The ground staff at Huntingdon Racecourse have been crowned the best in Britain among tracks devoted to jump racing.

The team, Gabriel Gruia, Gary Stonnell, Sam Butler-Spelzini, Keith Pike, and Sulekha Varma, won the jump category at this year’s Racecourse Groundstaff Awards.

The annual awards celebrate the hard work and dedication of grounds teams who maintain and develop the racing surface.

Huntingdon’s sister racecourse in The Jockey Club at Sandown Park in Esher won the dual purpose category. York Racecourse took the honours among the Flat racing tracks.

One of the three racecourse teams will be chosen as the overall winner at the Racecourse Association’s Showcase Awards on November 12 at Ascot Racecourse.

Sian Williams, general manager, Huntingdon Racecourse, said: “I am absolutely thrilled for the ground staff team who are completely dedicated to helping provide the best possible racing surface for horses.

“Racehorse trainers love Huntingdon Racecourse – and that means we see some of the best horses racing here which is great for our spectators.”