Horse racing could return after agreement struck

Horse racing is one step closer to returning to a beleaguered racetrack, whose previous operator collapsed into administration with debts of £30m.

The last race at Chelmsford City Racecourse - under the tenancy of Great Leighs Estates Limited (GLEL) - was run in March.

In June, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) rejected an appeal from GLEL's successor - Golden Mile Racing Limited (GMRL) - against its decision not to grant it a racing licence.

But an agreement has been struck between Arena Racing Company (ARC), the racecourse and its freeholder Moulsham Hall Estates Ltd.

A licence will still need to be granted by the BHA.

ARC has a variety of racecourses across the UK, including Doncaster, Lingfield in Surrey and Brighton.

Its chief executive, Martin Cruddace, said: "Racing at Chelmsford City Racecourse is hugely important to the fixture list and we are therefore delighted to work with the freeholders to reach agreement that will allow racing to return to the venue."

"We are in discussion with BHA with regards to the relevant licences required to resume racing as soon as possible."

The BHA said it was aware of the agreement and would "consider any licence application once it has been submitted".

Peter Scargill, a journalist from the Racing Post, said there would still be "hurdles to cross" but the news was "a positive sign".

He added that it was difficult to say exactly when racing would resume, but he predicted it could be as soon as September if there were no further hiccups.

"We can't be in a position where we stop-start again because that's in no-one's interest," he told BBC Essex.

Alice Haynes, a horse trainer based in Newmarket, welcomed the potential return of racing at Chelmsford, saying that "a lot of people had missed it".

She told the BBC that Chelmsford had always been well-subscribed, praising improvements to the track and the prize money on offer.

In May, a report from administrator BTG Begbies Traynor showed that GLEL owed money to nearly 180 creditors, including £19m to E-Money Capital.

Meanwhile, Live Nation has claimed nearly £670,000 in liabilities following a Justin Timberlake concert at the racecourse in July 2025.

The organisation of the concert was heavily criticised after significant traffic queues, with some of the 25,000 concert-goers abandoning their vehicles and walking along a dual carriageway after the event.

It led to Chelmsford City Council ruling that the racecourse could no longer hold music events for more than 10,000 people.

GLEL, which has launched a counterclaim against Live Nation, also owes £2.4m to another company for new floodlights after being unable to keep up with repayments.

The BBC has contacted Chelmsford City Racecourse for comment.

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