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BHA release 2015 fixture list

Chelmsford City racecourse, the track formerly known as Great Leighs, has been allocated 57 fixtures for 2015, with an annual total of 1,471 meetings scheduled by the British Horseracing Authority for next year.

Great Leighs closed in 2009 after going into administration less than a year after it opened, but bookmaker Fred Done has led the movement to get the venue back in action and the all-weather course will stage its first meeting on January 11th.

A total of 882 Flat fixtures have been scheduled for 2015 with 589 jumps meetings, in contrast with 881 on the level this year and 583 over obstacles. Wetherby has four Flat meetings, the first of which is scheduled for Sunday, April 26th.

Some minor tweaks have been made to the list with nine twilight cards on the Flat officially scheduled for September, October and November, following on from a similar number of meetings which added to this year's calendar on a trial basis.

Six Flat meetings have also been moved from so-called 'pinch points' in January, February and March when field sizes have traditionally suffered to other times in the year when demand has been historically greater, with jumps cards taking their place.

The split of meetings remains largely the same with roughly 40 per cent Flat Turf and National Hunt and 20 per cent all-weather, and the BHA has also added six fixtures, split equally over the north, south and midlands.

Paul Bittar, BHA chief executive, said: "It is fitting that the 2015 Fixture List is published immediately after British Champions Day has once again provided a spectacular climax to the Flat season and as we stand on the threshold of what promises to be an enthralling 2014/15 jump season.

"It is this ongoing quality and variety that the sport provides throughout the course of the year that sets British racing apart from its international competitors.

"The development of the 2015 Fixture List has been among the most complex and challenging in recent years. From the outset we have sought to make it a structured and collaborative process, both in the form of the original Fixture List consultation and subsequent communication following the completion of the consultation process.

"We are delighted with, and thankful for, the level of engagement from the industry stakeholders including the betting industry. Consequently we have now developed a framework for engagement and collaboration which we hope will allow BHA to tackle effectively further issues related to the Fixture List and race programme in the coming years.

"The principal focus for the 2015 Fixture List was to address the issue of the growing number of uncompetitive, small-field races which are both unattractive for the punter and damaging to British Racing's international reputation.

"Put simply, the current horse population is not able to satisfactorily sustain the number of races we have staged in recent years. As such, while the Fixture List is similar in size to 2014, and this is a position supported by all stakeholder groups, steps have been taken to address imbalances to ensure that more fixtures and races are staged at periods in the season when the supply of horses is better placed to meet the demands of the Fixture List.

"While focusing on the sporting elements and delivery of more competitive racing, the overall economics of the sport are protected through this approach.

"In addition, BHA will be announcing in the coming days a series of race planning initiatives designed to reduce the number of small-field, uncompetitive races. This will include the removal of around 170 races from the race programme, ensuring that while the Fixture List will remain similar in size to 2014, the horse population is being asked to service fewer races at certain times of the year."