Chester victory has them cheering at Musselburgh with 'bright future' ahead

Cheers went up as Chester Race Company was announced as the preferred bidder to take over the running of Musselburgh racecourse.

English victories on Scottish soil are not always popular but there was an outpouring of delight among the Musselburgh members packed into the Lothian Suite of the track's Queen's Stand as the announcement was made on Tuesday afternoon.

The news meant that neither Arena Racing Company (Arc) or Jockey Club Racecourses won the battle to take over a track that has been proudly independent during its 203-year history.

And it also raised hopes of an end to a troubled two and a half years at a track whose governance has been unsettled and its recent history beset by a civil war between the local authority and racing representatives.

That led to the BHA stepping in to demand an independent governance review and eventually resulted in East Lothian Council deciding to allow the course to be run by a third-party operator.

As Chester Race Company, which also owns Bangor, was revealed as the winner of that process, Fiona O'Donnell, chair of Musselburgh Racing Associated Committee, said: "This is a really positive and historic day for the racecourse. It's onwards and upwards for Musselburgh, this is a new adventure for everyone.

"This was unanimously agreed as the way forward, by the staff as well, and this was a direction which we all wanted to go in. The past is the past, we're looking at a bright future now.

"We're still going to be taking an interest [in the racecourse]. You're hugely important to East Lothian, to our economy, to the community here in Musselburgh and we want to continue to be part of your success."

Fiona O'Donnell: 'The past is the past, we're looking at a bright future now'Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

O'Donnell also paid tribute to the efforts of staff, who are set to retain their jobs at a track whose future has often looked under threat in the past two years.

"Musselburgh has one of the finest teams at a racecourse you'd find anywhere who, through some difficult and challenging times, have continued to give their all for this racecourse and I'm hugely grateful to Bill Farnsworth and his team, she said.

Chester Race Company CEO Richard Thomas said: "We are delighted to have been successful in the tender process. It has been our long-held ambition to increase the number of racecourses within our group and this is just the start of that process. It is fantastic to now be able to say we have three racecourses spanning the British Isles. We are excited to get started by working closely with the team and driving a successful handover."

A starting date for Chester beginning its ten-year contract will be finalised after negotiations between the two parties, and council legal officer Carlo Grilli said: "We're not going to rush this process, we want to make sure that when Chester come on board everything is good and the staff are properly consulted. We want to make sure everything is done properly."

Commenting on Chester winning the bid, he said: "There was a procurement process and they came out as the most economically advantageous bid.

"They had the strongest bid and met the key objectives we were looking for. One of the key things was to preserve the status that has been built up by the team at Musselburgh and keep it as a five-star racecourse attraction."

Chester has switched to Sky Sports Racing this year and runs its own Chester Bet on-course betting operation, but Musselburgh must fulfil its existing television and betting contracts before any change can be made.

When asked by members about what the future may hold, Musselburgh chief executive Bill Farnsworth welcomed Chester's victory, and said: "I hope very little changes."

He added: "The announcement is good news, they are very good racecourse operators, they run Bangor very well and have won numerous awards – it [Bangor] has improved significantly since Chester took over.

"The staff are all very excited about it and very keen to look forward and move on. We all want to stay here and carry on the good work."

Bill Farnsworth welcomed the newsCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

A spokesman for Arc said: "We would like to congratulate Chester Race Company and East Lothian Council on their agreement that confirms the ongoing management arrangements at Musselburgh.

"Arc has appreciated the opportunity to fully engage with the tender process, and would like to wish both Chester and East Lothian Council all the best for the future operation of Musselburgh."

TIMELINE

APRIL 2017

The Racing Post publishes claims by senior racecourse figures that Musselburgh is "heading towards disaster" over a governance crisis. The BHA restricts the course to a temporary licence that expires at the end of June.

The Lothian Racing Syndicate on the course committee allege a "catastrophic lack of strategic direction and leadership" from the directors appointed by East Lothian Council, who call that attack "vindictive".

LRS allege up to £100,000 in legal fees has been wasted, including money spent on a report into staff grievances that was ultimately ignored. Staff morale is said to be low, with threats of industrial action and removal of the racecourse's Investors In People status.

But councillor John Caldwell blames the track’s perilous plight on its racing wing and claims the LRS was attempting to prevent him making inquiries on behalf of the committee

MAY 2017

Caldwell, who had twice been the subject of no-confidence votes by racecourse staff, loses his council seat. The course hopes it is "a new dawn".

JUNE 2017

New Musselburgh Joint Racing Committee (MJRC) chair Willie Innes fails to support an independent review into the course, which threatens the axing of racing as the BHA will not approve an extension to the track's licence, which is due to expire within days.

JULY 2017

Innes agrees to an independent review to save the track's next meeting from the axe.

DECEMBER 2017

Musselburgh is granted a temporary licence until March 31, 2018 while a review into the track's governance is being conducted.

FEBRUARY 2018

The course's future is again thrown into uncertainty as the council declare their intent to assume full control. The council is accused of acting illegally and the staff threaten industrial action and call for a third party to run the course. The BHA subsequently says it will not extend the track's temporary licence until its concerns over the proposed governance structure are addressed.

APRIL 2018

East Lothian Council approves new governance proposals, setting up a new joint working group to determine the most appropriate long-term model for the track, which it is hoped will be acceptable to the BHA.

JUNE 2018

The working group unanimously recommends the long-term future of the course is overseen by a third-party operator. Arena Racecourse Company and Jockey Club Racecourses are revealed to be among those interested in running the track.

JULY 2018

Groups considering taking on the track's management contract visit the course for an open day.

JANUARY 2019

Tender documents are distributed to interested parties. The BHA issues a further temporary licence to October 15.

JUNE 2019

Ayr and Chester are revealed to be alongside Arc and the Jockey Club in a four-way battle to run Musselburgh.

Meanwhile, Musselburgh chief executive Bill Farnsworth takes the committee, which runs the course, to an employment tribunal in a dispute over deductions from his pay worth around £10,000.

SEPTEMBER 2019

Ayr withdraws from the race, leaving just three contenders in the running to take over Musselburgh.

OCTOBER 2019

At a public meeting at the course Chester is chosen by East Lothian Council to run Musselburgh.

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