Saturday’s fixture at Kelso Racecourse gets underway at 10.45am, with all seven races scheduled to be completed by 2pm. Imposed on the racecourse by the British Horseracing Authority, the inconvenient start time is set to knock hundreds off the paying attendance and severely impact off-course betting turnover.

Part of a two-year trial for Premier Racing, concluding at the end of 2025, the well-intentioned objective was to provide the three “best” fixtures on a Saturday afternoon with more time between races – so that punters can better digest the runners & riders, and place more bets. It was a strategy designed to increase off-course betting turnover for the industry as a whole, at the expense of customers at one or more “lesser” meetings. As it turned out (slightly predictably), the upside achieved later in the afternoon was outweighed by the negatives experienced by the impacted racecourse starting in the morning.

Unsurprisingly, the early start proved unpopular with Kelso customers when tried for the first time in 2024. Approximately half the number of paying customers attended the fixture as had been to the previous Saturday afternoon fixture two weeks earlier, and online betting turnover declined by nearly 20%.

However, despite the reduced crowd and the obvious resentment of many racegoers towards the changes, research at last year’s fixture revealed some surprisingly positive reactions too – notably among some Northumbrian farmers who welcomed the opportunity to enjoy a day’s racing while still making it home in time to inspect their cattle in daylight.

So, in the spirit of making the best of an inconvenient situation, here are ten silver-linings to Saturday’s early start at Kelso:

1. For those that can’t contain their excitement, the wait between breakfast and the first race will be really short.
2. A bacon sandwich at the races never tasted so good.
3. If there are any issues with the low sun, the obstacles affected won’t be in the home straight.
4. It’s unlikely that racegoers will encounter any drunks at Tweedbank Station on their way to the racecourse (a transfer bus is available at all fixtures, but must be pre-booked).
5. Rugby fans will have a clear hour to make their way to Kelso Rugby Club for live screening of Scotland vs the All-Blacks, kick off at 3.10pm (TNT Sports / Discovery Channel).
6. Haven’t you ever wished that you could postpone lunch until after the races have finished?
7. There’ll be plenty of time to spend your winnings from Cannock Park, our selection in the William Hill Handicap Hurdle, in the beautiful independent shops located around Kelso town square.
8. Or alternatively, racegoers can find a comfy seat in one of the racecourse bars and enjoy live racing from Wincanton, Aintree and Doncaster.
9. Or go home, after a fabulous day at the races, and cook a full roast dinner with all the trimmings ahead of Strictly Come Dancing (6.25pm BBC1).
10. And have more time after racing to plan your next visit…