The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has confirmed the launch of 170 ‘Premier Racedays’ as part of a major overhaul of the fixture list for 2024.
The changes, which will initially be introduced on a two-year trial basis, are designed to increase prize money and the quality of racing’s marquee meetings.
All Premier Racedays will include a minimum number of higher-class races, higher minimum prize money – no races run for less than £20,000 (Flat) and £15,000 (Jumps) – and those taking place on Saturdays will be given “room to breathe” with a “protected window” to reduce the number of fixture clashes.
There will also be significant investment in Sunday racing with the aim of increasing engagement and revenues across the weekend, while overall there is a reduction of 300 Jumps races and 20 Jumps fixtures which the BHA hopes will create more competitive racing and improve field sizes.
The plans are supported by an additional £3.8m from the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) for Premier Racedays and the BHA says industry modelling projects an estimated £90m improvement to British racing’s finances over a five-year period from 2024 to 2028.
Julie Harrington, chief executive of the BHA, said: “Compiling this year’s fixture list was a truly collaborative process on a scale which I have never before seen in our industry, with the sport pulling in the same direction to achieve a shared objective. I am extremely grateful to my teams at the BHA and everyone across the sport who has engaged so constructively in this process.
“There was agreement across the industry that steps were required to increase racing’s appeal to customers at the earliest opportunity, as well as addressing the current headwinds facing the sport.
“We accept and expected that, with significant change, there will always be some who feel that the cards have not fallen their way. However, the objective for these changes is that they grow the sport as a whole, with benefits that reach throughout the entire industry in the medium to long-term.
“This is the first major step in what is a long-term transformational plan. The expectation is that the changes should generate more revenue, which will allow us to invest in other key areas – including attracting new fans and new owners and increasing the reward and recognition of all our existing participants.
“All of these changes are being introduced on a trial basis. They will be closely monitored and measured.”
