Musselburgh's temporary licence to race extended until next autumn

Musselburgh's future took another small step towards resolution on Wednesday with the news that the East Lothian track's temporary licence to race has been extended by the BHA from January 1 to October 15.

The racecourse's general manager Bill Farnsworth said on Wednesday: "It's news we were expecting, but it's still positive and we're grateful for the BHA's understanding."

The racecourse is owned by East Lothian Council and run by the Musselburgh Joint Racing Committee, on which the council-held majority frequently clashed with racecourse management.

These disputes ultimately led to the BHA withdrawing Musselburgh's licence until a review of the course's running was commissioned and part of the proviso for the BHA giving back that licence has been the transition to a new racecourse operator, separate from East Lothian Council.

Farnsworth said: "The process for appointing a new operator has taken longer to get started than either we or the BHA had hoped, which is why the licence only takes us up to October rather than for the full year."

Bill Farnsworth: 'Everyone is just keen to get on with it'

On that process, he added: "Everyone is just keen to get on with it. All the preparatory work has been done, so hopefully once the operator is appointed the transition is a smooth one and we're looking forward to them being in place by the start of our National Hunt season next November."

In an announcement, the BHA said: "We will remain in close contact with Musselburgh racecourse and East Lothian Council regarding the progress of the process."

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