changes

The 13th season of the All-Weather Championships kicks off at Newcastle on Tuesday, October 21 and ends on Good Friday, April 3 with the £1-million Finals Day at Newcastle and the All-Weather Vase at Lingfield Park. Some of the changes announced ahead of the season include the rechristening of the Marathon to the Easter Plate. The two-mile race will boast a maximum field of 20 and total prize-money of £175,000. Also, Midnite is now one of the title sponsors alongside BetMGM. The former will sponsor the Marathon, Middle Distance and...

A number of changes to the upcoming 2025/2026 National Hunt programme, including a minimum rating requirement for Grade 1 novice and juvenile hurdles, were announced by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) on Thursday. Horses will only be allowed to run in the top-level contests should they have achieved a rating of 110 or higher, either through a published handicap mark or as assessed by the BHA handicapper to have to raced to that level in at least one hurdle run. There is also an increase in the number of weight-for-age...

The programme for next year's Cheltenham Festival has undergone some key changes in order to improve competitiveness in a number of races. From 2025, the two-and-a-half-mile Turners Novices' Chase will be replaced by a Grade 2 limited novice handicap chase over the same trip, while the National Hunt Chase, which has been contested by amateur riders, will be open to professionals and become a novice handicap chase for horses rated 0-145. Jon Pullin, head of racing and clerk of the course at Cheltenham, said, "We have had to acknowledge that...

As part of a "relentless focus on welfare", the Jockey Club has announced a number of changes to the Randox Grand National, including reducing the maximum number of starters from 40 to 34. Having canvassed the views of a wide range of racing industry stake-holders as well as World Horse Welfare, the Jockey Club has settled upon five key changes to the Aintree showcase, which will be run next year on Saturday, April 13. Last year's race was delayed by 15 minutes after protestors invaded the track. One of the...

The notice began appearing on the overnight in early January. "By order of the stewards. Pursuant to NYSGC RULE 4033.8. Effective February 1st, only equipment specifically approved by the stewards shall be worn or carried by a jockey or a horse in a race. No equipment change (including shoes) will be allowed once the overnight is published." "There is no new rule," wrote Brad Maoine, Director of Communications for the New York State Gaming Commission in response to TDN's request for information about the new posting on the overnight. "The...