Wednesday, 22 January 2003

By Lee Davis

Ever since the days of Red Rum my interest in the race has been part of my life, if you like an annual event like the FA CUP, WIMBLEDON and the WORLD CUP, etc, then this great spectacle deserves it’s place and is much part of our heritage as the General Election or the Jubilee, sadly that only comes round every 25 years, and so I would like to thank the public for keeping this great race alive if it wasn’t for them we wouldn’t have a race at all, as far back as the 1960’s the race was in demise no more than in 1975, when property developer Bill Davies the then owner of the course put the future of this great race in doubt he either wanted to sell the course or build property on it, and it was more evident with rising admission prices, low attendance's and no sponsorship meant death to the race and so a battle of wits began between the owner and the Jockey Club, no deal could be brokered until the public stepped in and the rest is history.