“Or perhaps it could be run at 3:30. I’ve just checked the official sunset time for Boxing Day and it’s 3:58. And if you watch the 3:25 race from the meeting in December, it looks to me as if the sun is a) very low (obviously) but also b) more behind the stands”.
The race could be run at 3.30pm but the weather was good last December. On an overcast or wet day, it does feel like it goes darker earlier than the official sunset time in this part of the world. Running it at 3.30pm might mean the race being run in poor visibility and would not be much good for the paying customers.
Would ITV want a racing broadcast going on until 4pm at Christmas?
Another thought I had is: what about security? As it stands now, the meeting on Boxing Day is run with the Melling Road open. There are no races over the National course and the meeting is fairly low key, despite having a Grade 1.
The King George at the track would make it the main meeting of the day. Outside of the National and Cheltenham, it must be the most watched jumps race of the year. As such, it would be a target for the animal rights crowd. An open Melling Road would be a Christmas gift to them to cause disruption.
I think the road would have to be closed and I can’t see local residents liking that very much over Christmas.