Another bumper crowd in prospect at Fontwell Park

A seven-race card is complemented by a programme of entertainment which makes this fixtures one of the biggest in the Fontwell calendar.

The course welcomed 5,500 for its royal wedding race night a month ago and if the weather is kind, bosses hope to beat that on Sunday.

Racing begins at 2.30pm and the last is off at 5.30pm. A strong number of entries at the five-day declarations stage looked promising for some competitive racing.

The day is being held in association with the Sussex FA and there are a number of football-related sideshows, including an inflatable football pitch and a penalty shootout.

There will be fun-fair rides, water zorbing, face painting, pets’ corner, a jockeys’ autograph session, bouncy castles and more.The big screen will be showing the afternoon’s racing and Channel 4’s Derek Thompson will be doing the rounds interviewing race-goers for Fontwell Park TV.

General manager Phil Bell said he was hopeful of fair weather but would like some rain before then.

“We’ve had to spend thousands of pounds watering the track - we’ve been watering virtually every day,” he said.

“Our ground is still among the very best of any jump-racing ground in the country and our numbers of runners have held up well. But it’s not been easy.”

We’ll have tips for the meeting at www.bognor.co.uk on Saturday and all the results on Sunday night.

Next Wednesday (June 1), afternoon racing at Fontwell doubles up as a charity day in aid of the British Heart Foundation. One race will be named in memory of Chris Copsey, the popular raceday announcer who died of heart failure recently.