Towcester To Lose £70k Due To Weather

Towcester Racecourse is likely to lose as much as £70,000 following the cancellation of its Boxing Day meeting – one of a number of racecourses that have been hit financially by the spate of snowy weather to hit the UK.

The festive event was postponed this week after seven inches of snow fell on the racecourse.

Towcester general manager Kevin Ackerman stated: ‘We’re not the only industry suffering, but horse racing is decimated at this point. There’s not much you can do, but we’re looking at £70,000 of lost revenue. It’s hitting us hard.

‘For a company our size, that’s quite substantial. There’s been great disappointment from everyone.’
 
Racing at Wincanton, Hereford and Sedgefield has also been postponed this week as a result of the cold weather.

‘The forecasts say there will be no improvement and it’ll take considerable time to thaw out,’ added Ackerman.

‘You’ve got fully trained horses, ready to run, who can’t get out of their box. There are no races for them to run in.

‘But we have to consider the health and safety of the horse and rider, as well as the general public.’