'I’m hoping it will be something decent to watch for a number of weeks and not just short term!' - racing gets ready for Euro 2024

Racing pros from England and Scotland are expecting to juggle a busy racing calendar with watching their country hopefully rise to glory at Euro 2024, while tracks clashing with England's group matches are devising plans to accommodate racegoers.

While Thirsk is not showing England’s opening match against Serbia at 8pm on Sunday after its late-afternoon Sky Bet Sunday Series fixture, all five British tracks hosting racing on Thursday will televise England’s second game against Denmark at 5pm. 

Euro 2024 begins with hosts Germany facing Scotland on Friday evening and Robert Havlin, who knows midfielder Billy Gilmour having grown up in the same North Ayrshire region, will be tuning in after riding at Sandown in the afternoon.

Havlin said: “We’ve taken a massive fanbase out there, which will help, and I’m looking forward to watching it. I know a lot of Billy's family back home so I’ll be cheering him on. I’m hoping it will be something decent to watch for a number of weeks and not just short term!”

Trainer Iain Jardine will be supporting Scotland but does not have any great expectations for the Tartan Army, who are 200-1 to win the tournament.

“I’d be more hopeful than confident,” said Jardine. “It’s an interesting first game against Germany and we’re big outsiders for the tournament. It would be nice to see us do well but I’m not holding my breath.”

Jack Channon’s father and former trainer Mick was a striker for England in the 1970s and the family will be keeping close tabs on the action.

Channon jnr said: “We have an outstanding chance and hopefully Gareth [Southgate] can get us playing well as a unit as we have some of the best attacking talent in the world.

“England always seem to flatter to deceive but hopefully this is a tournament where they don’t. There’s some big racing going on at the same time but when we can we’ll watch it all as a family.”

Newmarket trainer Charlie Fellowes is hoping the Three Lions, who are 4-1 joint-favourites with France, can go all the way to lift the country's morale.

Fellowes said: “We have the most exciting bunch of players we've had in a very long time, especially in attack, so I hope Gareth can play to their strengths. The country needs a boost right now so it would be great if they could go and do the business.”

Ascot will be showing the England v Denmark game on screens around the course on Gold Cup day, while Chelmsford and Ripon, also hosting their own ladies' day on Thursday afternoon, will televise the football in a bar. Lingfield and Wolverhampton stage evening fixtures, with racegoers who have purchased a sports-package ticket able to watch the football.

Read more . . .

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