Justin Timberlake’s walk-on part back in spotlight as Chelmsford faces closure fears
The oft-troubled history of Chelmsford City racecourse in Essex took its latest turn for the worse on Wednesday when the track lost its licence to host fixtures,This means the cancellation of scheduled meetings including the lucrative Good Friday fixture and putting the long-term future of the venue in serious doubt,There have been enough twists in the Chelmsford saga that Justin Timberlake’s apparent walk-on part in the latest chapter is just one more to add to the list,The singer’s concert at the track on 4 July 2025 led to chaotic scenes when 25,000 fans left afterwards, forcing some to queue for up to four hours and others to abandon their cars and walk along the nearby A131 dual carriageway,A legal action arising from the concert was settled out of court, but the crowd capacity for gigs was lowered and the track’s operator, Great Leighs Estates Limited, went into administration on Monday.
A new company, Golden Mile Racing Limited (GMRL), applied to take over the licence to stage racing for the remainder the year.The British Horseracing Authority said on Wednesday it “did not consider it appropriate” to grant a racing licence to GMRL and that as a result “GMRL is not licensed to stage any fixtures, pending the outcome of any appeal”.The BHA added: “This means that regrettably no further fixtures will be staged [at Chelmsford City] pending the outcome of any appeal process.This includes the fixtures on 2 April, 3 April and 9 April.”The scheduled card at the course on Good Friday is – or was – one of the most valuable at the course all year, with £250,000 in prize money.
John Holmes, a local entrepreneur, first revealed his plan to build a racecourse on the site of the former Essex County Showground near the village of Great Leighs in 2001.Initial hopes were that it would open – as the first new racecourse in Britain for more than 80 years – in 2006, but it was not until 28 May 2008 that Great Leighs staged its first meeting with paid attendance.The customer experience for the first racegoers through the gates was effectively a half-built racecourse in a muddy field.The two-tier marquee that served as a grandstand in the middle of the track had enjoyed a previous life as a temporary hospitality facility at the K Club’s Ryder Cup and made it all but impossible to follow the action live.Chepstow 2.
00 Country Park 2.30 Hurricane Pat 3.00 Touquet 3.32 Knight Of Allen 4.07 So You Know 4.
39 The Italian Fox 5.15 Louxor De GrugyKelso 2.40 Mr Mojo Risin 3.10 Parish Star 3.40 Benefit Ben (nb) 4.
15 Guet Apens 4,46 My Lady Elektra 5,20 Doubly BlessedSouthwell 5,10 Hot Silk 5,48 Hundred Caps 6.
18 Hardstyle 6.48 Isla Bella (nap) 7.18 Espanita 7.48 Captain Robert 8.18 Pigeon HouseAfter its inauspicious opening, the track staggered on until January 2009, when it was placed into administration.
Six years passed before Chelmsford City emerged from the ashes of Great Leighs, with a permanent grandstand and new majority ownership, although Holmes remained a regular presence at the track and his son, Nathan, is Chelmsford City’s commercial director,Newcastle 1,15 Andab 1,50 Al Najashi 2,25 Stateira 3.
00 The Lost King 3.35 Fivethousandtoone 4.10 Regal Ulixes 4.42 Duke Of OxfordLingfield 1.30 Cool Molly 2.
05 Selenic (nb) 2.40 Dark Ace (nap) 3.15 My Fermoy 3.50 Sous La Neige 4.25 U S S Charleston 5.
00 Mao Shang WongWhile racegoers have often had issues with the facilities at Chelmsford, trainers and jockeys have been hugely supportive since its opening day,The US-style oval mile is a fair, galloping track with wide bends and its location, about an hour away from Newmarket, is also ideal,Wednesday’s news will be a setback for many top yards readying horses for the new summer Flat season, while the permanent loss of Chelmsford, which staged 38 meetings last year, would leave a significant hole in the schedule,
Oil price jumps and markets slide after Trump warning to Iran
Oil prices soared and stocks sank after Donald Trump vowed in a televised speech to hit Iran “extremely hard” over the coming weeks, knocking hopes of a near-term end to the conflict in the Middle East.Brent crude prices jumped by 8% on Thursday morning to pass $109 (£82) a barrel, reversing Wednesday’s drop when hopes of a de-escalation in the Iran war pushed the international benchmark below the $100-a-barrel mark at one point.The cost of oil produced in the US also jumped, with a barrel of West Texas Intermediate – crude that is drilled and processed in the US – rising by 11% to $111.60 a barrel, over the $110 mark for the first time since 9 March.Stocks in Asia suffered, with Japan’s Nikkei index falling 2
US crude oil hits $110 a barrel and markets drop as Trump dashes Iran de-escalation hopes – as it happened
US crude has surged over $110 a barrel today, for the first time in over three weeks.The price of a barrel of West Texas Intermediate has jumped by 10% today, after US President Donald Trump vowed to hit Iran “extremely hard” for the next few weeks, dashing hopes of de-escalation and an early end to the conflict.US crude is trading at $111 a barrel, the highest level since 9 March.This puts a barrel of WTI above the international benchmark, Brent crude, which has jumped more than 8% to $109.32 a barrel
Goodbye mrbrightside416: Google allows users to alter quirky Gmail addresses
Did your McLovin!1976!@gmail.com email address seem funny at the time but less so now you are applying for dozens of jobs?Google has said it is giving US users a chance to appear more professional by letting them change their Google account username – whatever appears before @gmail.com in an email address – without losing access to their account.However, the tech company will limit the name changes to one per 12 months. In an example shared online by Google, the email address sk8tergrl123
Pupils in England are losing their thinking skills because of AI, survey suggests
Pupils using artificial intelligence are losing their capacity for critical thinking, according to a survey of secondary school teachers in England.Two-thirds said they had observed the decline among children who they also said no longer felt the need to spell because of voice-to-text technology.“Students are losing core skills – thinking, creativity, writing, even how to have a conversation,” one teacher told the National Education Union poll.“AI is destroying what ‘learning’ – problem-solving, critical thinking and collaborative effort – is,” said another. A third anonymous contributor added: “Children no longer feel the need to spell as voice-to-text replaces knowledge
‘World is his oyster’: new Derbyshire home and mentor offer Shoaib Bashir fresh start
A new season dawns and for Shoaib Bashir it represents a new beginning. Overlooked by England for the entire Ashes despite two years of investment, and having had a nomadic career up to this point, the former Surrey youth player has joined Derbyshire on a two-year deal in the hope of calling somewhere home.Not that the off-spinner’s goals have changed. In his first media appearance since that winter carrying drinks, the 22-year-old is determined to win back his Test spot. Swapping Somerset for Derbyshire is a case of looking for regular game time, plus the chance to work with a decorated head coach in Mickey Arthur
Weakened Leicester show why away sides need Champions Cup miracles
The odds on multiple away wins in this weekend’s Champions Cup last 16 are not terribly good. Since the single-leg concept was born three years ago there have been 24 matches, with the hosts losing only two. If that strike rate alters significantly this time it will certainly confound the bookmakers.Bordeaux Bègles, the defending champions, have even been quoted at 1-100 to beat Leicester on Sunday, a remarkable price for a two-horse race. It might be slightly different if the Tigers were at full strength but, as the bookies are keenly aware, that is very much not the case with, among others, Ollie Chessum, Joe Heyes and Nicky Smith all non-runners
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