Caroline Flint welcomes plan for
St Leger Horse & Country Park

23 September 2005

Following her visit to the Northern Racing College, Don Valley MP Caroline Flint welcomed plans underway for a centre of excellence for the horse, set in a large country park around the Northern Racing College. The plan has been drawn up by Colin Wedd, Chair of the South Yorkshire Training Trust and Jim Gale, Director of the Northern Racing College.

Said the MP: "The visionary plan drawn up by Colin Wedd and Jim Gale for a country park and centre of excellence for the horse, set in the heart of Doncaster is a great opportunity of making the most of our horse racing strengths in Doncaster.

"The St Leger Horse and Country Park would be built on the excellent reputation of the Racing College in a town steeped in the racing tradition. Outline plans include commercial liveries, a riding club, an extended indoor riding school, visitor centre, gymnasium and equine swimming pool, but the whole site being opened up to the public and everyday horse owners, cyclists and walkers."

Ms Flint also inspected the new five furlong gallop being created at the college for training racing horses, one of the essential ingredients for any race horse training centre.

Caroline said: "I'm keen to bring Ministers to the College, particularly Jim Knight, the Minister for the Horse, to see this exciting project and I will be approaching regional funding bodies for their support."

The important regeneration project would create a centre of excellence for the horse modelled on the centre at the San Rossore Racecourse in Pisa, Tuscany and the Kentucky Horse Park, in Kentucky.

For more information contact Phil Cole 07973 367869
or Jim Gale, Northern racing College 861001