Ascot racecourse bowed to the inevitable on Friday morning and moved three of the contests on Saturday’s Champions Day card – Britain’s richest day at the races – to the tight, inner turf track that is normally reserved for hurdling during winter.
Announcing the move on Friday gave punters and an anticipated crowd of around 30,000 racegoers more certainty as they start to plot a path through the Champions Day card. Last year’s turnout of 23,872 was the second lowest in the event’s 12-year history, but the prospect of (possibly) seeing Frankie Dettori riding in Britain for the last time is expected to see a significant boost to the attendance.
