Chester Race Company chosen to take over at Musselburgh

Horse Racing

Barrie Jarrett
October 1, 2019 2:49 pm

Chester Race Company is to take over the running of Musselburgh racecourse, it was announced at a public meeting at the Edinburgh venue.

Tuesday’s decision follows years of uncertainty and disputes between all parties involved in the course, which is owned by East Lothian Council.

Internal issues at Musselburgh led to the British Horseracing Authority stepping in to demand an independent governance review – which then resulted in the council deciding to bring in a third-party operator.

Musselburgh has been operating under a temporary licence from the BHA, which had been due to expire on October 15.

However, the governing body last week agreed to extend it to the end of the year as the process dragged on.

Chester Race Company is being invited to sign an initial 10-year contract.

East Lothian Council leader Willie Innes said: “This is a very welcome announcement, which secures the future of Musselburgh Racecourse.

“The facility has earned an excellent reputation thanks to the hard work and commitment of its employees – and one which we have always been keen to maintain and support.

“Appointing a third-party operator was one of the options set out in the independent governance review required by the BHA.

The working group unanimously agreed that this was the most appropriate option to pursue.

“Chester Race Company is recognised as a leader in its field and, through the procurement process, has demonstrated that it has the expertise to take Musselburgh Racecourse forward.”