Cheltenham Racecourse Cancels End of Season for Drainage Upgrades

Cheltenham Racecourse Cancels Rest of Season for Drainage Upgrades

In a move to address ongoing issues with the track’s drainage system, Cheltenham Racecourse has announced the cancellation of the final three fixtures of the 2025/26 season. The decision was made after consultation with various teams to ensure the best possible racing surface for next season.

Details

The racecourse experienced a number of track issues throughout the wet winter, including a hole that appeared during a meeting in January. While repairs were carried out to allow the Cheltenham Festival to proceed without incident, the course’s management has now determined that more extensive drainage upgrades are necessary.

Clerk of the course Jon Pullin explained: “Our priority is always to provide the best possible racing surface for top-class jump racing. This work will allow us to address the issues that we believe contributed to the hole appearing on Festival Trials Day and subsequently created challenges in other areas of the track.”

The affected fixtures include the two-day meeting scheduled for 15-16 April and the all-Hunter Chase card planned for 1 May. Four key races from these meetings have been rescheduled to take place at other racecourses, including Market Rasen, Warwick and Sandown.

Chief executive Guy Lavender acknowledged the disappointment for racegoers, but stressed the importance of allowing sufficient time for the course to recover and prepare for the next jumps season.

What You Need to Know

– The 15-16 April and 1 May race meetings at Cheltenham Racecourse have been cancelled
– Drainage upgrade work will be carried out on the home straight during this period
– Four key races have been rescheduled to take place at alternative venues
– All general admission ticket holders for the affected Cheltenham racedays will receive automatic refunds

For more information, please contact Cheltenham Racecourse on 01242 513 014 or visit their website at cheltenham.co.uk.

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