Chelmsford racecourse vows to fight cancellations

Chelmsford City Racecourse has hosted fixtures throughout the year since 2015 [PA Media] Chelmsford City Racecourse has said it was appealing the decision to cancel forthcoming fixtures at the venue and that it was "not done fighting". Great Leighs Estates Limited (GLEL), which operated the all-weather track, went into administration last month, and a new company applied to the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) for a licence to host races. But the BHA refused the request and races on Thursday, Friday and 9 April have been called off .

A racecourse spokesperson said the cancellation decision was taken "against our strongest objections". "We are not done fighting," it said in a statement . "Chelmsford City Racecourse is formally challenging this decision through every avenue available to us, including the BHA's own appeals process.

"We believe the decision was procedurally unfair, contradicts the BHA's own published rules, and has caused entirely avoidable damage to the sport and everyone who depends on it," it added. The venue closed in 2009 but reopened with new investment six years later [PA Media] On 25 March, administrators were appointed for GLEL. New operator Golden Mile Racing Limited (GMRL) made a case for a new licence to the BHA on Tuesday.

The regulator refused and said the reasons were "confidential". GMRL was a "new entity with independent governance and access to new capital", the racecourse said. 'Totally new ownership' The venue first opened as Great Leighs Racecourse in 2008 but soon went into administration and held its final race in 2009.