Tag: Saturday 14 June

Flood Alert issued for Edinburgh

A FLOOD ALERT has been issued for Edinburgh and Lothians

From the early hours of Saturday morning rain is expected to spread northwards to affect this area. The rain may persist through most of Saturday and at times there could be some intense, heavy, thundery rain.

If the rain falls on the transport network or built-up areas, there is potential for some disruptive surface water flooding impacts, including: flooding to low-lying land and roads, disruption to travel and flooding of properties.

Small rivers may also respond and could cause similar impacts. SEPA will continue to monitor the situation and further updates will appear here if the situation changes.

Remain vigilant and remember, it is your responsibility to take actions which help protect yourself and your property. Advice and information is available on our website or by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188.

This FLOOD ALERT is now in force until further notice and was sent by email, SMS and/or phone, free of charge to registered Floodline customers.

If you wish to register, view or amend any of your account details, or deregister, please visit myfloodline.sepa.scot or call Floodline, select option 2 for Scotland then option 3 to speak to an advisor.

You can check the three day flood outlook on our Scottish flood forecast or follow our @SEPAFlood X channel.

Your Floodline quick dial number for this area is 23200

Harness racing trots back to Musselburgh Racecourse

Harness racing will return to Musselburgh Racecourse this year after a revised format was agreed between the British Harness Racing Club (BHRC), Musselburgh Racecourse Committee and East Lothian Council.

The one-day fixture on Saturday 14 June will feature the famous Musselburgh Pace – the most important race in the harness racing calendar – equivalent to the Epsom Derby in horseracing.

The BHRC is a member of the governing body of the International Trotting Association which consists of all the key countries staging the sport and includes the likes of France, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, where the sport enjoys the status of being a multi-million-dollar industry. 

The Musselburgh fixture was the pinnacle of the harness racing calendar in the UK but it ended in 2022, partly because it clashed with Musselburgh’s sell-out Ladies Day meeting and it was also scheduled in middle of the track’s busy summer race season.

A reduction in the number of race meetings held at Musselburgh each year and moving Ladies Day to August has relieved pressure on the East Lothian facility, and a gap in the fixture list in June has provided an opportunity for a revival of the premier harness racing meeting.

BHRC director, Julie Park, said: “The British Harness Racing Club is pleased to see the return of harness racing to Musselburgh and would like to thank Musselburgh Racecourse, The Chester Race Company, Musselburgh Golf Club and the BHA for making this possible.

“The Musselburgh Meeting has a rich tradition and attracts the best pacers and trotters, with the Group 1 Famous Musselburgh Pace the flagship race.

“This has always been an integral part of the British harness racing year and traditionally the fixture attracts harness racing followers and competitors from all over the UK and Ireland.”

In the UK, there are approximately 500 licence holders involved in harness racing, with a great many depending on it for their livelihoods, and in addition there are many breeders and buyers investing in bloodstock

Previously, the event was mainly run by the racecourse management team but the new format will see the BHRC hire the racecourse and a special Committee set up by the BHRC will manage the event.

Musselburgh Racecourse general manager, Bill Farnsworth, said: “We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with the BHRC to welcome British harness racing’s most important event back to Musselburgh.

“With a less congested fixture list than in previous years, which reduces the pressures on our staff, the facilities and the track itself, the new one-day format is a solution which all parties will work towards making a success.”