Setback For Great Leighs

Great Leighs have delayed their opening date and given up their first six fixtures.

Britain's newest racecourse was due to open in October but hopes are still high that racing will take place before the end of the year.

The announcement follows a visit on Thursday to the site in Essex by the Horseracing Regulatory Authority Inspectorate.

The course, set to be the first to open in Britain for 80 years, anticipates staging its first meeting in November 2006 ? but this will be subject to a further HRA Inspectorate visit on September 8.

Great Leighs' fixtures on October 6, 8, 15 and 29, plus November 4 and 5, have been returned to BHB and will be auctioned in an online bidding process open to all Flat tracks.

This should take place at the end of next week.

Great Leighs chairman John Holmes is confident the new floodlit Polytrack in Essex will commence operation well before the end of the year, and, to this end, recently acquired an additional Saturday fixture on December 2.

He said: 'Naturally it is disappointing not to be ready on the date originally selected, but we still expect to be racing before the end of this year.

'We were allocated 24 fixtures during 2006 ? and a further 58 for 2007 ? which puts the delay in perspective.

'We are very grateful to both the HRA and the British Horseracing Board for their commitment and support to our project, and thank our local community and the broader racing public for their enthusiasm and patience.'

BHB acting chief executive Chris Brand said: 'Although this is disappointing news, we remain fully supportive of Great Leighs' ambitions, which reflect well on the whole sport.

'The success of the project should not be judged on its start date, but on what it achieves for British Racing in the years to come.'

However, there was some good news as Great Leighs has signed a multi-million pound, five-year contract with Satellite Information Services.

The deal means live broadcasts of all races from the floodlit track will be seen in all high-street betting shops, and by home viewers on the At The Races television channel.

(C) PA Sport