Newbury in 'strong position' for Coral Gold Cup fixture as ticket sales expected to surpass last year

Newbury chief Shaun Hinds has welcomed the possibility of a bumper crowd across its two-day Coral Gold Cup meeting, with ticket sales expected to surpass last year's fixture.

Tickets have been available for the track's flagship jumps meeting for a number of months and although general admission entry will be available on Saturday – when the feature Coral Gold Cup takes place – other areas are sold out.

Hinds said: "We're in a really strong position and general admission tickets are up 14 per cent for Saturday and 12 per cent for Friday. All of our hospitality is sold out for Saturday and we should get over 12,000 people. We're trying to see if we can build more marquees in 24 hours!

"The sales have been strong early, but it's been consistent and we're still taking enquiries about tickets. After last weekend's weather, I think everyone realises it should be quite pleasant this weekend and they all want to come racing. We're heading for quite a big weekend."

Customers wanting to take advantage of Saturday's action, which also includes a Listed race and the Gerry Feilden, can secure tickets at a discounted price until midnight on Friday.

Newbury will also be involved in the Under Jockeys' Orders initiative, which will see jockeys wear their surnames on the back of their breeches to make them easily identifiable on course and to TV viewers. There will be an autograph session outside the weighing room before the start of racing.

Hinds said: "It's a really exciting time and we have so many other things on as well as the racing. We have racehorses retraining and we are entertaining the British equestrian Olympic team on Saturday." 

Once racing has concluded on Saturday, a Goffs Coral Gold Cup sale will take place in the pre-parade ring with 17 lots available for purchase.

Hinds added: "We've done it once before and it was brilliantly successful. We've got a long-standing relationship with Goffs, so at the right meetings we try and put this kind of event on."

After a wet weekend and some rain on Wednesday, the going at Newbury is soft on the hurdles course and good to soft, soft in places on the chase track. However, clerk of the course George Hill expects the ground to dry up slightly before racing with no rain forecast.

On Thursday he said: "We've had plenty of rain and some frost last night. In the last week we've had around 90mm and the hurdles track is soft and the chase track is good to soft, soft in places.

"I'd expect, with a dry day or two ahead, that it would quicken up a slight bit. I wouldn't be surprised if we were soft, good to soft on the hurdles track and good to soft all over on the chase course."

Read these next:

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The Coral Gold Cup meeting at Newbury - everything you need to know for the next major fixture of the jumps season 

2024 Coral Gold Cup tips: 'He has yet to reach his peak over fences' - why this horse can win at Newbury on Saturday 

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