CHELMSFORD, CHELTENHAM & TOWCESTER.

As of now, Chelmsford City is no more. It still exists, Iran has not blast it off the face of the Earth and no stray U.S. missile has found its way to Essex as of today. No, the existence of Chelmsford City as a licensed racecourse is in jeopardy due to the actions of the B.H.A. 

As much as I take joy in the loss of an all-weather racecourse, there are many things in this subject to question the B.H.A. about. Why leave the decision to take away the licence to hold race-meetings after declarations for their fixture today and more importantly their meeting on Saturday which had enhanced prize-money on offer? And why offer no explanation for why the B.H.A. has taken the action it has? Trainers, quite rightly, are up in arms about the situation, with Eve Johnson Houghton in particular extremely belligerent in her response to the situation.

I suppose it could be argued that the cancellation of the two fixtures is somewhat similar to the late cancellation of a meeting due to waterlogging or frost. This, though, is a man-made decision, not a decision imposed by the actions of the weather-gods. I dare say I am as guilty as the B.H.A. in disregarding the right to employment for those who work at Chelmsford City, though if I could close three all-weather racecourses, I would at least give them 12 or 18-months notice so they could wind-down gracefully and go out with a celebratory bang.

Unfortunately, this is another example of why I believe the B.H.A. to be unfit to govern our sport. Of course, there may be a situation at Chelmsford City that has to do with fraudulent or criminal activity and if this is he case, which I hope not and do not expect, the B.H.A. would be wholly right in their actions. I doubt if this story will fade from the pages of the Racing Post any day soon and we await further details and revelations.

Cheltenham, at least, has responded to public pressure and relocated all the races from the abandoned April meeting, with Haydock taking on 8-races and Wincanton becoming home to the other 2. Four of the mares races scheduled have found temporary homes at Market Rasen, Warwick and Sandown and all with the same level of prize-money as if they were staged at Cheltenham. Why the relocation of all these races could not have been announced along with the press release on the drainage work is for Cheltenham to answer. We should, though, congratulate Guy Lavender and his team for finally doing the right thing. Perhaps the B.H.A. should follow suit and relocate all the races due to be run at Chelmsford over the next two-days, if only to placate and quiten Eve Johnson Houghton. Send them a memo, someone!

Also good news is that there is a possibility that racing might return to the Northamptonshire racecourse at Towcester. I write the county as some people may not be familiar with the location of Towcester, so long has it been lying dormant. Of course, Towcester is the home of the Greyhound Derby, though the 'dogs' do not not have to climb the long hill from the bottom of the straight to the winning post.

I used to love Towcester; it was a great equaliser of a racecourse, where long-odds outsiders were not infrequent winners. It was, and fervently hope it will be again, a proper National Hunt venue, with the ground often soft to heavy and with perhaps the toughest run to the winning post of any racecourse in Britain or Ireland. When I was last there, many moons ago, the facilities were pretty basic, with stable staff always complaining about a lack of hot water and with the racecourse stabling poor and a very long walk away from the racecourse. 

It is intended, as an exhibition to trainers of the improved ground conditions, to stage gallops days, schooling races and point-to-points as they prepare the racecource to have it shipshape and Bristol fashion for the application to hold bone fide race-meetings, Dundalk has made a success of combining greyhound and horse racing, so there is no reason why Towcester too should not be equally successful. Fingers fully crossed.