The Grand National will keep its prime time slot next year despite a schedule shake-up that will see most of racing’s major Saturday races being concentrated within a two hour period.
Under changes announced by the BHA, a new ‘premier tier’ of racing will be created which will result in the most prestigious weekend races being run between 2pm and 4pm.
In recent years the Grand National has had a regular 5.15pm start time to draw in a teatime TV audience.
And the BHA confirmed the Aintree marathon as well as the Derby have been excluded from the 2024 changes.
BHA chief operating officer Richard Wayman said: “There will be certain Saturdays of the year, exceptional Saturdays, when the key race is not in the 2-4pm slot.
“In 48 or 49 Saturdays of the year that will be how it works, but there will be two or three others when we’ll have to be flexible and do something different, like for the Grand National and the Derby.
“We won’t stick rigidly to 2-4pm if the big race of the day is off at 5.15pm, so there will be some flexibility.”
The premier tier Saturday races will come from three fixtures with any other meetings to take place before or after the 2-4pm period.
There are also plans to stage six Sunday evening fixtures between January and March.
To improve competition the BHA will cut 300 jumps races and move some Flat races from summer to later in the year while boosting the quality of Sunday racing.
BHA chief executive Julie Harrington said “innovation in the way the sport is presented is an absolute necessity” to attract new fans and grow horse racing’s appeal.
Reacting on Twitter, trainer David Menuisier said: “I think they should introduce Night Racing as well starting at 3am to try and attract the Aussie market while they’re having a beer at lunchtime.
“That will teach the lazy stable staff if they refuse to go racing on Sunday evening!”
