'CROCK OF GOLD' FOR HARNESS RACING

There is another rainbow for top class harness racehorses to chase in the fast-approaching season under BHRC rules, and there is a substantial 'Crock of Gold' at the end of it. The S4C 'Rasus' programme, televised on Tuesday evenings, will be sponsoring and filming a series of seven top grade handicap races during their summer coverage. These will culminate in a Free For All 'Crock of Gold' Championship, worth £6,000 at Tir Prince Raceway, North Wales on September 7th.

Each of the £2,000 qualifying races will be the top grade heats at the major handicaps at:

Ceredigion Trotting Club, Aberystwyth - July 11th

Pike Hall, Derbyshire - July 15th

Musselburgh - August 4th

Allensmore - August 15th

Tregaron - August 28th

There will also be top handicap qualifying events at Tir Prince (June 29th) and York (July 4th).

The ten horses who earn the most money in the S4C 'Crock of Gold' series of races will qualify for this exciting final over a mile.

Huw Evans, the chairman of Tregaron Trotting Club is delighted with the idea of the series. "Obviously the best horses should be running for the most money," he approved, "and S4C have provided a golden opportunity - a real 'crock of gold' for the top handicappers."

John Watkin of S4C, who devised the series, was heartened by the reaction. "We've been televising 'Rasus' for twelve years, and really enjoy our involvement in promoting the sport," he confirmed. "We're hoping that good horses from all over the country will be clamouring to run for the 'Crock of Gold' in the same manner that the American harness racing fraternity covet 'The Little Brown Jug'."

The first televised meeting for the 'Rasus' programme will be on June 29th with the inaugural qualifier.