Hamilton to be the first Scottish track to welcome full capacity crowd

Hamilton Park will become the first Scottish racecourse to welcome back full capacity crowds on Friday after receiving the green light to return its maximum attendance of 12,500 people.

The news comes as a welcome boost for Scottish racing, with next month’s Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup day on the horizon. Crowds in Scotland had been limited to just 1,000 people until August 9, when the new restrictions permitted up to 5,000 spectators.

However, from Friday evening’s meeting onwards, Hamilton will be able to join its English and Welsh counterparts in opening its doors to all with chief executive Vivien Currie thrilled at the breakthrough.

Currie said: "I’m delighted that we have been granted official approval to return to our normal operating capacities, and I hope that the other racecourses in Scotland are able to follow suit. Since we were allowed limited crowds back from the end of May, we’ve been leading the field in getting our customers back on course."

She continued: "It’s been an incredibly challenging summer for us all as the Government’s Covid restrictions keep changing, but I’d like to thank all our customers for playing their part in following all of the rules and allowing our racedays to continue safely."

The seven-race card is headlined by the Lanark Silver Bell Handicap Stakes (6.40) with £33,500 of prize-money on offer. Keith Dalgleish’s Platinumcard bids for a fourth win on the spin from the top of the weights.

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