Following a lengthy consultation period, the BHA was satisfied with the proposal after receiving guarantees regarding prize money and the quality of racing over both jumps and on the level.
Work on the new track will begin in September with the plan being to resume racing in spring 2016. All Flat racing will take place on an all-weather Tapeta surface including the Northumberland Plate which has been boosted in value to £150,000. ARC also hope to run a £75,000 consolation race.
Jumps racing is set to continue alongside the all-weather track at Newcastle but while work is carried out this winter the owners has said it has not been determined where the national hunt meetings this November and December will be staged. However it has proposed that the Fighting Fifth Hurdle be run at Doncaster on November 28.
The governing body has given no guarantees as to the number of BHA fixtures that Newcastle might obtain as part of the process. Newcastle’s plans to convert to an all-weather track had been held up last year as the course, which only has floodlighting for its straight mile, could not meet the BHA rules setting out the distances of the races on a programme. However it has now been agreed that where necessary some twilight and/or floodlit fixtures will commence between 15 and 35 minutes earlier than standard.
BHA chief executive Nick Rust said: “This was not a straightforward decision for the BHA board, with a number of factors taken into account, and the matter discussed at some length. We are conscious that a broad range of views exist within the sport as to the proposals at Newcastle, but we were mindful in particular of the demand that exists for an all-weather track in the North”
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment