Epsom ground eases for Derby festival after heavy rain hits the course

Twelve millimetres of rain in 24 hours has changed the going at Epsom to good to soft, soft in places as the countdown continues to the Cazoo Oaks and Derby on Friday and Saturday.

Clerk of the course Andrew Cooper said the next 24 hours would determine what ground the two Classics take place on. Cooper eased the going to soft, good to soft in places after 9mm of rain Monday night, but despite a further 3mm of rain on Tuesday – most of which came in a shower at 4pm – he reported the track had taken it well.

"We've had three millimeters of rain today, the bulk of which came in one appreciable shower at about 4pm, and there were little bits and pieces earlier in the day. That was on top of the nine millimetres we had overnight.

"We've had about half an inch in a 24-hour period and I've been around with the GoingStick and for the time being I'm calling it good to soft, soft in places. First thing this morning we eased it but things have settled down during the day so officially we sit at good to soft, soft in places."

Full racecard for Saturday's Derby at Epsom (4.30)

Cooper, who said the Derby will be run on a four-yard strip of fresh ground over the final three furlongs which is being preserved for Derby day itself, reported the forecast remained unsettled.

"Wednesday has a shower risk to it, we're told less widespread than today, and Thursday and Friday look like there's reasonable confidence of them being dry and it warming up a bit," he said.

"It should be around 20C with sunny spells but there's an uncertainty about Saturday. It could be dry but you won't find a weatherman at this stage willing to rule out the possibility of a shower.

"When you've got a scenario like we have now, where we don't know if we've seen the last of the showers tonight and we don't know what we're going to see in showers tomorrow, it becomes hard to predict but if it were to stay predominantly dry from here I think we'd settle down to be on the slow side of good. I don't think there's enough heat or time for it to dry more than that."

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