THERE will be close to 20,000 race-goers at Cartmel next Friday – many of them there not to see the horses, but to watch four stallions of a different nature.

The now-annual post-racing concert at the South Lakes track will see Boyzone performing on stage once the matter of a seven-race card is over and done with.

Thirty years ago, there were crowds at Cartmel numbering 14,000 for the May meeting – there was no June meeting back then – even without the draw of a famous boy band to bring them in.

It was a perfect sunny weekend that welcomed them to the track in 1988 – the Evening Mail report of the time described them strolling, trotting and squeezing into the 'glorious' meeting – and organisers will be hoping for the same this time.

That was certainly the case at last month's opening meeting of the season, when clerk of the course Anthea Morshead had an unusual problem to deal with when one race had to be abandoned due to a jockey and horse falling in the areas both behind and beside a hurdle, giving the rest of the field no way past.

There were no such problems for Morshead's predecessor Major Tom Riley in 1988, who described the conditions as 'perfect', and added: “The ground is ideal for the horses, the heat's not oppressive – and there's a cool breeze. I couldn't have wished for better.”

Preben Fur rode to victory in the feature race on the day, the £3,000 Burlington Slate Handicap Chase. This time round, the main prize will be in a £10,000 Beginners' Chase.