Tracks braced for new heatwave with field sizes to take another hit

The tinder-dry conditions in the south of England have left racecourses and trainers battling to keep the racing show on the road as they prepare for a second summer heatwave.

Jeremy Martin, clerk of the course at Salisbury, which hosts its marquee two-day meeting on Wednesday and Thursday, said he had never experienced conditions so extreme in 22 years of officiating at the Wiltshire track, where no significant rain has fallen for more than two months.

Martin and fellow clerk Keith Ottesen at Newbury, which stages a two-day meeting on Friday and Saturday, accepted field sizes would be affected with the temperatures forecast to rise from 31C on Wednesday to 34C on Saturday in the south and central England, where a level-three heat health alert has been issued by the Met Office.

Britain had its driest July since 1935 in a month when Salisbury had just five per cent of its average July rainfall, with no rain yet in August.

Martin said: "I've been here 22 years and I can't remember it being like this before. The last time we had a really good soaking was on June 5 when we had 14mm.

"We've had to do a hell of a lot of irrigating, but the track looks nice and green and is currently good to firm. Without the ability to water the track from a borehole we'd be in a pretty desperate state. Like everybody, we've been desperate for some rain."

Salisbury's fixture on Wednesday has attracted just 46 runners across the seven races, with the 6f novice (2.00) the only race that will pay three each-way places with 14 declared.

Martin said: "Hopefully things will cool down later this month, but there's no sign of it. When we get cooler we can provide that ground which would hopefully get numbers back up again.

"We already have some early provisions on track. We'll have iced water troughs in the unsaddling area and we've got more racing staff lined up to be able to do stuff like pass on water buckets and scrapers, alongside the couple of cooling fans."

Field sizes have continued to be hit with very little rain forecast and neither of the fixtures at Ffos Las and Yarmouth on Wednesday will have double-figure fields – with 41 declared at the Welsh venue and 36 at the Norfolk track.

Temperatures are set to increase throughout the week at Newbury before the Hungerford Stakes (3.35) fixture, with the ground currently good to firm.

Ottesen said: "Although we're watering every day, with the temperatures where they are and no rain in the forecast alongside the types of races we have, we don't envisage huge fields. On the final day of July we had some light rain, but it didn't even register at the 1mm mark.

"We have misting fans permanently in the washdown area and what is absolutely key is adding in people to replenish, carry and move water. We've increased the number of staff around the stable areas and will liaise with BHA veterinary officers to make sure everything is in place. There will be additional water points and iced water available."

Roger Charlton: increasingly reliant on all-weather gallop to work his stringCredit: Edward Whitaker

Roger Charlton, who is based with his son Harry in Beckhampton, Wiltshire, hopes the dry period ends soon to allow horses to work on the grass again.

He said: "It would be nice to have a change soon because it's gone on for a long time. We'll do slightly less with them, but most of the horses are fit anyway so we'll just tick along and hope the racecourses aren't too bad. We're all working them on the all-weather as there's not much point working horses on the grass when it's good to firm or worse."

Five meetings were abandoned due to the extreme heat last month but a BHA spokesperson said: "The BHA will continue to monitor conditions at all courses due to stage meetings, working closely with the teams at each venue to ensure all necessary provisions are in place.

"The industry has coped well with the challenges posed and has continued to stage fixtures safely, while also taking action to abandon affected meetings when the first ever Met Office ‘Red’ extreme heat warning was issued."

At Newmarket the Town Plate will be run over 2m1f rather than its traditional 3m6f unless there is significant rainfall before August 27. The race will be run on the July course as irrigation has stopped on the first mile and five furlongs of the traditional course due to the need to prioritise watering Newmarket’s two racing surfaces.

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