I’m really pleased to be able to say that Bath is back racing on Wednesday 2nd September. After what has been a challenging few months with the prolonged spell of hot and dry weather, it will be fantastic to see racing recommence here at Lansdown and to welcome everyone back through the gates.
A huge amount of credit must go to our fantastic and dedicated grounds team, who have worked exceptionally hard to promote substantial recovery on the racing surface. The decision to transfer fixtures was not an easy one, but it has allowed us to concentrate on getting the areas that had suffered most from the heat back into better shape.
We have also been helped by some much more favourable weather recently. The temperatures have dropped, we have had some useful rainfall and likely further significant rain in the run up to the 2nd September fixture. That would be very welcome and could make a big difference to the track, and who knows, we may see a going description other than Firm!
There has been plenty of interest from owners and trainers in getting racing back at Bath, so I know the news that we are returning on 2nd September has been very well received. It is always encouraging to hear how keen connections are to bring their horses back here, so we are delighted to be able to give them the green light.
The meeting itself is an important one, as it will include the final qualifier for the Sprint Series Final. This will be the last opportunity for horses to secure their place in the final, which will take place on the second day of our two day fixture on Sunday 13th September.
Both the Sprint Series Final and Stayers Series Final will take place on the same day, and are each worth £40,000, so we are expecting two very competitive renewals with plenty of regular runners returning.
Before we get to those finals, though, our attention is firmly on getting the track ready for 2nd September. The weather will obviously play its part over the next week or so, and we will continue to monitor the forecasts closely.
It has been a long and demanding period for everyone involved, but the team have continued to work hard throughout, often in difficult conditions, and they deserve enormous credit for getting us back to this point.
The whole team are excited to welcome everyone back, and I am confident we will have a successful end to 2026 with 7 fixtures to go.
- From the Clerk
