace for the Welsh Cob, a breed that has gone on to be exported and enjoyed in all corners of the globe.
“This local enthusiasm for the horse and picturesque setting goes a long way to explaining why the best from England, Ireland and Scotland make the annual pilgrimage to Tregaron to take on the Welsh.”
For more information, contact either Huw by email at huwevans.evans@btconnect.com or Mike at dragonheartstables@hotmail.com