The Groundstaff at Great Yarmouth Racecourse have been named as winners in the Racecourse Association’s prestigious Groundstaff Awards.
Named as the top flat course in the country, the team, lead by Clerk of the Course Richard Aldous and Head Groundsman Richard Bradley, garnered praise from the judges for their work during what has been the hottest summer on record.
Representatives from across the racing industry including the British Horseracing Authority, Professional Jockeys Association and National Trainers Federation offered specific commendation for the work that the team have done since the turf was re-laid at Great Yarmouth in 2015.
A statement from the judging panel read, “The dedication of the team at Great Yarmouth to deliver a first-rate racing surface has not just been an effort over the last 12 months but years before that. To overcome the problems that were encountered with the initial relaying of the straight due to the adverse weather was an outstanding achievement. The course will benefit from this work for years to come and it is only in 2018 that they are beginning to reap the fruits of their labour with a good thick sward”.
Great Yarmouth Clerk of the Course, Richard Aldous said, “We are absolutely delighted to receive this honour from The Racecourse Association, it is a real testament to the hard work, dedication and skill of the team here”
“The decision to relay the turf back in 2015 was designed to make sure that we could attract top class horses to Great Yarmouth, and provide opportunities, particularly for horses who might go on to big festival meetings such as Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood, which we have been seeing in abundance this season.
“The adverse weather we faced back when the new track was initially laid, in conjunction with the record-breaking summer this year have been considerable hurdles to overcome, but I’m delighted that all of the efforts of Head Groundsman Richard Bradley and the team have been recognised by our racing industry peers”.
The team from Great Yarmouth Racecourse now go up against winners of the jumps and dual-purpose racecourse awards, Warwick and Ascot, to be named 2018 Groundstaff Champions at the RCA Showcase Awards at Aintree Racecourse in November.
