Southwell Racecourse will return to its full working capacity on Friday 2nd August for the first time since it was forced to close due to extensive flooding in October 2023.
Racing returned here only a month after its flooding on 24th November 2023, however, areas of the racecourse were underwater by as much as three feet after Storm Babet battered Britain in the autumn and the track was only able to open its first-floor facilities to owners and trainers, stable staff and a number annual members as the racecourse worked hard to fix the damage.
We were able to offer access to only 100 members of the public for the £100,000 BETUK Winter Derby on Saturday 24th February, Our first Group race, which sold out, alongside Racehorse Owners, Annual Members and Racing Staff.
Now, following a huge effort from the team, we are ready to open our gates once again to the public with no restrictions on numbers for racing on Friday 2nd August.
Mark Clayton, Southwell’s Executive Director, said: “It’s been a fantastic effort from the team here at Southwell to get the racecourse back to full working order after the extensive flood damage the racecourse endured in October 2023.
“Originally, we focused on what we needed to for the resumption of racing, which was the track, the stable yard and a temporary weighing room, and since then we have managed to hold 47 meetings since the 24th November.
“Now with the refurbishment complete, we are thrilled to be welcoming full crowds back to the track. I would like to thank all the staff for their hard work and support during this tricky time. I would also like to thank Southwell racegoers for their patience and we look forward to providing you with the best customer experience possible in the coming weeks.
“Although Southwell Golf Course has remained open for a good deal of this period, the clubhouse has been closed for flood damage. These works will be completed next week, with the clubhouse opening on 10th August”.
Southwell’s six-race card kicks off at 2pm on Friday 2nd August, with gates opening at 12pm. Tickets are available to buy at www.southwell-racecourse.co.uk
For further information please contact:
Sam Cone, Arena Racing Company on 07920 404296 or SCone@arenaracingcompany.co.uk
Hugo Barran, JSC Communications on 07786 913215 or hugo@jsccomms.co.uk
About ARC:
Arena Racing Company (“ARC”) is the largest racecourse operator in the UK.
ARC is made up of the following sixteen racecourses: Bath, Brighton, Chepstow, Doncaster, Ffos Las, Fontwell Park, Great Yarmouth, Hereford, Lingfield Park, Newcastle, Royal Windsor, Sedgefield, Southwell, Uttoxeter, Wolverhampton and Worcester.
In addition to racecourses ARC owns Central Park, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sunderland and Perry Barr Greyhound Stadia and looks after the media interests of the Greyhound Media Group (“GMG”).
ARC runs four of the six all-weather racecourses in the UK offering two different types of surface for horses to run on: Polytrack at Lingfield Park and tapeta at Newcastle, Southwell and Wolverhampton Racecourses – the only tapeta racing surfaces in Europe.
In 2013 ARC pioneered the All-Weather Championships which see horses compete throughout the winter for the chance of qualifying for Finals Day on Good Friday at Newcastle, and the All-Weather Vase at Lingfield Park.
ARC hosts racing at all levels of the sport from Class 6 through to Group 1s. Doncaster Racecourse is home to the world’s oldest Classic, the Betfred St Leger, run each year in September as part of the four-day Betfred St Leger Festival as well as the final Group 1 of the year in Britain, the Kameko Futurity Trophy. Feature jumps races include the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle Racecourse, the Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow Racecourse and Boulton Group Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter Racecourse.
As well as racing, ARC also operates a hotel at Wolverhampton Racecourse, a hotel and golf course at Lingfield Park and The Border Minstrel public house at Newcastle Racecourse in the grounds of Gosforth Park. The Hilton Garden Inn Doncaster Racecourse opened in September 2018.
ARC is a significant shareholder in the horseracing TV channel Sky Sports Racing which is broadcast on the Sky platform to c.14 million homes.
ARC plays a pivotal role in British Racing. It is a shareholder in British Champions Series and Racecourse Data Company and is represented on the boards of the Racecourse Association (“RCA”), Great British Racing (“GBR”) and British Champion Series (“BCS”).
In 2015 ARC set up The Racing Partnership. This limited company represents the media rights of the 16 ARC owned-racecourses and the four independent racecourses Hexham, Newton Abbot, Plumpton and Ripon.
Further information about ARC can be found at www.arenaracingcompany.co.uk
