The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) can confirm that Brighton’s next two fixtures on Tuesday 19 May and Tuesday 26 May will be transferred to Lingfield (turf) and Bath respectively.
This will allow Brighton further time for their turf to recover following the discovery of issues with the track last month, which meant they were unable to run their opening four fixtures of the season.
The BHA Course Inspectorate has approved the transfer of their next two fixtures following a full turf disease report and investigation works carried out since 17 April, which confirmed infestation of nematodes and leather jackets causing the damage and issues with the turf.
Further time is needed to allow the treatment to the relevant areas to progress enough for the track to be deemed raceable, and an update regarding their fixture on Friday 29 May will be made by the middle of next week, confirming whether or not sufficient improvement has taken place or not.
Jack Hastings, Clerk of the Course at Brighton, said:
“Following discussions with our independent agronomist and further track inspections, we have concluded that the track is not yet fully recovered in affected localised areas. This is despite the positive impact of the ongoing remedial works carried out so far, and which have brought about significant improvement.
“Over the past four weeks the entire groundstaff have been working non-stop to address damage caused by a mixture of leatherjackets and nematodes. This was despite our usual pre-season preventative measures, which have been successful previously. The track remedial works since have included scarification, slitting, overseeding, regular watering, cutting and the application of a plant-based substance to help overcome the issue. This has all been in line with the detailed programme we agreed with our highly experienced agronomist.
“We are committed to delivering a high-quality racing surface, working closely with our agronomist and grounds team to carry out the comprehensive recovery plan for the track. Brighton Racecourse looks forward to welcoming everyone back, once the track is restored to the excellent standards our participants and visitors expect and deserve.
“Safety and the welfare of the participants – equine and human – remains our absolute priority. We sincerely apologise to all racegoers, stakeholders, sponsors and partners who have been affected by this decision. We are aiming to start our season on Friday 29 May and further updates will be provided as soon as they are available.”
The race programmes at both transferred fixtures will mirror the originally scheduled cards except for the two 7f races on 26 May which cannot be run at Bath. They will be staged over 5f 160y (4yo+ Class 5 Handicap) and 1m (3yo Class 6 Handicap).
