Newmarket turns soft

Clerk of the course Michael Prosser predicts good to soft ground at Newmarket on Champions Day – despite a Tuesday-night deluge.

Thirty-five millimetres of overnight rainfall means the official going at the Suffolk course is now soft.

Despite that surprisingly heavy downpour, conditions are not likely to be as testing by the weekend.

“We’ve had the rain, which was more than we anticipated, but the track has taken it very well,” said Prosser.

“The forecast is for it to be dry from now until next week.

“Drying will be gradual at this time of the year but I expect the track to be good to soft on Saturday.”

Mick Channon expressed concern about the ground for Hatta Fort, who will not run in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes if it is soft.

The West Ilsley handler felt his Group Two-winning colt was unhappy on the trying Longchamp turf when he finished fourth to Rio De La Plata in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on Arc day.

Channon said: “There’s no doubt he was hating the ground at Longchamp and I don’t see any point on running him on it again.

“In the circumstances he ran a cracker and even though this looks the best colts race of the season, he won’t be far away if he does take his chance.

“He’s a fresh horse and his work has been of a consistently high level,” the trainer told www.mickchannon.tv.