'Parts of the track were under more than a foot of water' - Southwell could return this month but without public

Racing could resume before the end of the month at Southwell, whose Tapeta track has come through last month’s floods “surprisingly well” and is now raceable.

But some buildings will be out of action for a while and the course is planning a “staged return” to normal operation, so racegoers may not be allowed back until January.

Southwell has been unfit for racing since Storm Babet caused the adjacent River Greet to overflow and submerge the track on October 21 and has been forced to transfer the fixtures it had scheduled up to November 24.

But, after visiting the course to assess repair work, Mark Spincer, managing director of Arena Racing Company's racing division, said: “The track took it surprisingly well, considering that parts of it were under more than a foot of water.

“Tapeta inventor Michael Dickinson's wife Joan Wakefield and her team were over within four days of it happening. They are very happy with it. The surface didn’t wash away because of the way it is bound, we’ve done tests and taken samples and they’ve all come back very positive. 

“The BHA course inspector has walked it and everybody is delighted and surprised at how well it coped with the trauma because nobody knew how it would. It’s raceable now and probably has been for a few days.”

Southwell racecourse 12 days after the floodCredit: Arena Racing Company

The jumps course is also unscathed but buildings on site are still showing the effects of the third major flood at Southwell in the last 16 years.

“Most of the site was under three feet of water for a number of days, including all the buildings,” Spincer said. “It’s had a huge impact on all our facilities. There are no ground floors of the buildings we will be able to use for the next few weeks. 

“However, the team have done an amazing job. The stables are ready and we’re building a temporary weighing room behind the grandstand, by the side of the parade ring, with medical facilities, showers, toilets, stewards room, physio and all the rest that we need. It should be ready in the next few days.

“Sadly, it’s not the first time in the recent past that we’ve had to build temporary weighing rooms around the country so we have experience.”

The flood damage means there will initially be no admission for the general public when racing resumes.

“We hope to be back in either late November or early December but we are planning a staged return,” Spincer said. “When we are ready to race, owners, trainers and annual members will be accommodated on the first floor. That wasn’t affected so we have the owners’ suites available and the restaurant will be partly for owners and annual members and partly for stable staff.

“As facilities are returned to us and space is made available, we will be able to allow some members of the general public in.

“I’m confident we’ll have room for the public by January, if not before, but it will definitely be limited numbers to start with.”

Mark Spincer: "It will definitely be limited numbers to start with.”

Crowd restrictions will be a blow at a track which had three “festive fixtures” and a “Christmas jumper raceday” planned between December 15 and 22, as well as a new £170,000 jumps card programmed for New Year’s Day.

“It’s frustrating but we’ve got to get racing on first,” Spincer said.

Twice in the last 16 years Southwell has been forced to close for lengthy spells due to flooding caused by the river overflowing.

It was shut for five months in 2007 and three months in 2012-13, since when flood alleviation work has taken place.

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