Warwick Racecourse confident their switch to all-jumps cards will not fall flat

Hurdler The New One on his way to victory in the Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle at Warwick.

Jockey Club Racecourses, which leases the course from Warwick District Council, has announced plans for a 17-fixture jumps programme from 2015 and a vision for it to become one of the UK’s leading small jumps courses.

A home to Flat racing since 1707 and the first to stage a jumps meeting in Great Britain in 1831, Warwick holds an historic place in the sport.

With an all-jumps focus, clear identity and a boosted race programme, the move is designed to help the course thrive over the long-term. The failure to secure planning permission for a hotel and enhanced entrance undermined Warwick’s financial plan and the change is both sensible commercially and a recognition of the higher quality of its jumps fixtures.

Stars on the flat have been thin on the ground over recent years, although Chriselliam broke the juvenile track record when winning in July 2013 before going on to success in the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita.

By contrast, horses such as Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Long Run, Champion Chase victor Finian’s Rainbow and top-class hurdler The New One have cut their teeth around Warwick’s excellent jumps track and racegoers can expect to see more of the same in future years.

Several million pounds will be invested in reservoir expansion, enhanced irrigation systems and prize money contributions. The current flat course will be kept to provide a spring or autumn course in addition to the existing winter course.

General manager Huw Williams is looking forward to the future, saying: “This is an opportunity for Warwick Racecourse to make a statement of intent in securing its long- term racing future which is very exciting and which the Warwick team is fully behind.

“While plans we explored to support the course with a hotel have been dropped, there is still much work to be done in growing the popularity of our racedays and strengthening our non-raceday events business, where we hope the local community can get behind their local racecourse.”

Monday’s seven-race Family Fun Day gets underway at 1.25pm with the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies’ Maiden Stakes (Bobis Race) over six furlongs and the highlight is the fifth, the Class 3 Rewards4Racing.com Conditions Stakes, also over the six-furlong trip.

History will be made just after 4.50pm when the winner of the Leamington Food & Drink Festival Handicap will be the last horse to triumph over the flat track.

Gates will open at 11.25am and there is ample parking on the course.

Accompanied children under 18 are admitted free and there will be plenty of entertainment for the whole family.