Musselburgh’s next meeting will go ahead as planned on July 14 after an agreement was brokered yesterday between the Musselburgh Joint Racing Committee (MJRC) and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) for a renewal of the track’s licence until December 31.
The sticking point, which threatened Musselburgh’s future, was the acceptance by the MJRC of an independent review of the committee’s governance, something which the Lothian Racing Syndicate (LRS), which provides three of the seven MJRC members, had long been pressing for.
That review had also been agreed by the East Lothian Council whose leader, Councillor Willie Innes, is also the chairman of the MJRC.
However, the deal was not confirmed by the original deadline set by the BHA, which was 5pm on Thursday, and it is believed this is because the BHA wanted to confirm certain details.
A statement from the BHA said that the licence renewal “agreement from the Musselburgh Joint Racing Committee and East Lothian Council that an independent governance review should take place, with a nine-month timeline for completion and implementation of recommendations. Having had the opportunity to clarify some issues with the MJRC, the BHA is satisfied that its licence condition has now been met."
The licence renewal may only be a first step for Musselburgh but Innes said: “I welcome the BHA’s decision and will continue to progress matters positively in order to safeguard the future of racing at Musselburgh. I also welcome the BHA’s confirmation that upcoming race meetings can go ahead.”
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