A RACE for a trophy that was last awarded 150 years ago is being revived on Saturday, September 2, as part of the richest ever day's racing at Haydock Park.

Since racing moved from Newton to Haydock at the end of the 19th century, the memory of the former racecourse has been preserved with the annual running of the Old Newton Cup in July.

On the initiative of Haydock Park's chairman Bill Whittle, the racecourse earlier this year purchased the splendid two-foot high Newton Borough Cup at Sotheby's.

The Borough Cup race was contested for 22 years from 1831 and, in its heyday, became more valuable than the Newton Gold Cup that was the highlight on the former racecourse's calendar.

The new Borough Cup race is to be run on the same day as Haydock's major flat race of the season - the Stanley Leisure Sprint Cup.

The £30,000 handicap race over one mile and six furlongs - the distance when it was last run at Newton - forms part of a meeting that, at £222,500, will enjoy the most prize money ever given on one day at Haydock.

On Friday, September 1, entry is £30 to the Premier Enclosure on the top floor of the Centenary Grandstand, £17 to the County Enclosure, £10 to Tattersalls, and £5 to the Newton Enclosure. On Saturday, September 2, the Premier Enclosure is £35, the County Enclosure £20, Tattersalls £12, and Newton Enclosure £6.