Arc hold BHA ransom over Good Friday!

The future plan of Arc to significantly upgrade the winter's all-weather racing programme is likely to be decided today when the BHA considers whether to break with centuries of tradition in allowing racing on Good Friday from next year.

Arc, which owns three of Britain's four all-weather racecourses, plan to inject £2m into the 2013-14 winter All Weather schedule. This will see significant improvement in the quality and value of dozens of meetings from as early as next month but is dependent on approval for racing on Good Friday, when Arc wants to stage a million-pound finale to the winter campaign.

Arc's plan is believed to include ideas employed by the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders' Cup meetings to assemble the fields for the championship event next year. Qualifying races for events at the final meeting, due to be staged at Lingfield Park on 18 April 2014, will be held throughout the winter, while there will also be valuable contests during the season with the winner guaranteed a place in one of the championship races.

Good Friday is one of only a handful of days in the calendar on which no racing is currently scheduled and is the traditional date of stable open days in Lambourn and Middleham. Britain's jockeys also hold their annual awards dinner, the Lesters, in London the previous evening.

Betting shops have been open on Good Friday since 2008 and the scale of Arc's proposed investment in the all-weather programme is so significant that the BHA board is unlikely to stand in the way of it. If Good Friday racing is approved, the date would be opened to offers, with Arc's proposal almost certain to be accepted. Musselburgh is also keen to stage racing the same afternoon.