The Standardbred industry in Nova Scotia has received a shot in the arm, as it has been announced that live racing at Northside Downs will be remaining right where it is for a good amount of time.

According to an article by the Cape Breton Post, the Cape Breton Federation of Agriculture has signed a 10-year contract with Harness Racing Cape Breton that will see live harness racing continue at Northside Downs for the next 10 years.

“We’ve been negotiating with them over the winter to try and get a deal that was good for both sides and we finally agreed on it,” Harness Racing Cape Breton spokesman Harold LeBlanc has said.

As the Cape Breton Post article explains, the track at North Sydney’s Cape Breton County Exhibition grounds first started hosting live racing back in 1898. A regular schedule of live racing returned to Northside Downs in 2007 following the closure of Tartan Downs in Sydney in 2005. The Northside oval had been a training track for many years – dating back to the 1950s – and prior to that had hosted live racing.

July 2018 will mark the 120th anniversary of the first ever races at Northside. The track is scheduled to host 30 live race cards this season.

“We have a good horse population, and we always get good crowds for the racing, and we also run the simulcasts and we’re doing [well] there, so things are looking up,” LeBlanc added.

(With files from the Cape Breton Post)