Groundstaff at Warwick Racecourse have received a prestigious industry award and will now battle it out to be crowned overall champions.
The team has been announced as the winner of the Jump division in the Racecourse Association’s (RCA) Racecourse Groundstaff Awards 2017.
The judges, made up of an industry-wide panel including representatives from the RCA, Professional Jockeys Association (PJA), British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and National Trainers Federation (NTF), recognised the outstanding achievements of the groundstaff throughout the 2016/17 season.
The Warwick team is now set to attend the RCA Showcase and Awards at Newbury Racecourse on Thursday, November 16 where they will go up against the winners of the Flat and dual purpose categories in hope of picking up the overall title of groundstaff champions.
Jane Hedley, clerk of Warwick Racecourse, said: “We are incredibly proud of the achievements of our groundstaff team this year. Led by head groundsman, Guy Woodward, they managed an ambitious drainage and levelling project last summer, and then coped with the resulting reduced track width through the 2016/17 season, without losing a fixture.
“They produced the racing surface in such good condition that we were even able to accommodate a transferred fixture in the spring.
“Through this year they have worked further on the integration of the old Flat track, and can now provide a surface with three running lines over fences and up to eight running lines over hurdles, ensuring that we provide optimum conditions throughout the season.
“Their efforts have been appreciated and applauded by our trainers and jockeys, and this recognition from the RCA is very well deserved. If they are crowned overall champions, that really would be icing on the cake!”
Warwick Racecourse has also made the RCA Awards finals for the Community and Corporate and Social Responsibility Award for the work it has done on the St Mary’s Land Masterplan. It is competing against Aintree, Beverley, Lingfield and Newbury for the highly coveted prize.
ENDS
