A seven-race jumps card will start two-and-a-half hours earlier than originally planned at Southwell on Thursday afternoon while additional measures to cope with high temperatures will also be in place at the day’s four Flat meetings, as racing prepares for what may prove to be the hottest July day on record.
The decision to move the start time for Southwell’s meeting from 1.55 to 11.25 was taken jointly by the British Horseracing Authority and Arena Racing Company (ARC), which operates the track, on Wednesday morning.
“We looked at the possibility of moving it to the evening,” Sam Cone, ARC’s PR and communications manager, said on Wednesday, “but oddly the temperature is due to be at its peak from 2pm onwards, which was the original start time, and lower from just before midday.
“In addition to starting earlier, we have all the other measures in place like a marquee to provide shade in the unsaddling area and water on hand to help cooling down along with fans and misters.”
Thursday’s sole jumping fixture was originally scheduled to take place at Worcester, but was switched to Southwell earlier this month due to “irrigation issues” at the west-country track. As a result, the meeting is not expected to attract a large attendance but the change to its start time has still presented some logistical problems.
“There were a few issues involving catering and staff, but everyone has been very helpful,” Cone said. “We’ll certainly be in touch with everyone that’s booked already to let them know [about the new start time] and we’ll be doing our best to let everyone know via social media and on our website as well.”
Paul Johnson, the BHA’s head of racing, said that the regulator is “grateful for the understanding of trainers, jockeys, owners and stable staff regarding the change of start time for this fixture. The welfare of all our participants must come first and, as the only jump fixture on a day when temperatures are due to get very high, we have taken this precautionary step in the interests of the health and wellbeing of our horses.”
Southwell has been watering the track in recent days and will continue to do so ahead of Thursday’s fixture, for which the going on both the chase and hurdle courses is currently good. The seven-race card attracted 53 declared runners at the overnight stage and admission for racegoers who turn up on the day is £10.
Temperatures are forecast to reach the low 30s during the afternoon’s Flat card at Sandown Park, while the meeting at Yarmouth, within sight of the sea, is expected to take place in – relatively – cooler conditions with a peak temperature of 29C. There are also evening meetings at Newbury (first race 4.55) and Doncaster (5.45).
All of Thursday’s courses held meetings during last summer’s extended heatwave and so have experience of coping with unusually hot conditions, but were still sent a reminder earlier this week by the Race Course Association of the issues that need to be addressed.
“It was a reminder of the veterinary advice,” Paul Swain, of the RCA, said on Wednesday, “regarding shaded areas, more water for horses, scraping them after the races and so on, and also what they need to do for their staff, in terms of ensuring they use sun cream and drink water and so on.
“Our take is that it’s clearly not business as usual, but the courses all have experienced teams who’ve dealt with this kind of thing before.”
