• Horse racing

BHA reject Great Leighs application

Great Leighs opened in April 2008 but closed down less than a year later © PA Photos

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The British Horseracing Authority has turned down an application for Great Leighs racecourse to be involved in the allocation of the 2014 fixture list.

Course owners MC Racetracks Limited were informed of the decision by the BHA, to which the reasons for the rejection were kept private between the two parties.

A statement on the BHA website said: "Having considered an application at its June board meeting, the BHA decided it was not able to grant Great Leighs any fixtures and MC Racetracks Limited has been informed of the decision."

Adam Brickell, director of integrity, legal and risk for the BHA, said: "The application has been given careful and thorough consideration, but the Board was not in a position to approve Great Leighs' participation in the 2014 fixture allocation process.

"The BHA remains open to new racecourse applications under our annual guidelines and will continue to provide the necessary assistance and guidance to prospective applicants."

The all-weather track, which is located near Chelmsford in Essex, staged its first ever meet in April 2008 when it became the first new track since Taunton in 1927 to host racing in Great Britain.

The course closed less than a year later, and in January 2009 it was revealed that the companies owning the racecourse had gone into administration.

It is the second time in 13 months that the BHA has rejected an application for the course to be given fixtures; in May 2012, the authority turned down a proposal for the course to be involved in the 2013 fixture list.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.