Worcester Racecourse: Opening two fixtures of 2024 moved to Hereford after flooding
- Published
Worcester generally only stages meetings between April and October because of the risk of winter flooding
The opening two fixtures of the 2024 season at Worcester have been switched to neighbouring sister track Hereford as a result of winter flooding from the River Severn.
The fixtures scheduled to take place at Worcester on 7 and 13 May will now both be staged 27 miles away at Hereford.
The Pitchcroft course is half a mile up stream, on the opposite bank from Worcestershire County Cricket Club.
The cricket club have already switched their first two games to Kidderminster.
Worcester, unlike any other jumps course in the country, already hold all their meetings in the summer months, over a season that generally runs from April to October.
Now, although the flood waters have receded from their high in February,, external the British Horseracing Authority has allowed them to move the first two meetings, to help work on the course and the new weighing room facility, which was already under construction.
Hereford Racecourse was closed for almost four years until reopening in October 2016
Worcester and Hereford are two of the 16 British mainland racecourses under the Arena Racing Company (ARC) umbrella.
ARC managing director Mark Spincer said: "It has been a difficult winter across the country, but the numerous and extensive floods at Worcester have caused particular problems with the normal preparation of the track for the summer season, as well as many of the other facilities.
"With floodwaters now subsiding, the Worcester team will be able to get on with all of that work and we look forward to welcoming everyone back later in May and opening the new weighing room facility also.
"We are grateful to the BHA for facilitating these fixture moves."
The season at Hereford's Roman Road course, which generally runs in reverse to Worcester from October to April, has now been extended by a further month. Their last scheduled meeting was due to be Sunday, 14 April, although they have two meetings before then on Wednesday, 27 March and Tuesday, 9 April.
The first of the two rearranged fixtures, on Tuesday, 7 May, is an evening fixture.
"It will our first evening meeting at Hereford since our reopening," said general racecourse manager Camilla Esling.