07:40 It has been a dry night and a dry sunny day is forecast. The official going is Good to Firm (watered).

This meeting will be a more reflective indicator of how successful the Racing For Change free admission initiative is as, last year, this fixture only attracted 724 racegoers.

Our selections are:-

11:11 A couple more non-runners.

12:19 Another non-runner and, guess what, the 17 runner handicap is now down to 15 runners.

15:55 Good afternoon from a gloriously sunny Nottingham, where we are expecting a bumper crowd.

We have another non-runner, full details on the right.

16:52 No hot food in the press room here this afternoon but some excellent sandwiches, especially the smoked salmon and cream cheese ones.

There is also an excellent sweet shop here and I have just has a nostalgic time buying a Sherbet Foutain – however for health and safety now there is a black plastic cap, rather than a stick of liquorice sticking out.

17:25 Our opening contest is the first of three five furlong sprints, this one being the EBF Toteplacepot Maiden Stakes in which ten two-year-olds line up.

Eight of the ten are seeing the racecourse for the first time and most are on edge.

Angle Knight, Orientalist, Roche Des Vents and Torteval are all whinnying, although it is difficult to say if one is starting the others off.

17:31 They are just as bad going down. Just For Leo and Torteval were both fly-kicking going down. Angle Knight wasn’t too keen to set off for the start.

Surely This Time tried to run away with his rider.

17:50 Till Dawn would not go into the stalls for our opener and was withdrawn.

A scrappy race with Roche Des Ventes ploughing a lone furrow away from the main group.

Surely This Time, one of the two runners with experience set the early pace, with Evening Dress and Roche Des Vents.

However two out Darryl Holland produced Leibe Leiba with a brilliant run to hit the front, with favourite Just For Leo giving chase.

The pair looked to have the race between them until Ted Durcan launched Orientalist with a turbo-charged run from seemingly nowhere to hit the front and claim a one length victory.  

The win was all the more impressive when you consider the winner took a side swipe two furlongs out.

17:57 The official going is now Firm

17:59 Race two sees our biggest field of the evening as 14 line up for the 5f Toteswinger Handicap, should keep commentator John Hunt on his toes.

18:14 The new racegoers here will recognise the name of the winning jockey in our second contest at Kieren Fallon rides Micky Mac to victory, holding off a late challenge from the favourite Desert Strike, who was closing fast but the line came in time.

Thoughtsofstardom, prominent throughout, took third.

Greek Secret, who disgraced himself by doing a Hamlet and refusing to come out of the stalls last time out was much better behaved this evening, although he did not figure in the race.

The History Man and Town House were both prominent early door, only to fade in the latter stages.

18:25 I have just been speaking to the MD, Pip Kirkby, and although there are no official figures yet the numbers are in excess of 1,200 and they are very pleased with the numbers.

18:28 Our third and final sprint sees just the six running in the Totequadpot Maiden Stakes.

Slap And Tickle and Diamond Johnny have gone to post early.

Wirral way is getting warm, Kanaf is pulling and Regal Emperor slightly on his toes.

18:42 Joint favourites in this contest and both were settled early on  before having differing fortunes.

Sulis Minerva was the first of the pair to make a run but it quickly came to nothing and she just held onto third spot.

Kanaf, the even money favourite, took a while before the penny dropped but once he remembered what was required of him, he ran on well soon pulling clear, recording  a 2¼ length victory.

Slap And Tickle was the early pace setter, only to fade.

Diamond Johnny G was with the pace and stayed on to take the runners-up spot.  

18:54 Race four sees us moving to the round course for the 1¼ mile Toteexacta Handicap in which nine take their chance.

19:19 A cracking finish to our feature contest with judge Nick Bostock having to take a very close look to separate Shavansky and Sam Sharp, with the verdict eventually going to the former by a nose.

Both had been held up for most of the contest, indeed the winner was stone last for the first half of the contest before making late progress.

Veroon and Iron Out had made the pace with the favourite Cygnet settled round about fifth place.

Three out Iron Out hit the front but both Sam Sharp and Shavansky were running on.

Kieren Fallon asked Cygnet for his effort but instead of making progress he quickly engaged reverse gear.

Shavansky and Sam Sharp pulled clear and battled hard to the line neither giving any quarter.

19:29 Race five is another 1¼ mile contest, this time with eleven going to the start.

19:35 Kahfre has been withdrawn, having lost a shoe at the start.

19:48 It has to be said you will have to go a long way to find a more dire race than this one.

It was run at a muddling pace with none of the runners seemingly wanting to run to their best.

It tells you a lot that Lady Willa, who missed the break badly, was jostling for the lead after a couple of furlongs.

For the record, Until The Man led from after about two furlongs joined by Rubi Dia.

This pair were joined by Aegean Destiny in the final furlong and the trio “fought” out the finish with Until The Man winning.  

20:02 Our final race is the Totepool A Better Way To Bet Classified Stakes over a mile, seven line up.

20:20 We had to wait until the final race and Oriental Scot may be a very tall, ungainly, horse but he demolished the field in our closing contest.

Pulling clear approaching two out and never in any danger.

Primary Colours was the only contender to go after the winner and he only came home six lengths behind.

20:23 That’s it from Nottingham where the attendance figures have now gone over the 1,300 mark.

Not the highest quality meeting but looking around the racegoers seem to have had an enjoyable evening and some of the newcomers are saying they will come back.

Return to race archive:

Non-Runners

The time in brackets is the time the horse was officially declared a non-runner.

SC - Self Certificate
VC - Vet's Certificate

Non-runners

18:05
3 Steel City Boy (pulled shoe off - SC 14:56)
6 Braille (Lame - VC 10:02)
9 Bluebok (not eaten up - SC 11:32)

19:05
7 Tinshu (stiff - VC 14:07 Mon)
8 Desert Vision (not eaten up - SC 09:50)

19:35
1 Kahfre (withdrawn)
7 Green For Luck (going - 18:05)
13 Jamarjo (going 18:06)
14 Antoella (going - 12:18)

Results

17:35 Maiden Stakes 5f 13yds

18:05 Handicap 5f 13yds

18:35 Maiden Stakes 5f 13yds

19:05 Handicap 1m 2f 50yds

19:35 Handicap 1m 2f 50yds

20:05 Classified Stakes 1m 75yds