Longsdon on Festival preview panel

It will be held on Wednesday, March 8 at Middleton Cheney Sports & Social Club and will be in aid of Transplant Sport UK.

The event continues to be sponsored by William Hill and is once again supported by an excellent panel. It is made up of Richard Hoiles, ITV’s lead commentator, Chipping Norton trainer Charlie Longsdon, Tom Messenger, assistant trainer to Dan Skelton, Jon Ivan Duke of sponsors William Hill and Paul Jones, an author of more than 15 Cheltenham Festival betting guides.

Tickets cost £10 and can be ordered while stocks last by contacting Andrew Hook at [email protected] or on 07900 692154.

And Longsdon is delighted to see Stratford Racecourse become the seventh racecourse to be using the new style one-fit padded hurdles.

They have been designed by senior BHA course inspector Richard Linley and are covered with a smooth rubber pad and attached with Velcro rather than the traditional birch. It is hoped that the hurdles will not only reduce the number of injuries to horses but also the maintenance required to look after them during and after race meetings.

Longsdon said: “As one of our local courses we have a lot of runners and we like the new style hurdles, the horses respect them more and I feel that makes them jump better.”

Other course which use the new style hurdles are Newton Abbot, Taunton, Exeter, Kelso, Bangor and Uttoxeter.

The new hurdles will be used for the first time on Stratford’s opening meeting of the season, the curtain-raiser to the Cheltenham Festival, on Monday, March 13.