Ascot prepared for plenty of rain - but British Champions Day card is not considered under threat

Ascot is braced for more significant rainfall before Qipco British Champions Day but officials are confident Saturday's star-studded card will not come under threat from the weather.

The Berkshire track was hit with ten millimetres of rain overnight into Monday, which saw the going become soft on the straight course, heavy, soft in places on the round track and soft on the inner round course.

Should heavy appear in the going description on the round track by 8am on Thursday, there is the option to move races on to the inner course. However, races can only be switched subsequently if the ground becomes, or is likely to become, unsafe to race on, with a decision taken no later than 8am on raceday.

Around 25mm of rain could fall at Ascot before Saturday's fixture, with up to 17mm between Friday afternoon and raceday morning. However, clerk of the course Chris Stickels is not worried about the weather causing any serious issues at this stage.

"We don't have any concerns about what's to come," Stickels said on Monday morning. "We had around 10mm of rain overnight. The forecast looks unsettled too and there's quite a lot more forecast, with up to 30mm to come.

"We're expecting conditions to be testing and we're likely to switch the races on the round track to the inner course. There's quite a bit more rain to come and it'll be pretty soft conditions."

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