Stratford set for an earlier start on Sunday to escape heatwave peak

Sunday's jumps fixture at Stratford has been moved to a 12pm start due to high temperatures forecast later in the afternoon.

The seven-race card had been due to start at 1.57pm and end at 5.23pm but the BHA and the racecourse confirmed on Thursday the meeting would instead finish after the 3.05pm race.

The order of the schedule is also to be rearranged, with the two longest races, a handicap hurdle over 3m2½f and a handicap chase over 2m6½f, moved to the front of the card.

The changes have been announced due to the high temperatures forecast from Sunday through to Wednesday, with the Met Office issuing an amber weather warning due to the heatwave.

Stratford's clerk of the course Nessie Chanter said: "Rather bizarrely the peak temperature is quite late at around 4pm so we thought by bringing the race times early we might be able to escape the peak temperature.

"The peak has been late in the last couple of weeks, at about 3pm or 4pm, and it looks to be following the same pattern on Sunday. We just want to mitigate anything that could lead to heat stress."

The track has also taken extra precautions for the day. Horses will not be in the parade ring for long and after races all horses will be dismounted on the track, checked over by the vets and led back to the stables via a different route, taking in the shade under the trees.

No amendments have been made at the other two tracks set to stage racing in Britain on Sunday - Newton Abbot and Redcar - or at fixtures in the early part of next week.

BHA veterinary officer Sally Taylor said: "While we're confident that it's safe to race in higher temperatures, we want to ensure that conditions are as comfortable as possible for our horses and people. We have therefore taken proactive steps towards changing the Stratford raceday with that in mind.

"Having considered the local weather forecasts and other significant temperature factors for other courses due to race over the coming days, we do not feel that similar adjustments will be necessary everywhere.

"However, all the usual hot weather provisions will be in place at all courses, with sufficient cooling facilities and regular monitoring throughout the day to help ensure the safety of our equine and human participants."

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