Ascot `Confident´ Of Hitting Target Officials at Ascot 'remain confident' that the course´s major redevelopment will be complete in time for next year´s Royal meeting. Construction work started at the end of last September and Royal Ascot is being staged at York this year, with other fixtures relocated to Lingfield, Newbury, Salisbury and Windsor. Douglas Erskine-Crum, Ascot´s chief executive, said yesterday: 'We remain confident of being back in advance of the 2006 Royal meeting, but if it should become necessary to revisit this, we will look into contingency plans and alternatives at the time. 'I must stress that the plan remains to be back at Ascot next year. 'The main construction phase is now well under way. We are very pleased with progress on the track and two underpasses and we will be working closely with trainers later this year to begin to trial the new course. 'Ascot´s scheduled reopening date is Saturday May 27 next year, in advance of the 2006 Royal meeting. 'As anticipated and expected, given that now we are some eight months into the redevelopment, some aspects of the project are slightly ahead and some are slightly behind - but only by a matter of weeks, and we are optimistic they are recoverable.' ? PA Sport
