No further watering for now as Ascot team wait to see the extent of thundery showers on Sunday

Ascot clerk of the course Chris Stickels has stuck to his plan to cease watering at Ascot – at least for the time being – with the biggest chance of significant rainfall before the royal meeting now appearing in the forecast for Sunday. 

Conditions remain quick at the track and, with the near-impossibility of predicting the path of localised thunderstorms, officials have elected to wait and see what develops, following what could be the final pre-meeting irrigation on Saturday morning. 

"It's a very difficult set of forecasts to read because they all vary so much," said Stickels. "We're going to see some rain and maybe some thundery showers, particularly later on Sunday. The rainfall estimate is between six and eight millimetres but the nature of thunder storms is that we might get as little as three millimetres, or as much as 12, maybe more. 

"Monday does look a little more settled but then there are some developing evening showers possible, stretching overnight and then into Tuesday." 

Stickels didn't rule out putting down more water on Monday if the track is spared the worst of the weather and the forecast clears somewhat, though that won't happen should the rainfall estimates prove correct.

"We've finished watering for the moment, having put eight millimetres on the straight course on Saturday morning and nothing overnight on the round course," said Stickels. "The straight course is good to firm while the round is good, good to firm in places." 

He added: "Given the forecast we are not planning to water any further before the start of the meeting, though that will be reassessed on Monday morning in light of what rainfall we've had. If we get the forecast six to eight millimetres then I don't believe it will be necessary to do any further watering." 

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