As Salisbury racecourse gears up for the beginning of the flat racing season, on Sunday May 6th, so too does a course hosting the newest addition to Wiltshire's racing calendar. Tucked away behind the Famous Ale House, on Redcliffe Street in Swindon, it's a four lane course that not only boasts water jumps, chicanes and bridges but see-saws, dead ends and swimming pools as well. And, for the course's inaugural event, has already attracted a field of over 40 runners from up and down the county. Won by a back leg
Yes on Saturday May 5th, aka National Ferret Day, Swindon is hosting its first ever Ferret Racing day. Ferret Racing may not be the sport of kings but for handlers, putting their pets through their paces, it's definitely a sport with bite. Plus with runners under starter's orders for midday on Saturday May 5th, the races are less about getting a nose over the finishing line and more about getting a back leg over: "We've got one race every half an hour," says the event organiser Dawn Bradfield, "and the one with all four feet out of the tunnel wins. "We used to have a rule that the first one completely out of the tunnel won but ferrets born without a tail were getting an advantage." Tackling the assault course of chicanes, water jumps, bridges and see-saws the racing ferrets are either pitted against each other in the four conveniently coloured racing tunnels or can actually literally run up against each other in the doubles:
"In the singles race," says Dawn, "the tunnel ends in a dead end. The ferret races to the end, turns around and comes back. In the doubles there's a keeper at each end and hopefully the ferrets will cross-over and it's the first one back to the other end." Racing for Marmite It might all sound fast and ferret furious but with distractions along the way like swimming pools to have a dip in, water hazards to drink from and other racing ferrets to check out each dash through the course can take as long as 15 minutes. Plus with punters being able to bet 20p on a runner… it could be a good quarter of an hour of shouting yourself hoarse before you'll see your money doubled. And for the nippiest ferret? "A cuddle, some ferret treats and marmite," says Dawn. Fab... Ferret Racing heads to Swindon on Saturday May, 5th, at the Famous Ale House on Redcliffe Street. Tapes down at 12 noon through to 4pm. For more information call Dawn Bradfield on 01793 619 887. | 
