The Racecourse Association has announced today that a further trial of lunchtime racing will take place this Autumn over a five-week period. The first trial earlier in 2019, initiated at the behest of the Horserace Betting Levy Board’s Betting Liaison Group, consisted of three fixtures during May and June commencing at 12 noon in a bid to assess the impact on turnover of widening the time in which racing is available for betting customers, potentially providing additional income for the sport.

One fixture per week from 25 September will now start at 12.15pm, with the first four races at each fixture taking place at 30-minute intervals.

The initiative is again being supported by the Levy Board and is based upon promising signs from the betting turnover on the three lunchtime fixtures held earlier this year, particularly in terms of online customers.

The lunchtime trial fixtures are as follows:

Wednesday 25 September: REDCAR

Wednesday 2 October: BANGOR-ON-DEE

Wednesday 9 October: LUDLOW

Thursday 17 October: CARLISLE

Wednesday 23 October: WORCESTER

Andy Clifton, Racing Director at the Racecourse Association, said: “The trial of lunchtime racing earlier this year demonstrated that there is an appetite from betting customers for racing at this time of day and I am grateful to all of the racecourses taking part this Autumn.

“We wanted to gain further evidence from bookmakers, horsemen, racecourses and racegoers from an extended trial over five consecutive weeks to ascertain whether this might become a more permanent part of the fixture mix moving forward, especially in a time of falling revenues.”