'It's one of the wettest Septembers we've recorded' - Ascot hopeful waterlogged round course will dry out after deluge

Ascot is hopeful its round course will dry out sufficiently in time for the two-day meeting starting on Friday after a deluge left the track waterlogged in places on Wednesday.

The going at the Berkshire track is heavy, soft in places, but the round course has some waterlogged areas. It is due to be used four times during the two-day meeting, including for the Group 3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes on Saturday.

Speaking on Wednesday morning, clerk of the course Chris Stickels said: "The round course is waterlogged in places at the moment after we had 9mm of rain overnight. It was more than we were anticipating and followed on from having one of the wettest Septembers I've recorded here.

"The forecast does indicate we shouldn't see much more rain through today to Thursday, while Friday and Saturday look dry too, so we hope we should see an improvement on the round course by tomorrow. If not, we're monitoring and will call an inspection if needed."

Ascot was hit by 129mm of rain in September, including approximately 43mm in the last week, and Stickels added: "Around 52mm of rain is our average, so getting nearly 130mm is considerably more than we're used to. It's definitely the most I've seen in the last 20 years here." 

Racegoers planning to attend Saturday's card may be affected by travel disruption. Trains will not run between Reading and Bracknell on Saturday, with a replacement bus service in place instead, but there is expected to be a normal service from London Waterloo. 

Ascot is one of three meetings set to be broadcast on ITV this Saturday alongside Newmarket and Redcar. At Newmarket the going is soft on the Rowley Mile for the Sun Chariot Stakes card, while it is soft, heavy in places at Redcar, which stages the Two Year Old Trophy (3.20).

Redcar clerk of the course Jonjo Sanderson said on Wednesday: "We've had a lot of rain since we raced last week. We've had 60mm in the last week, but around 12mm since the entry stage, and the track has taken it really well. I've just walked it and we're calling it soft, heavy in places for now, but we've got a dry and breezy forecast until after racing. It could dry marginally to soft, or even good to soft in places."

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