Point-to-point horse racing returns to Clyde Valley

The Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire and Eglinton meeting takes place at Overton Farm in Crossford this Saturday when thousands of punters will hope to give the on-site bookies a bashing.

Overton Farm owner Willie Young said: “I am looking forward to another good meeting and the standard will be as high as it has ever been.

“There will be jockeys here that have recently ridden at Cheltenham – Tom Hamilton, Catherine Walton and Nick Orpwood – which just shows that the standard is getting better and better.”

This will be Willie and the Overton Farm team’s first point-to-point meeting of the season as February’s Dumfries and Stewartry meeting was cancelled after much of the track was covered with snow.

However, Willie is not expecting any problems this time around.

“The track is in perfect condition,” said Willie. “Unless there is a hard frost the meeting will go ahead.”

This will be the 12th Lanarkshire meeting staged at Overton Farm and Willie will be looking for a repeat of last year’s resounding success.

As well as seeing a whopping 4,000 people pack in to watch a tremendous afternoon of racing, Willie scored his first point-to-point victory as teenage rider John Dixon sped to victory over the jumps on Raiftieri.

This Saturday’s meeting will see seven adult races – measuring from two-and-a-half miles to three miles – from 1pm. Proceedings will start with four kids’ pony races from 11.30am.

For more on this, pick up a copy of this week’s Carluke and Lanark Gazette.