Newmarket angered by lack of all-weather fixtures
Newmarket have shelved their plans to build an all-weather track alongside the Rowley Mile after only being offered a limited number of fixtures.
The British Horseracing Board’s Fixture Allocation Group gave the executive three meetings for the whole of 2005, making the venture financially unviable.
“The Newmarket executive is exceptionally disappointed by FAG’s decision on our application for all-weather fixtures in 2005,” said the track’s managing director, Lisa Hancock.
“Of the 38 national fixtures that could be applied for, only three have been allocated to Newmarket.
"Clearly FAG and the BHB do not want racing on an artificial surface at Newmarket in 2005.
“We received the go-ahead for our application to build a new course from the BHB, via its New Racecourse Committee, in the spring following the granting of planning permission in February.
“Now, after a great deal of time and £300,000 (€455,400) in expenditure, the same organisation is failing to back us. It would have saved us a huge amount of effort and cost if we had been told at the outset by the BHB not to apply, and the reasons for not doing so.
“It is with deep regret that the Newmarket Executive informs FAG that it will not be proceeding with the installation of an all-weather surface at Newmarket in time for racing in 2005, and therefore it will reluctantly not be able to take up the three fixtures allocated to it on September 11 and 12 and November 27.
“We trust that the BHB will ensure that the new 2006 fixture allocation process, when there are expected to be 300 new fixtures, will allow a level playing field for Newmarket when it bids for them with other new courses and existing all-weather tracks.”
Peter Player, chairman of Newmarket, was equally disappointed.
He said: “It almost beggars belief. The BHB gave us the green light by approving our all-weather track as a new course for 2005, yet has then only allocated us three fixtures. How can anyone be expected to invest £6m (€9.1m) on that basis?
“All the detailed plans had been drawn up and all the research into new surfaces had been done.
"We were ready to start construction at a moment’s notice. It is incredibly disappointing.
“In these days of escalating costs, coupled with the issues surrounding stable staff that were highlighted last week, it seems to me that with such a large horse population on Newmarket’s doorstep, our proposed all-weather track represented an opportunity like no other.”
Richard Johnston, managing director of Newmarket’s parent company, Racecourse Holdings Trust, added: “For whatever reason, the FAG process has been skewed towards Arena, which has prevented the creation of an AWT for 2005 at Newmarket.
“We are now likely to see Newmarket and Kempton Park both competing for all-weather track fixtures for 2006.”
