ONE of the country's top horse racing centres will be throwing open its doors to the public on August 11 for the first time in more than a dozen years.

The last time Manton racing stables at Marlborough were opened to the public was in 1989, but the Sangster family which owns the racing centre is keen to help raise funds for an appeal for the new Great Western Hospital in Swindon and the open day will provide them with the perfect opportunity.

The Evolution Appeal aims to raise at least £2.5m to buy new equipment for the hospital at Commonhead which will be completed in November.

Patients from the town's Princess Margaret Hospital will be transferred to the new hospital by mid-December.

Robert Sangster is a key figure in horse racing and breeding in this country as well as in America, Australia and Ireland. In total he owns about 500 horses, with the number currently rising due to the breeding season.

Mr Sangster, who formerly owned Vernons pools which was started by his late father, is now taking a back seat from his racing empire, leaving the overall control in the capable hands of his oldest son Guy, while another son, Ben, runs the Manton operation and his third son, Adrian, breeds and trains in Australia. Guy Sangster is one of the trustees of the Evolution Appeal and it was his suggestion to hold an open day for the appeal at the world-famous stables where many classic winners have been bred and trained.

Current trainer John Gosden became the latest Master of Manton when he moved in ready for the 2000 season and in his first year produced the English 1,000 Guineas winner, Lahan.

This year another of his horses, Zenda, won the French 1,000 Guineas.

In three years, Gosden has trained more than 170 winners ensuring that his name goes onto the Manton roll of honour with past masters including Alec Taylor who established the training centre in the late 1860s, George Todd, former top jump-trainer Michael Dickenson, who spent 18 months restoring the yards in the mid 1980s and Barry Hills.

Prior to the arrival of John Gosden, Hills' former assistant, Peter Chapple-Hyam, turned out the 1992 Derby winner Dr Devious as one of the 400-plus winners he produced in eight years at Manton.

Robert Sangster spends much of the winter in Barbados where he is a citizen, but is currently staying in Wiltshire. Although he has homes in Barbados, Spain and London, he said: "I love the summer in Marlborough and at Manton."

He said he was delighted to be able to help the Evolution Appeal by opening the famous racehorse training and breeding centre at Manton House to the public.

He said that with 100 staff at Manton it was imperative to have a good local hospital.

Sonya Mills, chief executive of the Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust, said that thanks to the Evolution Appeal it was hoped that the new £170 million hospital would open with much more new equipment than would otherwise be possible.

Mrs Mills said much of the equipment at the Princess Margaret Hospital was old and outdated because there had not been the capital investment in recent years to replace it and also because there was little point in putting new equipment in a hospital whose days were numbered.

She said the total cost of new equipment for the Great Western Hospital would be in the order of £15m of which £8m was being met by the Department of Health.

Some of the new equipment was already in use in the old hospital so that staff could be trained on it, the chief executive said.

"Where we can we have been buying the equipment beforehand so the staff have had the chance to get used to it," she added. Evolution Appeal organiser Iain McMullen said: "The Evolution Appeal is aiming to raise £2.5m for extra equipment; £1.3m has been raised to date.

"This will allow the hospital to be equipped with the very latest and best, allow enough equipment to go around and make patients' progress through the hospital easier and speedier.

"Without this extra money we shall need to bring some of the older equipment with us from Princess Margaret Hospital, some of which is nearing the end of its serviceable life."

Mr McMullen said the open day on August 11 will provide entertainment for all the family and not just for horse racing fans. There will be a variety of children's activities including face painting, pony rides and a balloon race.

For all the family to enjoy there will be the opportunity to ride downhill inside a transparent orb.

There will also be falconry displays, helicopter rides, quad bikes and ferret racing among the attractions. Weather permitting there will also be a display by a Spitfire aircraft.

The biggest single attraction will be a one-mile race featuring celebrity jockeys for the Manton Challenge Cup.

Admission to the open day on August 11 costs £5.

Children under 12 are allowed free entrance. The stables will be open from 9.30am to 4.30pm with the Manton Challenge Cup race taking place at 2.30pm.

nkerton@newswilts.co.uk