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Doncaster redevelopment given the nod

DONCASTER racecourse's £55m redevelopment plan cleared its most significant hurdle last Friday, when the local authority's ruling body authorised the full council to sign a management deal with Arena Leisure.

Provided the first phase of the scheme passes the council's planning committee on either November 14 or December 6, the course will close for racing after its late December jumps meeting.

The council, which is setting up a joint venture with Arena under the name of Doncaster Racecourse Management Company Ltd, has made it a condition of the deal that racing should resume at the end of July 2007 and that the initial building project should impact on only one Leger meeting, which is likely to move to York keeping the world's oldest Classic should remain in the county.

Officials at Driffield’s AS championship show, whilst acknowledging this, remain tight lipped about the prospect of a move to the Wetherby racecourse a little further up the A1.