Hope remains Folkestone can stage racing in future

Just two days earlier, Hereford shut for business with owner Arena Racing Company (ARC) believing the 17 years remaining on the lease from the local council did not justify the venue being kept open.

Folkestone, another ARC course, is not said to be financially viable either but some faint hope remains that closing could only be a temporary measure.

The county of Kent now no longer has a racecourse, following the closure of Wye in 1974, with Folkestone having staged meetings since 1898.

ARC claimed operations could continue if more than 800 homes were built on the site, with the funds being directed to update facilities and move the actual position of the course itself.

A proposal was submitted to Shepway District Council for the building, but it was left out of their core strategy (essentially a blueprint for future development in the area) that will be passed on to the Secretary of State’s inspectorate.

The council still say they are open to future discussions in order for the racecourse to remain open.

ARC’s chairman Michael Howard, or the Rt. Hon. Lord Howard of Lympne, was a long-serving local MP for the constituency of Folkestone and Hythe.

He believes the lifeline would be if the council would instead include in their core strategy some general wording about future developments which, if approved, would enable more detailed plans to be proposed that could meet the council’s criteria.

Howard said: “Arena made clear in 2007 that the racecourse was not viable in its present state and we made a proposal for the redevelopment to the council, but the inspector didn’t like it.

“If we can get some words in the core strategy proposal, which will be finalised when the inspector makes a decision in the next few months, then we could be in business.

“This means we can start talking to the council again, so we can keep the door open.

“If the inspector continues to be very negative and refuses to put the language in, then it makes it very difficult.”

A crowd of just under 2,500 gathered to bid a sombre farewell, which was close to the number attracted to Hereford’s final meeting.

n Emma Lavelle hopes the wet weather forecast is wide of the mark ahead of Claret Cloak’s bid to extend the Andover trainer’s good form in The Ladbroke at Ascot on Saturday

The five-year-old finished a two-length third to Raya Star over the same course and distance in early November and only carries 3lb more at the weekend.

However, the forecast of rain leading up to the weekend has dampened Lavelle’s enthusiasm somewhat.

She said: “I’m not pleased with the forecast, but as long as it’s not heavy I’d imagine we’ll run. If it was at Chepstow or Haydock he probably wouldn’t be running, but Ascot never gets too deep so we’ll probably run.”