Turfway to handle British racing signal

Turfway Park, Racing UK Limited and Phumelela Gold Enterprises have reached

an agreement that will allow the Florence, Kentucky, track to act as an agent to

distribute the simulcast signals of British racing to the North American market.

Race meetings from the United Kingdom's top tracks, including Epsom Downs,

Goodwood, Haydock Park, Kempton Park, Newbury, Newmarket, Sandown Park and York, will be

made available through the agreement.

"This agreement opens the way for racing to become an international sport in

the truest interactive sense," Turfway Park President Robert N. Elliston said.

"Turfway is proud to work with the innovators at Racing UK and Phumelela to make

it happen."

The first simulcast will originate from Kempton Park near London on March 31,

coinciding with the distribution of the Dubai World Cup card in North America.

The regular schedule will begin April 9 and continue through the end of October,

generally on a Monday through Saturday basis. Some major races will be run in

the morning in the United States due to the time difference, but the UK's annual

season of twilight racing from late April to late August will allow many events

to be shown in the afternoon in North America.

"We're very pleased to be working with Phumelela and Turfway Park in North

America," said Simon Bazalgette, executive chairman of Racing UK. "This,

together with the recent introduction of a 48-hour entry cycle in the United

Kingdom, creates a platform for the growth of interest in British racing. It

also brings Turfway Park into the increasingly important network of

international alliances between racecourse groups."

Handicappers in the United States will be able to play all undercard races as

well as internationally important events such as the English Two Thousand

Guineas (Eng-G1), Coronation Cup (Eng-G1), Epsom Derby (Eng-G1), Coral-Eclipse

S. (Eng-G1) and July Cup (Eng-G1).

"With more tracks on this side of the Atlantic going to all-weather surfaces,

such as Turfway's Polytrack, and with advances in wagering technology, the

barriers between North American bettors and outstanding British racing are

coming down," Elliston said.