Jump racing to return to Windsor in 2024 - 26 years after last regular meetings

31 July 2023 , 14:06

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Windsor racecourse will start hosting a small number of jumps meetings again from 2024 (Image: Getty Images)

Regular jump racing is to return to Windsor racecourse for the first time in more than 25 years.

The Thames track, whose stock in trade is Monday evening Flat racing during the summer, staged meetings under both codes until 1998 when management decided to focus solely on its Flat fixtures. It hosted some of Ascot’s jumps fixtures while that course was undergoing redevelopment in 2004 and 2005.

Now owner Arena Racing Company has announced jump racing will be part of Windsor’s programme from the 2024-25 season with the first meeting scheduled for Sunday, December 15 2024. Former jump jockey Mick FitzGerald, speaking on Sky Sports Racing, said: “I’m absolutely delighted. In an ideal world when you want top-class racing you need somewhere to bring in top-class novices.

“The ideal platform for a top class novice is a flat level track with fair fences, exactly what Windsor had. I rode a lot for Nicky Henderson. He loved having runners and winners at Windsor and I am sure he will support it to the hilt. I think I rode 20 winners round there with a win in four strike rate. If I was to make a comeback I’d be quite happy to do it at Windsor.”

Arc said more meetings would be announced once the 2025 fixture list has been confirmed, adding that it would find the fixtures by turning the April and October Flat meetings at Windsor into jumps meetings.

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Mark Spincer, managing director of ARC’s racing division, said, “We have long held a desire to bring jump racing back to Royal Windsor Racecourse, and we are really pleased to confirm this plan well ahead of the planned first fixture in December 2024.

“Whilst the Racecourse hasn’t hosted regularly scheduled jumps fixtures since 1998, we believe that the plans that we have put together with BHA will mean that the small number of fixtures that we would like to host will sit well alongside the long-established, popular summer flat programme.

“A significant amount of work has gone into considering the optimal layout for jump racing at Royal Windsor, which will see the course configured differently to how it was previously, but we believe that it is an excellent proposal to offer jump racing fans the chance to come back to Royal Windsor, whilst not impacting on the flat programme, which is an important consideration.”

Jon Lees