The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has today published the Fixture List for 2016, with a total of 1,482 fixtures programmed.

The headline elements of the Fixture List are:

• A total of 1,482 fixtures have been scheduled, 11 more than in 2015.
• The ratio of fixtures in 2016 – Jump 40.0% : Flat Turf 38.7% : All Weather 21.3% – remains broadly similar to last year (2015: Jump 40% : Flat Turf 39.1% : All Weather 20.9%) despite the addition of a new All Weather racecourse to the market
• 888 Flat fixtures scheduled (six more than in 2015). Of these fixtures, 573 are Flat Turf fixtures (two fewer than 2015) while 315 are All Weather fixtures (only eight more than originally scheduled in 2015, despite 17 Turf fixtures at Newcastle having been converted to All Weather fixtures)
• 594 Jump fixtures scheduled (five more than 2015)
• There are 1,219 racecourse fixtures (the same as 2015), 198 BHA Fixtures (five more than 2015), 19 Pre-Allocated BHA Fixtures (two more than 2015) 13 Self-Funded fixtures (four more than 2015), and 33 Enterprise/Other Fixtures (the same as 2015)
• By betting session there will be 1,118 afternoon fixtures, 258 evening fixtures and 106 twilight fixtures (2015: 1,108, 252 and 111 respectively)
• 13 Self-Funded Fixtures were allocated, compared to nine in 2015. Self-Funded Fixtures have only been approved where prize money thresholds – agreed in consultation with stakeholders – have been met. Also, in recommending applications, the BHA Board took consideration of Inspectorate approval, horse population, geography, the overall balance of the Fixture List, and other fixtures taking place on the day in question.

Newcastle racecourse, the new entrant to the All Weather marketplace, received 13 Flat fixtures via the Fixture Allocation Process. This, added to the 17 fixtures which were converted to the All Weather surface and seven transferred to Newcastle from within the ARC group means that Newcastle will stage 37 Flat fixtures in 2016 alongside an unchanged number of Jump fixtures (12).

Nick Rust, Chief Executive of the BHA, said:

“I’m pleased we have been able to publish the Fixture List much earlier this year than has been the case in previous years. We are grateful to the racecourses for their part in this, especially those who engaged in the process of ironing out some of the geographical clashes which were so frustrating to horsemen, racecourses and the racing public alike.

“One of British Racing’s strongest assets is the quality and variety of its Racing. As such we are pleased to have broadly maintained the balance between Jump, Flat Turf and All Weather fixtures despite our Board’s decision to permit the entrance of an All Weather track in the North. The fact that the balance has been maintained is due to the robust and fair Allocation Process for BHA Fixtures which rewards sporting performance alongside prize money contribution.

“Now that we have the 2016 Fixture List completed, we have created time to work closely with senior representatives of the Horsemen and the Racecourses within the spirit and framework of the forthcoming Tripartite agreement, to consider how we can better align future Fixture Lists to the growth drivers for our sport – racehorse ownership (and numbers of horses in training), racing fans (including racecourse attendances) and betting. With the right spirit and structure in place, we can together grow the appeal and ultimately the financial wellbeing of our great sport.

“Alongside work on future Fixture Lists, the BHA is also kicking off a consultation with our stakeholders on an holistic approach to the Race Programme and its planning. We must better match opportunities to available horses in training, whilst sustaining developmental races and proper pathways for different types of horses throughout each season. We aim to create an adaptable, transparent and interactive approach which delivers a much better result for our participants and supports the sport’s growth drivers.”

The Fixture List

The Fixture List documentation can be found: Fixture List Major Meetings, Fixture List Principal Races.

Fixture List Statistics

Fixtures by code

YEAR	FLAT TURF	AWT	JUMPS	OVERALL
2010	610	302	591	1,503
2011	598	300	582	1,480
2012	583	293	580	1,456
2013	583	307	574	1,464
2014	585	296	583	1,464
2015	575	307	589	1,471
2016	573	315	594	1,482

 

Ratio of fixture codes

YEAR	JUMP	FLAT TURF	FLAT AWT
2010	39.3%	40.7%	20.1%
2011	39.4%	40.3%	20.3%
2012	39.6%	40.3%	20.1%
2013	39.3%	39.7%	21.0%
2014	39.9%	39.9%	20.2%
2015	40.0%	39.1%	20.9%
2016	40.0%	38.7%	21.3%

 

Fixtures by type

	2016	2015
Racecourse	1,219	1,219
BHA	198	193
Pre-allocated BHA	19	17
Enterprise	27	27
Self-Funded	13	9
Other	6	6
Total	1,482	1,471

“Other” includes British Champions Day, Future Champions Day and Principal Day Fixtures