Mickys Tribute in record books as Star Pelaw revives hurdling

MICKYS TRIBUTE put his name in the history and record books with a tremendous display of jumping to land the first hurdles race run in the UK for over 14 months at Star Pelaw on Tuesday 24th March.

Trained by Ricky Holloway for former Central Park promoter Roger Cearns, Mickys Tribute was sent off the 10/11 favourite and always looked like justifying that position in the market although Dazl Hermes kept him company early.

Fitting the occasion, it was the brilliant jumping of Mickys Tribute along the back which settled the issue as he pinged the first of the two hurdles and then took a good length out of Dazl Hermes at the second to fully assert.

At the line, Mickys Tribute was almost three lengths clear in clocking 26.35sec (-30) for the 435m hurdles course which will stand as the track record going forward with aficionados of the discipline now dreaming of a new HQ for hurdling following Crayford's closure in January 2025.

Holloway, who provided all four contestants for the inaugural hurdles race at the track, was fulsome in his praise of the circuit afterwards.

He said: "It was absolutely spectacular and it shows that this track is right, the hurdles are right, everything is spot on for this to run a Grand National."

Of the race, Holloway said: "Mickys Tribute dog is a fantastic early-pacer, it takes a good one to pull him back."