Appearance money scheme to be repeated after runners' increase

Chester will repeat its groundbreaking appearance money scheme in 2017 after pointing to an increase in runners and decrease in non-runners as examples of the success of an initiative that cost the racecourse just under £200,000.

In what amounted to British racing's biggest ever appearance money scheme, Chester this year guaranteed that the owners of every runner would leave with at least £400, either by committing to a whole payment or through topping up the place money of those connections whose horse won less than £400.

Clerk of the course Andrew Morris on Monday welcomed figures that showed across the track's 15 fixtures there were 864 runners in 2016, up on 846 in 2015, while non-runners – which have traditionally been plentiful at a venue where horses drawn wide are considered to be at a major disadvantage – were down markedly, from 151 to 109.