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Back over the jumps
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Arena Racing Company (“ARC”) today confirm that jump racing will return to Royal Windsor Racecourse for the 2024/25 season.
Royal Windsor has a history of hosting jump racing, having done so up until 1998, with the Racecourse temporarily hosting a number of fixtures on behalf of Ascot Racecourse during its redevelopment in 2004 and 2005.
It is anticipated that Royal Windsor will host a small number of National Hunt fixtures across the 2024/5 season, with the first such taking place on Sunday 15 December 2024. On confirmation of the 2025 fixture list, a further number of jumps fixtures will be confirmed for the winter months, ahead the start of the flat season in April.
Royal Windsor Racecourse will not see any net increase in the number of fixtures that it hosts over the year with these new jump fixtures effectively switched from the afternoon flat meetings that have been traditionally held at the beginning and end of the season in both April and October.
To facilitate the return of jump racing to Royal Windsor, ARC has made significant investment into the racing surface and, in conjunction with the BHA Racecourse Inspectorate and PJA Safety Officers, has developed new areas of track to offer an optimal configuration for jumps racing.
The newly configured jumps course will utilise previously dormant turfed areas of the site, which are in the process of being brought up to racing standard. This work will eliminate the need for a crossover, as was previously utilised for jump racing, and still is used over certain flat distances. Jump races at Royal Windsor will now see runners take a continuous left-handed circuit, instead of the previous figure of eight.
In addition, a number of areas of the track, including the back straight, will be widened to allow adequate space for both hurdle and steeplechase races.
Managing Director of ARC’s Racing Division, Mark Spincer, said, “We have long held a desire to bring jump racing back to Royal Windsor Racecourse, and we are really pleased to confirm this plan well ahead of the planned first fixture in December 2024.”
“Whilst the Racecourse hasn’t hosted regularly scheduled jumps fixtures since 1998, we believe that the plans that we have put together with BHA will mean that the small number of fixtures that we would like to host will sit well alongside the long established, popular summer flat programme.”
“A significant amount of work has gone into considering the optimal layout for jump racing at Royal Windsor, which will see the course configured differently to how it was previously, but we believe that it is an excellent proposal to offer jump racing fans the chance to come back to Royal Windsor, whilst not impacting on the flat programme, which is an important consideration.”
“The proximity to the River Thames gives the track excellent drainage, and our records show that the Racecourse very rarely ran jumps fixtures on Heavy ground, with the majority of abandonments coming due to frost. Happily, turf management techniques have developed significantly since that time, so we are confident of providing excellent jumping ground for the fixtures that we would like to host in 2024 and 2025 and beyond.”
In 2023, Royal Windsor Racecourse will host a total of 26 fixtures, taking place from April to October. The Racecourse is best known for its series of popular Monday Night Racing fixtures, which often attract bumper crowds to enjoy a relaxed evening’s racing throughout the summer.
Royal Windsor has a history of hosting jump racing, having done so up until 1998, with the Racecourse temporarily hosting a number of fixtures on behalf of Ascot Racecourse during its redevelopment in 2004 and 2005.
It is anticipated that Royal Windsor will host a small number of National Hunt fixtures across the 2024/5 season, with the first such taking place on Sunday 15 December 2024. On confirmation of the 2025 fixture list, a further number of jumps fixtures will be confirmed for the winter months, ahead the start of the flat season in April.
Royal Windsor Racecourse will not see any net increase in the number of fixtures that it hosts over the year with these new jump fixtures effectively switched from the afternoon flat meetings that have been traditionally held at the beginning and end of the season in both April and October.
To facilitate the return of jump racing to Royal Windsor, ARC has made significant investment into the racing surface and, in conjunction with the BHA Racecourse Inspectorate and PJA Safety Officers, has developed new areas of track to offer an optimal configuration for jumps racing.
The newly configured jumps course will utilise previously dormant turfed areas of the site, which are in the process of being brought up to racing standard. This work will eliminate the need for a crossover, as was previously utilised for jump racing, and still is used over certain flat distances. Jump races at Royal Windsor will now see runners take a continuous left-handed circuit, instead of the previous figure of eight.
In addition, a number of areas of the track, including the back straight, will be widened to allow adequate space for both hurdle and steeplechase races.
Managing Director of ARC’s Racing Division, Mark Spincer, said, “We have long held a desire to bring jump racing back to Royal Windsor Racecourse, and we are really pleased to confirm this plan well ahead of the planned first fixture in December 2024.”
“Whilst the Racecourse hasn’t hosted regularly scheduled jumps fixtures since 1998, we believe that the plans that we have put together with BHA will mean that the small number of fixtures that we would like to host will sit well alongside the long established, popular summer flat programme.”
“A significant amount of work has gone into considering the optimal layout for jump racing at Royal Windsor, which will see the course configured differently to how it was previously, but we believe that it is an excellent proposal to offer jump racing fans the chance to come back to Royal Windsor, whilst not impacting on the flat programme, which is an important consideration.”
“The proximity to the River Thames gives the track excellent drainage, and our records show that the Racecourse very rarely ran jumps fixtures on Heavy ground, with the majority of abandonments coming due to frost. Happily, turf management techniques have developed significantly since that time, so we are confident of providing excellent jumping ground for the fixtures that we would like to host in 2024 and 2025 and beyond.”
In 2023, Royal Windsor Racecourse will host a total of 26 fixtures, taking place from April to October. The Racecourse is best known for its series of popular Monday Night Racing fixtures, which often attract bumper crowds to enjoy a relaxed evening’s racing throughout the summer.
Hopefully, this is good news, and they can attract some quality. Little point having another mediocre meeting. Some decent horses used to turn up in the 70's, notably in the Fairlawne Chase.
The Flat course used attract decent horses in the maiden, but those days appear to have long gone.
Fingers crossed they can keep Chapman away.
Any chance that Towcester could return?
The Flat course used attract decent horses in the maiden, but those days appear to have long gone.
Fingers crossed they can keep Chapman away.
Any chance that Towcester could return?
might visit there again now . the only time i've been was the last day they had jumping !
good news. Poor racing there in April/September/October. Bad ground. Divided class 6 handicaps. Makes good sense. I assume they will have a some new track so they can run from 1m 3f flat start, the "wrong " way around the flat bend and then join up with the flat straight after the intersection?
Want them to do the same at Nottingham now. Was a good fair galloping jumps track.
City Trial Hurdle and Nottingham Champion Chase et al. With its central position attracted good horses from north and south. Much missed.
Royal gait won the race before becoming the champion hurdler
Remember uncle Ernie winning there as a novice chaser in 1990 he went on to finish 2nd in the 91 arkle ,his last ever run was the 97 grand annual when he finally won at the festival
https://youtu.be/Ai6h-ex2z4o The clip is also a reminder of the good old days when you could go out on to the track, like the old Wolverhampton pre-All Weather. Now there’s another one!
The races were framed well on Boxing Day at Wolverhampton
perversely, the photograph used on the RP now to accompany the Henderson quote story and this news shows the horse I had a share in winning a 2yo race in May 2021! Cashew.
re; nottingham jumping . saw gordon richards smart novice chaser noddy's ryde win there (2nd to bobsline in epic arkle duel ) , same afternoon as gaye brief who i think went on to win the champion hurdle . was one of those perfect , crisp clear days . been since to witness flat racing and it was just drab .
Was only thinking about noddys ryde today when nicky richards trained a winner at Newton abbot,obviously a long way to send a horse and very unusual from that yard ,then remembered many years ago his dad sending noddys ryde to Devon and Exeter where sadly his was suffered a fatal injury.
There has to be democrat unlike Folkestone Warwick and towcester there is no list .
My guess is it will be done like ffos las now they have the taste for it
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