In January 2026, 19 per cent of jump fixtures across the UK and Ireland were abandoned due to the weather.
Although this has decreased from the 23 per cent abandonment rate of January 2025, bad weather continues to affect the National Hunt season each year.
The jumps season runs from October to April, encompassing world-renowned fixtures such as The Grand National and The Cheltenham Festival.
Events such as The Dublin Racing Festival and The King George VI Chase, that take place in the midst of December and January, are more prone to cancellations.
While the most well-known races of the season fall in the later months (March and April), and are less likely to be cancelled.
Not all racecourses receive the same financial support. Aintree, for example receives substantial amounts of funding allowing them invest into weather protection.
Brian Barass, regional director at Uttoxeter racecourse, explained: “We are constantly working behind the scenes to be able to mitigate the chances that weather conditions will cause an abandonment of a fixture.”
Uttoxeter racecourse has a capacity of 10,000 and is one of the leading National Hunt racecourses in the Midlands, with their sell out race days, New Year’s Eve and the Midlands Grand National.
Both occur in the months facing the toughest weather conditions.
Barass said: “Saturday, February 7, was the first fixture the track has seen abandoned in two years.”
Barass credited Uttoxeter’s successful run (compared to some other tracks): “to the large investment in our track drainage over the last few years, which has paid dividends, and maybe a little luck.”
Not all racecourse drainage systems are as efficient as Uttoxeter’s and fixtures at Huntingdon, and Hereford typically bear the brunt of abandonment due to flooding.
In addition, frost, snow or hard ground can also cause cancellations as it would be unsafe for the horses landing due to the hard impact.
Barass spoke not only about the disappointment of racegoers for missing out on racing, but he also acknowledged: “Abandoning a fixture can be costly for the course and the industry itself.”
He explained that mounting costs were impacted by: “the lack of admission and hospitality income that tracks rely on as a going concern, and also the reduced contribution from betting income into the betting levy fund, which contributes to prize money funding.”
The betting levy fund is crucial to the horse racing industry as it is the main funding mechanism that redistributes profits for bookmakers directly back in to the sport.
Continued rain could see the same fixtures missed every year for the foreseeable future if there is no proper intervention.
David Massey, a racing industry journalist and form expert, shared his take on how the weather conditions in racing could be used by racegoers: “an astute punter can use the weather to his advantage.”
Massey revealed: “some advanced form reading will reveal which horses are likely to benefit from a change in ground if the weather is due to turn.”
“Since odds are available in good time beforehand, a clever punter will step in first and take the prices before everyone cottons on to which horses will be best suited.”
He also touched on how some courses such as Wolverhampton surprisingly suffer from the effects of fog.
“Wolverhampton evening fixtures through the winter have been abandoned halfway through as the fog drops, the judge has to be able to see either the last fence or hurdle for a jumps fixture, or the furlong marker on the flat.”
Even summer racing can be impacted by too much sun, drying the ground out, resulting in smaller fields coming to the post.
So, with the correct battle plan, armed with the right artillery, you can walk away from this horse war with more than just a damp coat.
