Southwell sets date for first Tapeta meeting after being hit by supply delays

Southwell will host its maiden meeting on the new Tapeta surface on December 7 with officials hoping it will mark the first step to the course becoming a world-leading all-weather venue.

Arena Racing Company (Arc), which owns and runs the Nottinghamshire site, said last year it was planning to ditch the unique Fibresand track and replace it with Tapeta, which is in place at sister courses Newcastle and Wolverhampton. The Phil Kirby-trained Lord Torranaga went into the record books as the final Fibresand winner in August before work began on the new circuit.

Bookies back Southwell's Tapeta switch with hopes of better turnover and quality

Initially, the aim had been for the Tapeta track to be installed over the summer, but delays pushed the schedule back and the fixture on November 26 has been moved to Lingfield, although Southwell will stage jump racing three days earlier.

On Tuesday, Mark Spincer, managing director of Arc's racing division, identified December 7 as the day the wider racing world would get a glimpse of the new surface.

"We start jumping on November 23 and the first Flat meeting is due to be December 7," he said. "We're happy now. There was a slight delay from where we wanted it because of – guess what – lorries and materials.

"It's the same you're hearing on the news every day with supplies and getting them delivered has been a challenge, but our two contractors have done an amazing job. I was there on Wednesday and we are well on track for December 7 on the new surface.

"We'll do a trial and are just working on a date. We'll invite horses from Newmarket, Lambourn, Malton and Middleham, so we'll have a wide selection of trainers and jockeys. There are six meetings in December so it'll be thick and fast then."

Southwell: the switch of surfaces has gone down well with most trainersCredit: Edward Whitaker

The Fibresand surface has been in use at Southwell since 1989 and has something of a cult following among punters and trainers. However, the switch largely met with approval and Spincer added: "The team are becoming familiar with it and we've got the experts over, who will be with us until after the first fixture.

"We're fortunate Southwell has already been an all-weather track, it's just a different surface, so the team will have to forget what they knew about the old surface and learn about this one, but we've got two Tapeta tracks already, so there's plenty of help and assistance if needed.

"Listening to a lot of the trainers, they say Southwell could be, or will be, possibly the best laid-out track with the best surface in the world. We've invested in the floodlights, which has gone down well, and now we've invested in the surface, I'm sure – like Newcastle – we'll see some of the better horses race there."

With that in mind, tweaks to the type of races staged are also planned and Spincer added: "We will be making some changes and investing in the programme."

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