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Newbury saved for next Friday

Long Run

The British Horseracing Authority have confirmed a replacement fixture for Saturday's abandoned meeting at Newbury will take place next Friday.

The 'Betfair Super Saturday' card had been due to showcase the talents of, among others, Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Long Run and his exciting stablemate Sprinter Sacre.

The meeting had to be called off on Friday morning due to snow on the track, but BHA officials have reached an agreement with Newbury, sponsors Betfair, the Levy Board and Channel 4 Racing to restage the superb card.

Betfair have made entry to the meeting free to all racegoers and have added more money to the card to ensure the Betfair Hurdle will remain the most valuable handicap hurdle race in Europe, maintaining original prize money levels for the race of £152,500.

The Betfair Super Saturday Chase, better known as the Game Spirit, will kick off the rescheduled seven-race card at 12.15pm on Friday.

Exciting novice Sprinter Sacre had been pencilled in for that race, while his Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning stablemate Long Run was set to line up in the Betfair Denman Chase. Both horses will have to be re-entered on Saturday and that appears likely to happen.

Earlier in the day, trainer Nicky Henderson said: "I do want Sprinter Sacre to have another run, and I think Long Run is better with a run. We're getting closer (to Cheltenham), but I think he'd run again. We need to run the horses and depending what exactly they put on, I'd hope we'd be supporting it with the same sort of team."

The BHA confirmed that the Betfair Hurdle, the Betfair Denman Chase and the Betfair Super Saturday Chase would be saved, along with the Scilly Isles' Novices' Chase, already rescheduled from a meeting abandoned at Sandown.

The original entries for the Betfair Hurdle will stand, although trainers are required to make confirmations once again on Saturday. Entries for all other races must be made by noon.

Newbury managing director Stephen Higgins said: "It is important that the key races that were due to run are replaced. Therefore it's with thanks to the BHA, the Levy Board and our sponsors Betfair that we are pleased to announce that we will be able to stage them."

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