BHA announces additional Saturday fixtures at Ffos Las and Chelmsford

Additional fixtures will be held on Saturday at Chelmsford and Ffos Las, where the Grade 2 Towton Novices’ Chase will now be run after Wetherby’s Saturday's card was called off on Wednesday and with Warwick's Premier meeting in grave doubt and an 8am inspection scheduled for Thursday.

The extra racedays were announced by the BHA, with the authority adding that Newcastle’s all-weather card will be brought forward to 2.02pm from its scheduled start of 3.50pm. The moves will ensure ITV is able to broadcast racing on Saturday afternoon after last weekend’s late cancellations led to no terrestrial televised action taking place. With no racing to screen during the broadcast window, the channel filled the empty afternoon slot with fishing programmes and game shows.

Racing in Britain and Ireland has been severely affected by heavy rain, snow and freezing temperatures since the end of last week. Since losing ITV meetings at Sandown and Wincanton last weekend, jump racing has taken place only at Naas, Ayr and Taunton. Two races took place at Chepstow last Sunday before the card was abandoned and there will be no jump racing on Thursday or Friday either.

The BHA and racecourses received significant criticism last week for late cancellations and abandonment of fixtures, as well as for failing to act in moving an all-weather meeting into the period when ITV Racing was set to be broadcast as a back-up.

ITV4 is scheduled to show racing from the Premier fixtures at Warwick and Kempton on Saturday, but an inspection is taking place at Warwick on Thursday while snow and freezing temperatures are forecast for Kempton. 

As well as bringing forward Newcastle's fixture, the BHA has arranged for Chelmsford to host a meeting with a minimum of seven races, two of which will be permitted to divide, which includes two Class 3 contests worth £45,000 and £30,000.

Chelmsford: will host two Class 3 races as part of its additional meeting on Saturday afternoonCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

In a statement released on Wednesday, the BHA said it recognised there was an “element of risk” scheduling a jumps card at Ffos Las alongside the extra all-weather card, but added that the weather forecast was encouraging.

The BHA said: “This meeting has been introduced to do everything possible to ensure jump racing can take place on Saturday should other scheduled jumps fixtures be abandoned. It also offers additional options for the horse population given the number of jumps meetings that have been lost in recent days.

"The track at Ffos Las is currently raceable and offered the most realistic opportunity to get a jumps fixture on, with the latest forecast giving the card every chance of going ahead. 

"While we are aware that there remains an element of risk that adverse weather may result in these conditions changing, we feel it is important to put an opportunity in place to help provide jump racing for participants and customers on Saturday afternoon."

Entries for Ffos Las, where the going is described as soft, and Chelmsford will close at midday on Thursday with declarations at 10am on Friday. Jockey bookings for all fixtures due to take place on Saturday will be delayed until Friday morning.

The BHA added: “In addition to these fixture changes, we are also working with colleagues across the industry to look at further possible opportunities for lost Pattern races. We will provide updates on any rearranged races in due course.

“We are grateful for the support and cooperation of all stakeholders involved in helping to make these changes, including ITV Racing, the Horserace Betting Levy Board for their contributions to prize-money and the respective racecourses.

“We also appreciate the significant challenges the weather and the uncertainty is presenting for participants and remain grateful for their ongoing commitment to the racing that does take place.”

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