Musselburgh will become the first UK racecourse to use a combination of fibresand and turf on the jump track when its National Hunt season gets underway today.
Officials at the East Lothian course have spent £100,000 installing a 14x170 metre hybrid strip on the winning post bend to improve safety for horses and jockeys. The section of track which has been replaced suffered from excess wear over the winter jumps season which caused the ground to become loose and cause a potential hazard.
The fibresand strip has already had a dry run and got the thumbs up from jockeys Brian Harding, Brian Hughes and Lucy Alexander, who tested it before Musselburgh's last Flat meeting of the season.
The initiative is being watched closely and officials from a number of other UK racecourses have indicated they will visit Musselburgh to see it for themselves.
Bill Farnsworth, Musselburgh's general manager, said: "It's a sizeable investment for a course of our size but we are always looking for ways to improve the quality of the racing surface here.
"The winning post bend is tight and quite narrow, and, as the jump season progresses, the turf gets badly damaged. This hybrid of turf and artificial surface is an innovative way of dealing with that problem and greatly improves conditions which will reduce the risk of injury to both horse and rider."
Lucinda Russell, Scotland's leading jumps trainer, will hope to continue her winning streak by taking today's feature race at the meeting, the £10,000 Racing UK November Hurdle, with the in-form Ryton Runner for whom Tom Scudamore will be in the saddle.
Venetia Williams sends the consistent Monetary Fund up to represent her stable but she has a much better chance of visiting the winner's circle with Mentalist in the preceding beginners' chase.
This ex-French gelding showed promise over hurdles last season and put up an encouraging debut over fences at Bangor 10 days ago when runner-up to Balbriggan.
* Long Run appears among 31 entries as he seeks to emulate the recently retired Kauto Star by regaining his William Hill King George VI Chase crown at Kempton on Boxing Day, writes White and Gold.
Nicky Henderson's chaser also relinquished his Cheltenham Gold Cup title last season and connections will be hoping to see him bounce back to form when he reappears at Haydock later this month.
Sizing Europe has been given the option again after his aborted mission two years ago when the race was rearranged.
Cue Card features among the possibles after his startling performance in the Haldon Gold Cup, while Grands Crus could represent David Pipe.
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