BHA consider situation at Towcester

Towcester Racecourse Company Limited announced last week the track was "currently experiencing trading difficulties" and that it was "taking steps to place the company into administration".

The BHA said in a statement on Thursday: "We are saddened to hear of the formal appointment of administrators at Towcester racecourse and the many staff there who have been made redundant as a result. We hope that those staff who worked on the racecourse side can find jobs elsewhere in racing, should they wish to.

"We will now work with the racecourse and administrators regarding the process they intend to follow from this point and offer our assistance and support. Towcester has a proud racing heritage and no one wants that to come to an end, but it's for the administrators to make decisions on the future of this business. In the meantime we will consider how this affects the racecourse licence in the short term, and their forthcoming fixtures.

"As a priority we will be seeking to determine what happens to the fixtures which are scheduled this autumn and we will determine whether they can go ahead or whether we need to try to find an alternative home for them."

The next scheduled horseracing fixture is on Wednesday, October 10, with further meetings due to take place in November and December before the end of the year.

Towcester racecourse dates back to 1876 and in 1928 the first Lord Hesketh formed the present company and established the course under National Hunt Rules. The track has remained in the ownership of the Fermor-Hesketh family ever since.