The 2024 UK fixture list is expected to be published in mid-September, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) announced on Wednesday.
Roughly 160 new premier cards have been planned. In May, the changes to the UK racing calendar were announced, with the BHA aiming to grow the sport's reach. Premier fixtures, which will offer higher prize-money and feature better horses, as well as a two-hour slot on a majority of Saturday afternoons limited to two of the premier cards, and one other meeting for a two-year trial period were part of the changes. Details of what exactly constitutes a premier fixture will be confirmed at a later date.
Richard Wayman, the BHA's chief operating officer, said, “If every racecourse continued their 2023 behaviour into 2024, we would have had about 115 or 117 premier fixtures that would effectively meet the criteria we've set.
“We are looking at the moment at around 160 premier fixtures in 2024, which I think gives an indication there is significant change in those fixtures, that racecourses are changing their behaviour and wanting to be part of staging premier fixtures.”
One of the biggest changes to the schedule is that approximately 20 premier fixtures have been added to Sundays, with an additional six pilot Sunday evening meetings under consideration for the early part of the year on the Flat.
Wayman added, “Part of creating premier fixtures involves investing more money.
“There is a combination of measures we are looking at as to how that extra money would be generated from requests to Levy, some redistribution of money into premier, but also asking the Levy Board for additional prize-money support to support the strategy. The Levy Board doesn't meet until September so they will consider that then.
“Racecourses are looking to invest some of their own revenues into these premier fixtures and in terms of wanting to stage some of these fixtures, they will be thinking about how they distribute their own budget across the year and one would imagine there will be some redistribution from within racecourse budgets too.”
Levy reform is ongoing according to the British Horseracing Authority's director of communications and corporate affairs Greg Swift, who spoke during a media conference. Meetings between the BHA and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport have been held in the interim, as “a sustainable Levy process” is sought going forward. The BHA also said that “sweeping blanket checks” would be “unacceptable” regarding affordability checks for gamblers.
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