The British Horseracing Authority has published its fixture list from Sept. 1 through the remainder of the year, with minimum prizemoney levels set to rise.
From Sept. 1, minimum prizemoney at the middle and grassroots levels of British racing will be restored to their pre-COVID levels, while for Class 1 races and heritage handicaps minimum purses will be at 75% of their pre-COVID levels. In addition to levy funding, all racecourses will make executive contributions to prizemoney of every race. The appearance money scheme, which pays out to horses out of the money in middle and lower tier races, will be reintroduced.
A maximum of five fixtures will be staged each day from Sept. 1. Fixtures will generally consist of seven races with one race eligible to divide during daytime fixtures and two during evening fixtures. A programme of five floodlit fixtures has been added to the six days in November that was initially scheduled to be dark for the flat. The fixture list between Christmas and New Year, including the eight fixtures provisionally scheduled to take place on Boxing Day, will be reviewed nearer the time. All participants will continue to be restricted to attending one meeting per day.
“As we enter the autumn and racehorse owners begin to make their plans for 2021, this increase in minimum prizemoney levels across all levels from September is a critical part of the sport’s recovery plans,” said Richard Wayman, chief operating officer of the BHA. “Owners have displayed great patience in recent months and it is crucial that prizemoney grows at all levels as quickly as possible. Whilst there is a long way to go, the increase in minimum values together with the re-introduction of the appearance money scheme are clearly steps in the right direction.
“We have learnt a lot from a number of the fixture innovations that were put in place as part of the emergency fixture list, some of which will continue for the remainder of the year. Others may return in the future but it is evident that the return to a more familiar fixture list, at least for now, will provide a boost to industry revenues, particularly as we look forward to crowds returning to racecourses later in the year. This has only been possible due to the Levy Board significantly increasing its support of prizemoney compared with its original plans and we would like to express our gratitude for their approach as we seek to plot a long term course for our sport to recover from its current challenges.”
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