Great Leighs (Chelmsford City) strikes prize-money agreement

Great Leighs, or Chelmsford City as it now to be known are now eligible to apply for BHA fixtures after the course management struck a prize-money agreement with The Horsemen's Group. The agreement was reached days before the BHA fixture allocation process for 2015 starting on Monday giving the all-weather course the opportunity to expand on the initial 12 start-up fixtures granted by the BHA. The agreement will run until the end of 2016, and means Chelmsford City will contribute at least 40 per cent of its total media rights income to prize-money,

Phil Siers, managing director of Chelmsford City, said: "With the significant investment we are making at  the racecourse, it is intended we provide the best facilities we can. Whilst a large part of this will be focused on providing a new grandstand and infrastructure, we are not neglecting our horsemen. Horses are the lifeblood of any track, and we intend to offer class leading prize- money levels.

"Additionally, we plan to ensure the raceday experience for connections with runners will surpass the offerings at other racecourses, and we are confident that Chelmsford City Racecourse will quickly become the all-weather destination of choice, where horsemen most want to run their horses."

Philip Freedman, chairman of the Horsemen's Group, added: "We welcome the re-opening of Chelmsford City and look forward to its staging fixtures from the beginning of next year. Its popularity with horsemen reflects not only its proximity to Newmarket but also its design, layout and surface.

"Greater competition for all-weather fixtures can only have a positive impact on the quality of racing and the financial returns to horsemen, and the fact Chelmsford City has signed a Premier Tier agreement indicates their commitment to significantly improving all-weather racing."