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Musselburgh happy to complement Dublin Racing Festival

Frodon won at Musselburgh in February 2017Frodon won at Musselburgh in February 2017
© Photo Healy Racing

Musselburgh is ready to welcome in jump racing’s great and good again for its own annual “mini-Cheltenham” next month.

There is a proud roll of honour already of famous equine graduates from previous editions of the Bet365 Scottish Cheltenham Trials.

As the first weekend in February fast approaches, Musselburgh general manager and chief executive Bill Farnsworth gladly reels off names such as Charbel, Frodon, last year’s Triumph Hurdle Trial winner We Have A Dream — and, from the earlier days of an event which has grown over the past decade, Gordon Elliott pair Clarcam and Carlito Brigante.

The last on that list is not least, because it is the 2011 Coral Cup winner who ensures Cheltenham Festival glory on their combined CV — although none yet has managed to double up in the same season.

That remains instead merely on the wish-list — but either way, for a track which has been mired in what Farnsworth admits has sometimes felt like “cats and dogs fighting” at board level, a proper morale boost awaits for hard-working staff and enthusiastic Scottish jumps fans alike.

“This isn’t the easiest time of year to get a big crowd,” said Farnsworth, who anticipates around 4,000 paying customers over two days.

“It’s not like Ladies Day in mid-summer — but that was never the intention of this fixture.

“It is a stepping stone for all the horses, to Cheltenham if that’s where they are going — or Aintree, Ayr, the other spring Festivals — and it works brilliantly.

“It is a hugely enthusiastic National Hunt crowd, there for the horses — to see the good ones and the top trainers and jockeys from north and south.”

On the bigger stage, Musselburgh must share the weekend’s limelight — and pre-Cheltenham intrigue — with the much younger, powerhouse Dublin Racing Festival.

Across the Irish Sea at Leopardstown, championship contenders over fences and hurdles will be in cut-and-thrust action.

Farnsworth is happy to doff his cap, and there is a smile in his voice when he adds: “We take quite a lot of satisfaction out of the fact we identified this weekend 10 years ago, and Ireland has now copied it.

“We don’t think they do impact on each other, because (the Dublin Festival) is providing stepping stones for Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle winners — and spends serious money on it.

“They complement each other.

“We’re providing trials for all the other (Cheltenham Festival) races, and I think we’ve just about cracked it.

“It has got stronger and stronger every year.”

There is no sign of any blip on the graph either.

“The only worry I have is if the big yards ever stopped coming,” said Farnsworth.

“There doesn’t seem to be any prospect of that happening — which is great, because this is a crowd that wants to see these potential stars, trainers and jockeys up close.

“It is like our mini-Cheltenham — we just love it.”

He does not fudge the thorny issue which has rumbled on malevolently in the background at Musselburgh but, it is hoped, may finally reach an acceptable conclusion by the autumn.

A power struggle between East Lothian Council and the Lothian Racing Syndicate has rarely been pretty, and the current reality is that Musselburgh has a temporary licence from the British Horseracing Authority to race until October.

“There is no doubt it has been a difficult five years because of the tension — which has come to a head,” said Farnsworth, whose track will form part of a new three-day climax to the jumps season in the north of England next year together with Carlisle and Kelso.

“Both sides have accepted they need to let someone else run the racecourse, and I think the new operators will be found for the start of the next jumps season.

“The racecourse has done well. But I would say it has done well despite the tension that has been there on a massive level.

“It is full credit to the staff here that they get on with it and keep putting on great race days — even if some directors are fighting like cat and dog at times.”

Racing continues to provide a much-needed antidote — all the more so should much-improved 2017 Scottish Future Champion Novice Chase winner Frodon excel himself at Cheltenham this year as a feasible Gold Cup outsider.

“We’re claiming Frodon as one of ours,” said Farnsworth.

“But it would be lovely to have one that wins at Musselburgh in February and then Cheltenham in March.

“It will happen one day, and it will be fantastic.”