.jpg)
More information about the decision by Northern Racing to end horse racing at Hereford and Folkstone has been given by chairman Lord Howard.
"I'm very sad about Hereford, but there's no doubt about Hereford, there were different stories doing the rounds yesterday but we've been in negotiations with Herefordshire Council for many years," said Lord Howard.
"Many people would agree the facilities are not up to scratch, they need substantial investment and you can't expect anyone to make that kind of investment when the lease has only 17 years left to run.
"We've been trying to persuade the council to give us a much longer lease without success and that's why we've had to close it down.
"We're prepared to talk to anyone (should they wish to put a group together and run racing until the end of the lease)
"It's not a case of if a course isn't making money it will be shut down."
The comments by Lord Howard appear to justify the decision by the directors of Hereford United to obtain a much longer lease from the Herefordshire Council for Edgar Street.
As Lord Howard intimated it's difficult to plan for the future without security.
However neither Northern Leisure nor the Herefordshire Council have released any details of the discussions about extending the lease and it may well be that the Council believe it can make more money from the large area of land that the racecourse currently occupies in other ways.
Nevertheless the closure of the racecourse at the end of the current season is a real blow to the area.
