SANDOWN PARK RACECOURSE COMES TO 'ATTEN-TION'!
The cavalry comes to Sandown Park Racecourse for a top day of racing with the Help for Heroes Royal Artillery Gold Cup Day on Friday 19th February.
The racecourse is delighted to have teamed up with Help for Heroes for Royal Artillery Day, one of the UK's most prominent charities and boasting unrivalled success for such a relatively young and 'compact' organisation. Their work has truly captured the heart of the nation and in just 2 short years they have raised over £23m to fund some incredible projects for the real heroes.
The Royal Artillery Gold Cup falls during half term and what better way to entertain and educate your children than to bring them to a historical day of racing where you can enjoy the music from the Royal Artillery Band, experience life in the Royal Artillery and visit their museum stand exhibiting a selection of medals and memorabilia and selling historical books. There will be army tanks and trucks for racegoers to look round and also a 'fun' army assault course. At 13.00 a gun will be fired to announce the start of the racing. As a special offer for this raceday, adults can enjoy a reduced entrance price for only £10 when booked in advance. The Royal Artillery Hunt will be parading and racegoers can head down to the course to mingle with the Master of Hounds and hear the calling of the Huntsman Horn.
The racecourse is delighted to announce the first 'Heroes Parade', which launches the 2011 Heroes Cup. The Army has appealed for injured serving or former military riders to train for a charity flat race on one of the military days in the racing calendar. The race is open not just to injured military riders but to those non-riders who can reach the requisite standard through training and in doing so celebrate their success in overcoming adversity by 'battling back' to equestrian fitness accomplishing something that many would not attempt even if fully fit. Each of the riders will start or have already started training for one of the toughest challenges in their rehabilitation in preparing for this exciting race. Trainers Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls as well as the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery have each offered support to assist in the training of the riders through 2010.
The parade will take place in the Parade Ring at 13.45 prior to the first race and aims to encourage other injured personnel to come forward for the 2011 race. To date soldiers from The Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery, the Royal Artillery, The Royal Engineers and The Royal Ghurka Rifles' have committed to taking part in the race with other regiments showing interest. Each of the soldiers on parade aspires to race in the 2011 Heroes Cup and will parade wearing the racing silks of some of racing's most famous National Hunt owners and be accompanied by uniformed members of the King's Troop.
This is one of Sandown Park's oldest races having been first run at the racecourse in 1863, gathering fame and distinction with every passing year. It is restricted to horses that are owned by members of ex-members, of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. The jockeys, too, must be past or present members of the Armed Services.
For further information or to book in advance general admission, please visit www.sandown.co.uk http://www.sandown.co.uk/> or call 01372 47 00 47.