TUESDAY 27th OCTOBER – Aintree Racecourse will stage a two-day meeting worth £480,000 on Friday 6th and Saturday 7th November, following the cancellation of the West Country Weekend due to unraceable ground conditions.
Haldon Gold Cup Day at Exeter Racecourse on Friday 6th November and Badger Chase Ladies’ Day at Wincanton Racecourse on Saturday 7th November will not go ahead as planned. Aintree will now race on Friday 6th and Saturday 7th November, staging all feature races from the two cancelled cards at their original prize money levels.
The two-day Aintree meeting will feature the BetMGM Haldon Gold Cup, the Boodles Rising Stars Novices’ Chase and the BetMGM ‘Future Stars’ Silver Bowl Novices’ Chase, alongside an £80,000 3m1f handicap chase. These races will complement the William Hill Molyneux Hurdle (formerly the Elite Hurdle), bringing the total prize money across the two days to £480,000.
The extremely dry summer, combined with continued warm temperatures and limited rainfall into the autumn, has meant that ground conditions at both Exeter and Wincanton remain predominantly firm. Although rainfall has increased over the past 10 days, the current forecast suggests there will not be sufficient further rainfall to improve conditions. As a result, safe ground for Jump racing cannot be guaranteed.
In addition, the fixture at Sandown Park on Sunday 8th November will become an all-hurdle card, as the Chase course is unraceable at present and the current forecast suggests that there will not be sufficient improvement ahead of the meeting. The Hurdle Course is the watered summer Flat Course and there are no issues anticipated with its condition. The meeting will remain a seven-race card, with further details to follow.
Andrew Morris, Director of Racing and Industry Relations at The Jockey Club, said: “It is obviously disappointing for the teams at Exeter and Wincanton to lose these two fixtures, as they are such highlights of their season. However, our priority will always be to provide safe ground for our participants. Once it became clear that, given the current conditions and the forecast, this would not be possible, we wanted to make an early decision for the benefit of all stakeholders.
“We’re grateful to the British Horseracing Authority for its support and flexibility in allowing us to reschedule the feature races from the West Country Weekend at their original prize money levels over the two days at Aintree. This ensures that these important races remain available to participants at this stage of the season.”
ITV Racing will broadcast both days of the meeting from Aintree Racecourse, showing all feature races across the two days.
Sulekha Varma, Head of Racing at Aintree Racecourse, said: “While we’re disappointed for our colleagues at Exeter and Wincanton, we’re pleased to have been able to provide an alternative home for their feature races. Our original Saturday card has been strengthened by the addition of races that are extremely important to participants at this stage of the season.
“We’re grateful to our partners, participants, the BHA, RMG and ITV Racing for their continued support and cooperation. We’re looking forward to hosting the two-day meeting and welcoming racegoers to enjoy a high-quality programme of racing, with Friday admission available for just £10.”
General admission tickets for the fixture on Friday 6 November are now on sale for £10 at www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/Aintree.
All general admission ticket purchasers for the West Country Weekend will be automatically refunded. Hospitality guests and annual members will be contacted directly by the racecourses to discuss their options.
