RACING ABANDONED – Saturday 18 April 2026
Unfortunately, the opening fixture of the 2026 season at Brighton Racecourse on Saturday 18th April has been abandoned this morning (April 16th) due to damage to the racing surface.
The areas of concern were being well managed by our ground staff team ahead of the meeting through treatment to the track which had a positive and encouraging effect. We had also arranged movement of running rail lines and reduced the field size limits to counter the issues.
However, the situation has worsened significantly overnight on Wednesday to the extent that there are now damaged areas on the track that cannot be avoided. Safety always comes first, and therefore we have been left with no option to abandon the race meeting with the approval of the British Horseracing Authority Inspector of Courses.
We are bitterly disappointed that our efforts have been in vain and would like to apologise for the inconvenience.
Looking ahead, we are doing everything we can to resolve the track issue ahead of our next fixtures on Tuesday 28th and Wednesday 29th April. Further updates will be released as soon as possible.
All customers who have booked tickets, the restaurant or hospitality for this Saturday’s race day will be contacted by our customer service team to outline to options available including a transfer to another fixture or a refund.
For further information, please e-mail. Brighton Executive Director, Paul Ellison: pellison@brighton-racecourse.co.uk
