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Aldaniti

Aldaniti

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Opening of Great Leight delayed once again



by Howard Wright

THE long-awaited opening of Great Leighs is to be delayed once again despite John Holmes, the man behind the project, saying on Wednesday that it would be ready for racing on the promised date of August 16.

Holmes's assurance by itself does not meet the "new racecourses" guidelines, according to Horseracing Regulatory Authority and BHB officials after their latest formal inspection of the site between Chelmsford and Braintree.

Holmes, who surprised the official party by missing the late-morning inspection to attend Royal Ascot, explained: "I said the racecoursewould be ready for Thursday evening, August 16, and it will be. What I can't say is when the HRA will declare it safe to race.

"That's their call, and I won't challenge the safety aspect. I'm not prepared to take that responsibility, because safety isparamount. If the HRA wants to carry out a period of testing, we'll do it, even if it means there is a delay. I realise racing might be inconvenienced, but it's a process, and we've been the guinea pig."

Pointing out that the two-month trial period has been part of the "new racecourses' guidelines throughout, HRA director of racecourse licensing and standards Tony Goodhew said: "We would have had to have given the go-ahead today, with everything in place ready to be signed off, in order that Great Leighs could begin racing on August 16, but that's not been possible." Goodhew, who was accompanied by course inspectors Richard Linley and Nicky Carlisle, and the BHB's Richard Wayman, added: "The two-month period is there to give the course executive time to trial the surface and get to know it, and to test all the communications and other aspects of a race day. Great Leighs should have been ready to put a horse on it today if we were to grant the licence to race in August.

"It's very disappointing that once again the project has got behind time."

The two-month stipulation is also in place to give the BHB appropriate time to rearrange fixtures, which in Great Leighs' case were allotted a year ago, if necessary.

Britain's first new track since Taunton opened in September 1927 was originally due to have begun racing in June and then October last year. Delays, accompanied by a total revamp of the masterplan, pushed the start date back at least twice, including on Thursday, until August 16emerged as Holmes's ultimate promise, after the most recent full-scale inspection in April.

Given the HRA's latest indicative timing, the earliest the course is now likely to open is on Thursday evening, October 18. If that is confirmed, the BHB is facing the prospect of finding new homes for 16 scheduled fixtures, including nine Thursday evenings
 
You are never going to believe the latest........ :D

Great Leighs opening is off again
Chris Cook
Tuesday August 14, 2007
courtesy of The Guardian


The opening of Britain's 60th racecourse will be delayed again, as management at Great Leighs yesterday bowed to the inevitable and accepted that the course would fail an inspection scheduled to take place this week. A spokeswoman for the Essex venue confirmed that work has not yet started on laying the synthetic racing surface, while the temporary grandstand is still under construction.
"The limestone layer is pretty well down but the Polytrack isn't down yet," said Great Leighs' Pippa Cuckson. "The stables, the weighing room and the paddock are pretty well there, even down to the cosmetic details, but the grandstand isn't ready yet. It is quite a big structure and will take a fair bit of work to get it ready. At the moment, the support structure is up but it hasn't got the sides on it."


The British Horseracing Authority said that this week's planned inspection would not take place and that there would be a meeting to discuss progress with Great Leighs' management team at the BHA's Shaftesbury Avenue headquarters on Thursday or Friday.
The next formal inspection, on a date to be arranged, is unlikely to take place before mid-September. Great Leighs must pass an inspection and then conduct a two-month period of trials on the racetrack before it can stage a raceday, meaning that its earliest opening target is now mid-November, though even that seems likely to come too soon. One industry insider has estimated that the process of laying Polytrack at the nine-furlong circuit could take two months.

The delay is the latest blow to the ambitious plans of John Holmes, the man behind the project, who told the Racing Post in June that: "I said the racecourse would be ready for Thursday evening, August 16, and it will be." At the time, Holmes had just missed the latest inspection, preferring to attend Royal Ascot instead.
 
God Gawd Kathy, since when did you start reading the Guardian
Think I'll have to go and lie down :eek:
 
In their defence, they do have some excellent racing journalists! Eddie the Shoe and Chris Cook are both very, very good.
 
Originally posted by Headstrong@Aug 19 2007, 04:07 PM
God Gawd Kathy, since when did you start reading the Guardian
Think I'll have to go and lie down :eek:
Click to expand...
Suppose there's a little bit of sense in all of us after all.. :P
 
Opening setback for Great Leighs courtesy of The BBC website

The opening of the a racecourse at Great Leighs has been further delayed until the middle of March.
The Essex track, which is the first new course in Britain for over 80 years and will feature a floodlit track, was initially due to open in October 2006.

An opening meeting had been scheduled for 24 February but that has now been delayed after a visit from the British Horseracing Authority Inspectorate.

Officials are now hoping to stage their first meeting on Tuesday 18 March.

Great Leighs' seven fixtures between 23 February and 13 March have been returned to the BHB.

BHA communications manager Will Lambe said: "We are certainly nearing the finishing line, but our inspectorate was unable to sign off the track and key integrity facilities following its visit to Great Leighs on Friday.

"Progress continues to be made, and rather than stick rigidly to a monthly schedule, the next formal inspection will take place on Monday 21 January with a view to Great Leighs' first fixture hopefully taking place on 18 March.

"The completion of the laying of the Polytrack surface and installation of some of the necessary integrity facilities are among the outstanding issues."
 
I met Martin Collins who is laying the polytrack at a mutual friend's house in the summer. He said the problems have been caused by the owner [who is a good friend of his] starting the building without having all the finance in place, which led to all sorts of problems with planners etc etc.

BUT, he says, the place is going to be fantastic and well worth the wait! Let's hope so... It would be good to have a course I can get to without a five day camel hike. There are going to be night clubs and other 'attractions' so I'm not sure what kind of Essex clientele they are aiming at :what: Apparently the O&T is going to be really luxurious, which will make a change form Wolves [which doesn't even have one]
 
Steady, Colin!

I was going to treat you to a day out at Great Leighs to give it a road test, and especially the O&T's facilities.

I bet they can't beat the lunch and view we had at Taunton, though. :P
 
Kathy, I would have no problem with luxurious facilities for the Owners & Trainers if I thought it wasn't at the expense of some quality in the racing provided for us proles. :D

I haven't forgotten Taunton, Kathy, in fact I was there just yesterday, but sadly didn't have access to the O & T facilities. cry
 
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