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CGI video shows impressive new proposal for £10m ‘gallop in the sky’ in Newmarket
Overhead view of the proposed Hill Gallop - Credit: Archant
A major investment in Newmarket horseracing has been unveiled as a five-year project gets closer to the finishing post.
– View of the 450m bridge-section of the proposed Hill Gallop - Credit: Archant
The Jockey Club has revealed an ambitious £10m plan to create an 'uphill gallop' to benefit jockeys and trainers in the town.
The 900m-long gallop is proposed to be built off Hamilton Road on the Racecourse Side of the town – a planning application will be submitted next month.
The move comes as the Bury Side of the town is now at 90% occupancy, according to the Jockey Club, meaning more trainers need to be encouraged to base themselves on the Racecourse Side.
William Gittus, managing director of Jockey Club Estates, said the number of horses trained in Newmarket was still increasing, which he said contributed £210m per year to the local economy, providing more 8,500 jobs.
View from the foot of the proposed Hill Gallop - Credit: Archant
Nick Patton, assistant managing director, said: 'We had identified the problem in that, for Racecourse Side yards, being the 'wrong' side of town for using Warren Hill was deemed a negative, but the solution was proving hard to find as there is no suitable terrain on which to lay down a gallop comparable to Warren Hill. A turning point was a fact-finding trip to Japan in 2014 where we saw gallops built on man-made inclines.'
The uphill gallop would start below ground level, part elevated on a bridge and finishing on a man-made mound to create a 30-metre incline.
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The Jockey Club said there was a 'significant imbalance' between Bury Side and Racecourse Side, with less than 60% of training yards occupied on the Racecouse Side, compared with Bury's 90%. This is put down to the fact Bury Side is much closer to the uphill canters on Warren Hill, valued greatly by trainers for boosting a horse's fitness and welfare.
Newmarket's MP Matt Hancock has given the project his full support.
