BHA confirms ITV-backed changes to Christmas period fixtures

The BHA has confirmed a number of changes to the 2026 Christmas fixture schedule to deliver four consecutive days of ITV racing coverage from 26 December to 29 December, making more effective use of the Premier jump meetings staged during this period.

The new schedule will see the Ladbrokes Christmas Festival at Kempton Park retain its established 26 and 27 December dates, headlined by the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase on Boxing Day. The Ladbrokes Kauto Star Chase moves to the 27 December, with the Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow becoming the feature event on 28 December and the Coral Challow Hurdle at Newbury on the 29 December.

The BHA has also approved a request from the racecourse and ITV to move Hereford from Tuesday 8 December to Sunday 27 December, in order to supplement ITV’s coverage on that day

The changes are the result of cross-industry collaboration initiated by Entain (owner of Ladbrokes and Coral), and brokered by Racecourse Media Group (RMG), with the support of Kempton Park (Jockey Club), Chepstow (Arena Racing Company) and Newbury racecourse, the British Horseracing Authority and ITV Racing. The ambition is to create a clearer, stronger and more marketable Christmas racing proposition for fans, racegoers, participants and viewers at home.

By spreading the existing programme across four consecutive days, the new programme removes the current clash between Kempton and Chepstow on 27 December, enabling jockeys, trainers, owners, media and racing fans to give greater focus to each of the major meetings in turn. It gives Newbury’s Coral Challow Hurdle fixture a permanent home on 29 December, which Newbury had been championing.

Under the proposed schedule, the four-day ITV schedule would comprise:

• 26 December: Ladbrokes Christmas Festival, Kempton Park – Ladbrokes King George VI Chase Day – with races from Aintree and Wetherby
• 27 December: Ladbrokes Christmas Festival, Kempton Park – Kauto Star Chase Day – with races from Wetherby and Hereford
• 28 December: Coral Welsh Grand National Day, Chepstow with races from Leicester
• 29 December: Coral Challow Hurdle Day, Newbury with races from Doncaster

Richard Wayman, BHA Director of Racing, said: “The Christmas period is always an important one for our sport, with increased exposure generated by some of the highest profile races in the calendar. As we seek not only to retain but grow the sport’s fanbase, we are pleased to approve this cross-industry initiative that will see four consecutive days of high-class racing on free-to-air television.”

Richard Willoughby, ITV Racing Programme Editor, said: “A British Christmas racing festival has long been on our agenda, and we’re delighted to work with the BHA, the racecourses and their respective sponsorship partners to support this new initiative which will undoubtedly enhance the racing calendar over the festive period.”

David Leyden Dunbar, Director of Commercial Strategy & Partnerships for Arena Racing Company said: “Building on the momentum of last year’s Festive period, I’m pleased that we were able to work with our partners at Coral and ITV, and in collaboration with our racecourse colleagues, to bring this exciting idea to fruition.

“By aligning the calendar across these four days we hope that each meeting can fulfil its full potential and we can continue to appeal to racing fans everywhere by delivering a top class Festive Festival of Jumps Racing.”

Shaun Hinds, CEO of Newbury Racecourse, said: “Post-Christmas Racing has always been a popular pastime for UK racing fans but in recent years it has gone through something of a renaissance with significant growth in attendances at all meetings during the festive period. At Newbury, our popular Challow meeting has become a family favourite with activities and facilities arranged specifically for a family audience.

“This new initiative to create a televised festive festival of racing across the four days will be brilliant for racegoers and ITV viewers alike and at Newbury we are delighted to be staging the finale of this exciting development in the racing calendar.”

Simon Durrant, General Manager of Kempton Park Racecourse, said: “The Christmas period is synonymous with competitive and compelling sport and British racing has a number of well established and popular meetings for racegoers and fans watching on TV to enjoy.

“Last year the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase grabbed the sports headlines with its four-way photo finish and the changes outlined today help the sport build on such thrilling drama. By working together with the racing industry on this we hope to boost the prominence of each of the major events taking place over this period and create an exciting focal point for each day. We’re grateful to everyone involved for their collaboration and looking forward to working with ITV Racing and our sponsors, Ladbrokes, to promote this new concept.”

Simon Clare, Entain UK PR Director, said: “The festive racing period is of huge commercial importance to British racing and Britain’s bookmakers, and by working constructively with our racecourse partners, the BHA and ITV Racing, we have created a four-day Christmas Racing programme that gives each premier race meeting the spotlight it deserves and delivers a stronger and more compelling narrative for racing fans, racegoers and betting customers. It will also deliver much-needed increased returns to all parties at a time when Racing revenues are under major pressure and bookmakers are facing into heavy tax rises and increased regulation.

“We are very proud to be sponsoring the major races and meetings that make-up this new four-day programme, and extremely grateful for the willingness of our racecourse partners to embrace the fixture changes, and for the support of ITV racing without which this new programme could not have happened.”