Southwell is set to stage a nine-race Flat programme on Thursday, 24 September 2026, with the first race scheduled for 4:22 PM and the final contest due off at 8:30 PM. The meeting features races for two-year-olds as well as three-year-olds and older horses, with distances ranging from 4 furlongs 215 yards to 1 mile 3 furlongs 24 yards.
The card includes handicap contests across Classes 5 and 6, two Class 4 novice races and a Class 5 selling handicap. Prize money ranges from £6,200 to £10,000, with the two Class 4 novice events carrying the highest prize allocation of the afternoon.
The meeting begins with a Class 6 Handicap Stakes over 1 mile and 14 yards. Open to three-year-olds and older horses, the contest carries £6,200 in prize money and is restricted to runners rated between 46 and 60.
The distance provides a test of stamina and pace, with the runners required to maintain their rhythm over the Southwell all-weather circuit. The Class 6 event opens an evening programme that will gradually introduce shorter and longer distances.
The second race is a Class 6 Nursery Handicap Stakes for two-year-olds. The contest will be run over 7 furlongs and 15 yards, with £6,200 available in prize money and runners rated from 0 to 65.
With the race restricted to two-year-olds, the contest provides another opportunity for young horses to gain experience over a distance longer than a sprint. The 7-furlong trip requires a combination of pace and the ability to sustain an effort through the closing stages.
The third race is the first division of a Class 5 Handicap Stakes, scheduled over 7 furlongs and 15 yards. The race is open to three-year-olds and older horses and carries £7,600 in prize money. Eligible runners are rated between 51 and 70.
The 7-furlong distance gives the field a demanding balance between speed and stamina. As the first of two divisions, the contest provides an opportunity for horses in the same classification to compete under comparable conditions.
The second division follows at 6:00 PM. Like the previous race, it is a Class 5 Handicap Stakes over 7 furlongs and 15 yards for three-year-olds and older horses.
The race carries £7,600 in prize money and is open to horses rated from 51 to 70. The identical distance and classification make it another useful test of the runners’ ability to settle, maintain position and finish strongly over seven furlongs.
The fifth race introduces the first of two Class 4 novice contests. The race is scheduled over 6 furlongs and 17 yards and is restricted to two-year-olds.
A prize allocation of £10,000 makes this one of the most valuable races on the programme. The shorter distance places considerable emphasis on early pace and acceleration, while the novice status means the field can include horses with varying levels of previous racing experience.
Another Class 4 novice event follows at 7:00 PM, this time over 4 furlongs and 215 yards. The race is open to three-year-olds and older horses and carries £10,000 in prize money.
At just under five furlongs, this contest represents the shortest-distance test on the card. Speed will be central to the race, with runners required to establish their rhythm quickly and maintain their effort throughout the short course.
The seventh contest is a Class 5 Handicap Stakes over 4 furlongs and 215 yards. Open to three-year-olds and older horses, the race carries £7,600 in prize money and is for runners rated between 51 and 70.
The sprint distance means there will be little opportunity to recover from a slow start. The runners will need to show sharp acceleration while maintaining their speed until the finish. The race also continues the evening’s varied sequence of distances.
The eighth race is a Class 5 Fillies’ Handicap Stakes over 1 mile 3 furlongs and 24 yards. The contest is open to three-year-old and older fillies and carries £7,600 in prize money, with eligible runners rated between 56 and 75.
This is one of the longest races on the Southwell card and presents a significantly different challenge from the earlier sprint contests. Over the extended distance, stamina, tactical judgement and the ability to maintain a consistent pace become increasingly important.
The programme concludes with a Class 5 Selling Handicap Stakes over 1 mile 3 furlongs and 24 yards. The race is open to three-year-olds and older horses, with £7,600 in prize money and a rating range of 51 to 70.
The extended trip provides a final stamina test for the evening. Following the fillies’ handicap over the same distance, the runners will face another contest requiring them to conserve energy and produce a sustained effort over the closing stages.
Thursday’s Southwell card offers nine races across a broad range of distances and classifications. The programme begins with a 1-mile handicap before moving through a seven-furlong nursery and two seven-furlong Class 5 handicap divisions.
The middle section features two Class 4 novice races, first over 6 furlongs and then over the shortest distance of the day, 4 furlongs 215 yards. The seventh race remains over the same sprint distance before the final two contests return to the longer 1 mile 3 furlongs 24 yards trip.
The two Class 4 novice events carry the highest prize allocation at £10,000 each, while the opening Class 6 handicap and the two-year-old nursery offer £6,200. The remaining four handicap contests each carry £7,600.
With racing continuing from 4:22 PM until 8:30 PM, Southwell’s all-weather meeting provides a varied evening of Flat racing, featuring young horses, experienced runners, sprint specialists and horses suited to longer distances.
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