Sandown begin watering ground

Watering down the back straight to ensure safe ground began at Sandown Park today ahead of the big meeting on Saturday.

As much as 10 millimetres will be put on parts of the troublesome area of the course as officials at the Esher track prepare for a eight-race card that includes the rearranged Cleeve Hurdle and consolation race for the Victor Chandler Chase.

“We took a decision first thing this morning and kicked on with it,” said clerk of the course Andrew Cooper.

“We just felt that, taking account of the weather forecast going forward and ground conditions here, we needed to do some watering ourselves in the back straight.

“It’s purely the back straight we’ll be focusing on and the whole of the back straight as far as the chase course is concerned.

“The plan would be to water today and tomorrow and that would probably be as much as we would want to do. We’re not thinking of watering right up to the meeting.

“We want to get a bit on now and improve things a bit and then let it settle down.

“On the chase track it is good, good to firm in places and watering and the hurdle course is good to soft, back straight good.

“We are invariably easier on the hurdle track and the quickest ground would be primarily over fences down the back straight.

“We will be putting on between five and 10 millimetres of water in that period down the back. Some will see five, some 10 depending on how they are.

“Hints of rain towards the weekend appear to have largely disappeared. We can assume it’s going to stay cool but without any penetrating frosts. At this stage we don’t envisage problems.”