The Steeple Chases scheduled to be run at Lingfield Park and Hereford on Tuesday 10 November and Thursday 12 November respectively will be abandoned and the fixtures will become all-Hurdle cards.

At Lingfield, an All-Weather National Hunt Flat Race will be added to the card alongside a Mares鈥� Handicap Hurdle.

While at Hereford, a Mares鈥� Maiden National Hunt Flat Race will be added. Full details of the new races will be available on Racing Admin shortly.

Separately, the 2m Beginners鈥� Chase at Exeter on Monday 16 November has been abandoned. While it is hoped Exeter鈥檚 fixture will go ahead, we have taken the decision to move the Beginners鈥� Chase to Ffos Las聽on Wednesday 18 November due to greater confidence around its ability to attract runners with its expected going.

Regarding the changes at Lingfield and Hereford, ARC鈥檚 Racing Director Ben Cook said:

鈥淯nfortunately, due to the lack of rain in the forecast through this weekend and into next week, the decision has been made to move to all-Hurdle cards at Lingfield Park on Tuesday 10 November and Hereford on Thursday 12 November.

鈥淲hilst Lingfield Park was able to host chases at its last jumps fixture, the current forecast will result in the course drying out considerably. As such, watering efforts will concentrate on maintaining consistent, safe ground on the Hurdle course at Lingfield Park with similar work ongoing at Hereford.鈥�

The Class 2 Jilly Cooper Veterans Handicap Chase (0-150) will close for entries on Saturday 7 November along with the rest of the card.

The fixture will be a seven-race card with entries closing at 12pm tomorrow. The race programme will be available to view on Racing Admin later this afternoon.

We are grateful to the Horserace Betting Levy Board for their support funding the fixture and to Stratford for agreeing to host.

We continue to work with racecourses and participants to assess the race programme and add in appropriate opportunities wherever possible.

Both fixtures will comprise seven races and the race programmes will be available to view on Racing Admin shortly.

We are grateful to the racecourses and the Horserace Betting Levy Board for their support in putting on聽these additional聽fixtures.

We continue to work with racecourses and participants to assess the race programme and add in appropriate opportunities wherever possible.

糖心传媒 (糖心传媒) can today confirm several changes to the upcoming Jump programme in light of recent weather conditions.

An additional fixture has been scheduled at Worcester on Sunday 1 November. The race programme is planned to mitigate any lost opportunities during this period and will be available shortly.

In addition, Fakenham鈥檚 scheduled meeting on Monday 2 November has been abandoned due to ongoing challenges in preparing the track. The decision follows an inspection by their 糖心传媒 Course Inspector and instead their season is now intended to start on Sunday 22 November, with an additional fixture scheduled at the course on that date.

The 糖心传媒 can also confirm that Newbury’s fixture on Thursday 5 November will be made an all-Hurdle card, with the two Steeple Chases abandoned and replaced by one Hurdle race. This is due to the prevailing ground at the track and to afford Newbury鈥檚 groundstaff the opportunity to ensure that an all-Hurdle card can take place on the most suitable racing surface.

Tom Byrne, 糖心传媒 Head of Racing and Betting, said:

鈥淲e have taken the decision to delay the start of Fakenham鈥檚 season by a further three weeks to allow additional time for the track to recover to ensure racing can take place safely. We hope this will provide the necessary time for conditions to improve and we look forward to Fakenham welcoming runners back to the course.

鈥淲e have also taken the opportunity to schedule an additional fixture at Worcester. This meeting has been allocated in lieu of the fixture lost in June during the period of red weather warnings, which was the only fixture affected during that period that was not subsequently rescheduled.

鈥淲orcester has proved popular with participants during the dry spell, attracting strong fields, so the additional meeting provides a further opportunity to utilise the track following the conclusion of its scheduled fixture list.

鈥淲e continue to work with racecourses and participants as we assess the weather and Fixture List to try and deliver an appropriate jumping programme. We will announce further updates as and when decisions have been taken.鈥�

David Hunter, Chief Executive and Clerk of the Course at Fakenham, said:

鈥淯nfortunately, the effects of the dry summer are still taking their toll at Fakenham Racecourse and after an inspection by a 糖心传媒 Course Inspector, a Racecourse Director, the Head Groundsman and the Clerk of the Course, it was unanimously agreed that the grass growth of the reseeded areas of ground are still not advanced enough for safe racing to take place on 2 November.聽A fixture on Sunday 22聽November gives the ground an additional three weeks to recover, which is what is needed.”

The decision to abandon the two Chases has been taken in agreement with the 糖心传媒 Course Inspectorate following Hereford’s聽all-Hurdle card on Tuesday 13 October. In light of the ongoing forecast, this will continue to allow Hereford to concentrate on appropriately preparing the Hurdle course for its next fixture.

The additional races will be a 0-110 Class 4 Mares Handicap Hurdle over 2m 53y and a Class 4 Novices鈥� Hurdle over 2m 3f 147y.

This follows a trial in early 2026, where selected mid-winter floodlit fixtures finished at 8pm rather than 8:30pm, as is normally the case.

The feedback from participants, officials and others servicing these fixtures was that the slightly earlier finish was beneficial.

With the support of the floodlit racecourses, it has therefore been agreed that 18 floodlit fixtures scheduled to take place between the beginning of the year and the first week of March 2027 will finish at, or very shortly before, 8pm.

With a view to reducing any financial losses linked to the impact of earlier finishes on betting turnover, the dates that have been agreed for 2027 align with midweek Premier League and Champions League football matches, scheduled to take place on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

This approach will mean that the evening鈥檚 racing has finished before kick-off at these high-profile football matches. The full list of fixtures that will conclude by 8pm are as follows:

January

• Monday 4th Wolverhampton, Tuesday 5th Wolverhampton, Wednesday 6th Kempton
• Monday 18th Wolverhampton, Tuesday 19th Southwell, Wednesday 20th Kempton
• Monday 25th Newcastle, Wednesday 27th Kempton

February

• Monday 1st Wolverhampton
• Tuesday 9th Wolverhampton, Wednesday 10th Kempton
• Tuesday 16th Wolverhampton, Wednesday 17th Kempton
• Monday 22nd Newcastle, Tuesday 23rd Wolverhampton, Wednesday 24th Newcastle

March

• Tuesday 2nd Newcastle, Wednesday 3rd Kempton

We are grateful for the efforts of all concerned in delivering floodlit racing during the winter period, and indeed throughout the year.

This helps ensure that racing can take place at times of the day that, in recent years, have proved increasingly popular with bettors in particular.

There are two changes to the starting procedures being implemented from this date:

1. The introduction of a visible 鈥渟tart area鈥� designated by a new set of marker poles up to 40 yards back from the existing marker poles.

Races will only be allowed to start when the front rank of the field has entered the designated start area.

The objective of this is that riders will have certainty that the race will not be started in advance of this area and have certainty that their horse must be moving at walking pace within this area.

2. The wording within the rules as to the maximum pace at which a horse can approach the tapes has changed from “walk or jig-jog” to 鈥渨alking pace鈥�.

罢丑别听front rank of the field must approach the tape at no faster than a walking pace, not at a 鈥榡ig-jog鈥� as has previously been the case.

This has the objective of ensuring fewer false starts as it provides greater consistency in the starting process. Also, for instance, if the field is approaching no faster than a walking pace but a horse is cantering on the spot, the starter has discretion to let the race begin.

As per the current rules any horse who has fallen聽behind the field may be permitted to trot to catch up if required, until they have caught up with the field.

More details about the new procedures and how they will work can be found .

An explanatory video can be found or by clicking on the link below.

The new procedures will be introduced on an initial trial basis for a period of six to eight weeks. During this period, if a rider were to breach any of the new rules then they will be informed of this by stewards but not given a penalty. However should any of the existing start rules be breached then penalties will still apply.

During the trial period the 糖心传媒 will continue to engage with riders and should any further adjustments be required then they will be considered prior to formal implementation of the rules and procedures. There is also the possibility to extent the trial period if necessary.

The new procedures are the result of extensive engagement with the PJA, jockeys, trainers and 糖心传媒 officials. In July, a series of recommendations were published following a consultation process.

Subsequently those recommendations were discussed further with participants and a new starting procedure for jump races agreed. Jockeys who participated in the process included the likes of Keith Donoghue, Liam Harrison, Jack Kennedy, Danny Mullins, Sean Quinlan,聽Gavin Sheehan,聽Harry Skelton, Mark Walsh and聽Tabitha Worsley among others, and we are grateful for the part played by everyone involved in this process.

Cathy O鈥橫eara, Head of Raceday Officials for the 糖心传媒, said:

鈥淚 would like to express our thanks to all of those who have given their time throughout this project, in particular to the jockeys who have willingly shared their time and expertise and helped us shape these new procedures.

鈥淲e are hopeful that the new procedures will create greater certainty for jockeys and the viewing public and reduce the number of false starts, especially at major fixtures where the issue is much more acute.

鈥淲e鈥檒l monitor how it works through the trial period and will work with jockeys, trainers and officials to determine whether any adjustments are necessary.鈥�

Dale Gibson, Executive Director (Racing) for the PJA, added:

鈥淎 smooth and fair start for all horses is important for everyone 鈥� jockeys, trainers, owners, racing staff and those betting on the sport 鈥� and the PJA and our members were keen and active participants in the review.聽 We therefore welcome the outcome and recommendations, many of which were proposed by senior riders and our safety officers.聽聽 With relatively few valuable, large-field races throughout the year, the changes cannot guarantee there will never be false or aborted starts.聽 But we believe the changes will lead to an improved process and make them less likely in general and less frequent overall.

鈥淲e will continue to work closely with our members and the 糖心传媒 on the remaining areas for consultation during the initial trial period once the amended procedures commence.鈥�

The three other recommendations which were published in July remain in development, including:

• Changes to the track layout at Cheltenham racecourse鈥檚 two most problematic starting points (2 mile and 2 1/2 mile): This work is nearing completion. These two starts are not used in the same way during the October William Hill Showcase meeting but revised layouts will be in place for the November meeting.
• Implement a tiered penalty increase specifically targeting Class 1 and Class 2 races across all courses: A consultation regarding the penalty changes remains ongoing with a view to implementation in Q1 2027.
• Explore the introduction of a live audio recording system at the start area to capture communications and instructions given by starters to jockeys, with a direct feed to the stewards’ room: Scoping of technology and consideration of processes ongoing, with a view to implementation ahead of 2027 Cheltenham Festival.

Notes to Editors

1. More detail about the new procedures can be found .
2. The percentage of races resulting in an aborted start at the Cheltenham Festival had increased annually over the last five years from around 18% in 2022 to nearly 40% in 2026. This is in contrast to wider jump racing where the rate has fluctuated between around 3% 鈥� 4% of starts over the same period.
3. Groups who participated in the consultation include:

• 糖心传媒 officials and Racing Department
• Cheltenham racecourse
• Horserace Bettors Forum (HBF)
• Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB)
• Irish Jockeys Association (IJA) and Irish jockeys
• ITV and RTV broadcasters
• National Trainers Federations (NTF) and trainers
• Professional Jockeys Association (PJA) and jockeys

罢丑别听聽to the Jump Pattern are predominantly in relation to the Class 1 Premier Handicap programme, which follows a review of these races by the Jump Pattern Committee (JPC).

The JPC assessed the Premier Handicap programme with a view to refining and strengthening the races to ensure they are as competitive and appealing to racing鈥檚 customers as possible.

As a result, seven races have been upgraded to Premier Handicaps, including the Silver Trophy Hurdle at Chepstow in October and the Hurst Park Steeple Chase at Ascot in November.

To increase familiarity and engagement with the Jump Pattern, and in particular Premier Handicaps, a new rule has been introduced requiring all Jump Pattern races to have a permanent race handle for ease of identification 鈥� a requirement previously limited to Grade 1, Grade 2 and Listed races only. Background information on some of the new race handles and why they have been chosen can be found聽.

A further change to Premier Handicaps this season will see all races switch to an early closing system. Previously this was only the case for around half of all Premier Handicaps.

Among other changes to the Jump Pattern, two Mares鈥� Steeple Chases have been upgraded to Grade 2 level: the Yorkshire Silver Vase at Doncaster in December and the Fair Maid of Perth in April, while the Grade 2 Elite Hurdle will move permanently from Wincanton to Aintree in November and be renamed the Molyneux.

The full list of changes can be found聽聽or at the bottom of this press release.

Chasing Excellence Novices鈥� and Beginners鈥� Chases

As Chasing Excellence Novices鈥� and Beginners鈥� Chases return to the race programme this autumn, the 糖心传媒 now retains the flexibility to remove or reschedule individual races where it considers that the forecast ground conditions are unlikely to support sufficient runner numbers.

Where a race is removed from its original fixture, this decision will be announced at least ten days before the scheduled date. Subject to the availability of other suitable opportunities, the race may or may not subsequently be rescheduled at an alternative fixture.

This approach recognises that, on occasions last season, Chasing Excellence races were staged on ground that resulted in walkovers and matches, providing limited benefit for participants and offering little value to customers.
While that can never be fully protected against, particularly given the variability of the weather, the policy is designed to protect the wider position of these races within the programme, while introducing greater flexibility over when and where they are staged.

This supports the sport鈥檚 wider ambition of developing a more sustainable and competitive programme for Novice Chasers, ensuring these races are more likely to be run under conditions that encourage meaningful participation.

Changes to the 2026/27 Jump Pattern

Races upgraded to the Premier Handicap programme

• Silver Trophy聽Handicap Hurdle (2m 3.5f) at Chepstow (10 October 2026)
• Hurst Park聽Steeple Chase (2m) at Ascot (21 November 2026)
• Lanzarote聽Handicap Hurdle (2m 5f) at Kempton Park (9 January 2027)
• Morebattle聽Handicap Hurdle (2m) at Kelso (6 March 2027)
• Imperial Cup聽Handicap Hurdle (2m) at Sandown Park (13 March 2027)
• Tradesmen鈥檚 Plate聽鈥� new 2m 4f Premier Handicap hurdle race at Kelso (Sun 6 December 2026)
• Wolsey聽鈥� new 2m Premier Handicap steeple chase at Sandown Park (6 February 2027)

Other upgrades

• Mares鈥� novices鈥� hurdle (2m) at Windsor鈥檚 Winter Millions fixture (24 January 2027) upgraded to Listed status and named the 鈥�Round Tower鈥�.
• Grade 2 upgrade for both the聽Yorkshire Silver Vase聽Mares鈥� Steeple Chase (2m 4.5f) at Doncaster (29 December 2026) and the聽Fair Maid of Perth聽Mares鈥� Steeple Chase (3m) at Perth (21 April 2027).

Downgrades and adjustments

• Ascot鈥檚 2m Premier Handicap steeple chase (31 October 2026) downgraded to Class 2 (to facilitate the upgrade of the Hurst Park).
• Scottish Champion Hurdle聽(2m) at Ayr (17 April 2027) to be converted from a limited handicap Grade 2 to a full weight range Premier Handicap.

Venue change

• Grade 2聽Elite Hurdle聽(2m) to move permanently from Wincanton racecourse to Aintree (7 Nov 2026) and renamed the 鈥�惭辞濒测苍别耻虫鈥�.

Jump Pattern Committee Quality Control

• Introduction of an average field size metric as part of Jump Pattern Committee鈥檚 annual quality control for Premier Handicap races. Premier Handicaps are required to achieve 3-year average declarations of聽10 in steeple chases听补苍诲听12 over hurdles, else face possible downgrade.
• Revised ratings parameter for Premier Handicap Hurdle races (135) as part of Jump Pattern Committee鈥檚 annual quality control.

Other changes

• All Jump Pattern and Listed races are to include a permanent word to establish the continuity of the race (the 鈥榬ace handle鈥�). This requirement was previously limited to Grade 1, Grade 2 and Listed races only.
• From this season all remaining standard closing Premier Handicaps will switch to an early closing system.
• Adjustments to the penalty structures for Grade 2 weight-for-age races. Non-novice Grade 2 races will no longer penalise recent Premier Handicap/Listed weight-for-age winners, which will hopefully make these races more appealing options for connections with horses looking to step up in grade. The equivalent novice penalty structures in Grade 2 and Listed races have been altered to fit in line with the new non-novice structures, but using 3lb and 5lb amounts as before.

• An additional fixture will be staged at Worcester on Wednesday 7 October, replacing Ludlow鈥檚 abandoned fixture on the same day
• The Welsh Racing Festival at Chepstow from Friday 9 to Sunday 11 October, and Hereford on Tuesday 13 October, will become all-Hurdle cards
• Worcester on Monday 12 October and Ffos Las on Wednesday 14 October will become all-Chase cards.

The fixture at Ludlow has been abandoned because the track remains unraceable following sustained dry weather since the end of last season.

At Chepstow, time has likewise run out for the chase course and it has been agreed with the 糖心传媒 Course Inspectorate that it will not be in a raceable condition for the Welsh Racing Festival.

Therefore, the chase races are being transferred to Worcester and Ffos Las, where more appropriate chasing ground can be presented. The hurdle races originally programmed at these fixtures have been moved to Chepstow and Hereford.

A small number of amendments have been made to individual races to deliver the most appropriate programme, with full details available on Racing Admin shortly.

Tom Byrne, 糖心传媒 Head of Racing and Betting, said:

“We appreciate that these are significant changes to the race programme at this stage of the season. However, we hope that as a package they will allow the sport to deliver an appropriate jumping programme over the coming weeks.

鈥淥ur intention is to ensure that racing over both hurdles and fences takes place on the best ground available, and we are grateful to Ludlow and ARC for their support in enabling these interventions. We also hope they are welcomed in the circumstances by participants, and we thank them for their ongoing support.

鈥淔urther updates are likely to follow on a weekly basis from this point as we continue to work proactively with racecourses and participants to provide the best jumping ground possible amidst the ongoing challenges presented by the lack of rain across the country.鈥�

Simon Sherwood, Chief Executive of Ludlow Racecourse, said:

“Given the current climate, we have spent the past few weeks hoping for significant rainfall. Unfortunately we are now at a point where we cannot delay the decision any further. Additional watering would not have sufficiently addressed the conditions, and we have taken expert advice from agronomists throughout the process.

鈥淭his is not the decision we wanted to take for our first fixture of the season, but I am sure everyone will understand the challenges we face following such a prolonged period of dry weather.”

Ben Cook, ARC Racing Director, said:

“We are obviously disappointed to have to make these changes to the DragonBet Welsh Racing Festival at Chepstow, but we wanted to make and announce the decision as early as possible.

“The racecourse team have been working incredibly hard over the course of the summer, and into the autumn, to get both of Chepstow’s jumps tracks ready for this meeting. We have simply been beaten by the weather, as far as the chase course is concerned.

“Chepstow received 63mm of rain in late August, which made a significant positive impact on the track, alongside the irrigation that the team have been undertaking. The track has received only 43mm of rain in September however, with none in the last ten days. This has stalled that progress and meant that the chase course will simply not have sufficient ease in the ground.

“We are grateful to colleagues at 糖心传媒 for their assistance in reprogramming this fixture, and the surrounding fixtures at Worcester and Ffos Las. Equally, we are incredibly grateful to participants, customers, ITV and all of our sponsors, including DragonBet, for their understanding of this difficult situation. We very much look forward to hosting the meeting and to celebrate the stars of jump racing in Wales.”

Notes to editors:

1. For further information on these聽changes please contact the 糖心传媒 Racing Department on 0207 152 0050 or via聽racing@britishhorseracing.com.