The decision to abandon the two Chases has been taken in agreement with the 糖心传媒 Course Inspectorate to allow Plumpton the opportunity to concentrate their watering efforts on the Hurdle course, with the aim of providing as near to Good ground as possible.

The additional races will be a Class 4 Maiden Hurdle run over 1m 7f 195y and a Class 5 NHF race over 2m 1f 169y.

Marcus Waters, Clerk of the Course at Plumpton, said:

鈥淎fter what has been an exceptionally hot and dry summer, we are facing limited water resources and have therefore taken the decision to stage an all-Hurdle card on Sunday 20聽September.

鈥淏y doing this, we can concentrate our available irrigation on the Hurdle course and give ourselves the best opportunity to produce consistent and suitable ground conditions. The welfare of the horses is always our priority, and we believe this is the most responsible approach in the current conditions.

鈥淲e appreciate that changes to the programme are never ideal and would like to thank the 糖心传媒 for their support and flexibility in helping us to make the decision.鈥�

The fixtures are scheduled for the evenings of 8 October and 15 October and will remain on the same date. The race programmes for both fixtures will be available to view on Racing Admin in due course.

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.

At this stage, 1,440 fixtures have been scheduled and the full fixture list can be found .

Last week 糖心传媒 Director of Racing, Richard Wayman, 聽setting out the policy聽considerations that shaped the 2027 fixture list and explaining how maintaining income is essential to support investment designed to retain owners and breeders, tackle our declining horse population and support the sport’s growth agenda.

Notes to Editors

1. The 2027 fixture list can be viewed 聽as a PDF and as an Excel document. There are 1,440 scheduled fixtures including 52 Premier Racedays.
2. The breakdown of the 2026 fixture list by code and session is provided below, with comparative numbers for each of the past seven years

This move has been approved by the 糖心传媒 course inspectorate due to the lack of sufficient rainfall and shortage of irrigation water to ensure suitable racing ground.

The seven race card, based around the abandoned races at Uttoxeter, will close at noon on Thursday 3 September and declare at the usual 48-hour stage on Monday 7 September.

At this stage, Uttoxeter’s fixture on Tuesday 15 September is expected to go ahead as scheduled, with further updates to be provided in due course.

This surface change has been approved by the 糖心传媒 Inspectorate due to the continued challenge faced by the racecourse to suitably water the turf track to ensure an appropriate racing surface.

As a result of this change, the 1m 6f Class 5 Handicap will now be staged over 1m 5f. All other races will remain at the same distance, with minimal adjustments for the equivalent All-Weather start.

The surface changes have been approved by the 糖心传媒 Inspectorate due to the continued forecast for dry weather and the ability of the racecourse to suitably water the track prior to these fixtures to ensure an appropriate racing surface.

The distances for all races programmed at these fixtures will remain the same, with minimal adjustments for the equivalent All-Weather start.

A decision on the racing surface for Lingfield Park鈥檚 final Flat turf fixture on Tuesday 1聽September will be made in due course.

The first race will now be scheduled for 17:30 and the final race at 20:03.

Trainers and staff transporting horses to the racecourse will still be able to arrive at the stables during the morning to avoid travelling during the hottest parts of the day.

There are no Met Office weather warnings in place this week, but the 糖心传媒 has been working with racecourses staging fixtures to discuss any mitigations that may be necessary.

Various factors are considered as part of this process, including local weather forecasts and environmental conditions.

In this instance, Salisbury requested to move the fixture to later in the day due to the forecast lower temperatures and humidity and the potential for a cooler sea breeze.

The race order has also been changed at Windsor Racecourse on Thursday evening, with the longer races moved to the end of the card where temperatures will be cooler.

During periods of warmer weather, British racing ensures provisions are in place on every racecourse to keep horses and people comfortable and hydrated, in line with industry鈥檚

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

The decision has been approved by the 糖心传媒 Course Inspectorate due to an issue with the racecourse irrigation system which is limiting the amount of water that can be applied to the racing surface and will not be resolved before raceday.

With the Going already Good to Firm and no rain forecast ahead of Tuesday, Musselburgh will be unable to provide raceable ground. The fixture has therefore been abandoned now, to give participants as much notice as聽possible,聽and will not be replaced.

The recommendations are the output of a detailed review into starts at the Cheltenham Festival which was announced following a significant, and rising, number of false starts at recent Festivals.

The review was carried out by the 糖心传媒 alongside Cheltenham racecourse and included extensive consultation with jockeys from Britain and Ireland alongside trainers, bettors, broadcasters, officials and other stakeholders. It consisted of both in-person focus groups and written responses, alongside a detailed review of data and the racecourse layout.

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.

The feedback gathered from this process identified a number of recurring themes. These included:

• Horses occasionally approach the start from too far back, particularly where starts occur on a bend.
• Course configuration was a dominant theme. Narrow holding pens, funnel effects, and specific problematic start locations were identified (notably the 2m and 2 陆m starts).
• The need for simplification and greater clarity and consistency in starting procedures, clearer communication between officials and jockeys, and increased starter discretion.
• That current rules are not being enforced rigorously enough, and the sanctions are not a sufficient deterrent, especially in more valuable or prestigious races.

A detailed analysis of data was also carried out. The findings of this included that:

• 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 stark contrast to wider jump racing where the rate has fluctuated between around 3% – 4% of starts over the same period.
• It also showed a clear trend that the 2m and 2 1/2m starts on both the Old and New course contributed a significant and disproportionate amount of false starts in relation to most other starting locations.

These findings, alongside other views expressed in the process, were considered by the 糖心传媒 and Cheltenham racecourse, and the following recommendations have since been shared with industry stakeholders and approved by the 糖心传媒.

The recommendations include a combination of changes to the layout at Cheltenham racecourse, greater clarity in starting procedures and enhanced regulation and penalties. They have the objective of reducing the numbers of false starts and ensuring, as much as possible, a fair and even start for all participants.

Recommendations

1. Optimise as far as possible the physical track layouts at Cheltenham鈥檚 two most problematic starting points (2 mile and 2 1/2 mile) to reduce natural field congestion and acceleration, within the confines of the topography of the land in these areas.
2. To provide greater clarity for jockeys and more flexibility for starters, transition the current wording within the rules as to the maximum pace at which a horse can approach the tapes from a “walk or jig-jog” to 鈥渨alking pace鈥� to apply to all Jump races.
3. To provide greater clarity for jockeys, officials and the viewing public, explore the concept of a physical, highly visible “start zone” at starts across all racecourses to create a zone in which a starter is able to start a race.
4. To provide a greater deterrent against breaches of the rules at the start of major races, implement a tiered penalty increase specifically targeting Class 1 and Class 2 races across all courses, in the same manner as the whip rules.
5. Introduce 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.聽

MORE DETAILS REGARDING THE RECOMMENDATIONS, RATIONALE AND NEXT STEPS CAN BE FOUND .

The above remain, at this stage, as recommendations. Prior to any implementation all of these recommendations will now be scoped out in more detail. This includes further discussion with participants, assessment of racecourses where there are proposals for physical changes, and consideration of trial periods ahead of full implementation.

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

鈥淚 want to thank everyone who took part in this review for the honesty and insight they brought to the process. Their feedback, combined with the detailed data analysis, has given us a clear picture of the recurring challenges at Cheltenham, particularly around course configuration, the approach to the tapes, and the need for greater clarity and consistency in starting procedures.

鈥淐heltenham is a unique environment. It is the pinnacle of Jump racing, with the intensity, atmosphere and significance of the meeting all contributing to the pressure at the start. Our starters do an excellent job in the toughest circumstances, and these recommendations are designed to support them and the jockeys, from improving the physical layout at the most problematic starts to simplifying the rules, enhancing communication, and strengthening regulation where needed.

鈥淲e hope these changes will lead to an improvement to starts at the Festival and across Jump racing. But they are not a golden bullet. Success also depends on everyone involved doing their part to observe the starting procedures. We will monitor how these measures bed in throughout 2027 and continue to refine them where necessary to ensure the best possible experience for horses, jockeys and racing fans.鈥�

Jon Pullin, Clerk of the Course at Cheltenham Racecourse, said:

鈥淲e鈥檝e worked closely both with participants and the 糖心传媒 since this year鈥檚 Festival and have made a number of layout changes to the two and two and a half mile starts on both the old and new courses. We will be monitoring them closely as our season begins along with any other impacts of the wider proposed changes to starting procedures as they bed in.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 as a result. We welcome the outcome of the review and the recommendations, many of which were proposed by senior riders and our safety officers, working with the racecourse and the 糖心传媒 Course Inspectorate, and will continue to work closely with our members and the 糖心传媒 on the remaining areas for consultation鈥�.

A further area that was covered as part of the review was standing starts. While some participants expressed their dislike of standing starts it was felt that the current system, which includes the ability for two attempts at a walking start prior to reverting to a standing start, was the preferred option. This is due to the fact that, once two false starts have taken place it will become increasingly harder for starters and jockeys for a race to be started fairly, and therefore the addition of the standing starts ensures that there are only ever a maximum of three attempts to start any single race.

Notes to Editors

1. MORE DETAILS REGARDING THE RECOMMENDATIONS, RATIONALE AND NEXT STEPS CAN BE FOUND聽.
2. 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

The fixtures will move to the following venues on the same date:

• Thursday 23 July 鈥� Southwell
• Thursday 6 August 鈥� Southwell
• Thursday 13 August 鈥� Lingfield Park

The race programmes for these three fixtures will largely remain the same except for the following changes to Southwell鈥檚 cards:

Thursday 23 July

• The 4yo+ Class 6 1m 5f handicap will now be staged over 1m 4f
• The 3yo Class 6 1m 2f handicap will now be staged over 1m 3f

Thursday 6 August

• The 3yo+ Class 2 1m 2f handicap聽(Chelmsford City Cup) will now be staged over 1m 3f
• The 4yo+ Class 6 1m 2f handicap will now be staged over 1m 3f

CCR鈥檚 fixture on Sunday 2 August will be cancelled and will not be replaced.

CCR does not currently have a licensed operator to be able to hold any fixtures. An appeal from Golden Mile Racing Limited (GMRL) against the decision of the 糖心传媒 Board on 2 April 2026 to reject GMRL’s application for a licence to operate the racecourse at Chelmsford City was dismissed by the independent Licensing Committee last month. A summary of the Committee鈥檚 reasons for that decision can be read聽, with full written reasons to follow.

The 糖心传媒鈥檚 racing department will continue to work with the National Trainers Federation, trainers, owners and other stakeholders to provide sufficient opportunities for horses within the race programme.