HAYDOCK Park Racecourse stages the final of the annual series of races over its famous 'brush' or French hurdles on its bumper family funday on Easter Saturday.

The special obstacles are more like mini-fences than traditional timber hurdles and are designed to educate the young steeplechasers of the future.

Trainers from the North of England have embraced Haydock Park's initiative enthusiastically since the first annual series of races four years ago.

But the first prize in the £20,000 Red Square Vodka "Fixed Brush" Novices' Hurdle Final could cross the Channel to France this year because one of the well-fancied runners is Mayeul from the in-form Paris training yard of Francois Doumen who enjoyed an excellent Cheltenham Festival last week.

The first series final went to locally trained horse Mr Cospector, trained by Terry Caldwell near Warrington. His representative this year is Miss Cospector.

Seven of the initial 32 entries are eligible for either a £5,000 or £10,000 bonus should one of them win - after winning or being placed in one of the series qualifiers that started at Haydock's opening National Hunt meeting of 2004/5 in November.

Special family attractions are being laid on at the racecourse to entertain the Easter crowds, including a free Easter egg for children, children's carousels, a family entertainer, clowns, bouncy castles, a penalty shoot out, inflatable characters and face painters.

*The first race on Saturday is at 1.55pm. Admission is £8 to the Newton Enclosure, £15 into Tattersalls, £24 into the County Enclosure, and £38 into the Premier Enclosure on the top floor of the Centenary Grandstand. Accompanied children under 16 enter free. Senior citizens and students, with appropriate identification, enter Tattersalls and the Newton Enclosure at half price.

More details about racing at Haydock on www.haydock-park.co.uk.