Racing in UK prepares for heatwave with meetings moved
The extreme weather warning issued across southern England and parts of the Midlands has seen the British Horseracing Authority abandon four meetings. Pic: David Davies/PA
The British Horseracing Authority has rescheduled three of the four meetings that had been postponed on Wednesday due to the extremely hot weather forecast across much of the UK this week.
On Monday morning fixtures at Worcester, Salisbury, Kempton and Ffos Las were called off in the interests of safety for the horses and participants.
Later in the afternoon Ffos Las was rearranged for Monday June 29 with Kempton now taking place that evening.
Salisbury has been rescheduled for Tuesday June 30, but the meeting at Worcester has not been given a new date.
The BHA also announced that fixtures at Newmarket and Nottingham on Thursday have been brought forward so they are finished before the hottest part of the day while the two-mile Dereham Handicap at Newmarket will now take place there on Friday.
The BHA’s hot weather policy states that where racecourses fall within a red warning zone, the fixture will be abandoned. In addition, horses must not be travelled from or through areas that have red warnings in place.
Carlisle’s meeting in Cumbria is still scheduled to take place on Wednesday, featuring the historic Carlisle Bell and Cumberland Plate.
Trainer Alex Hales, who had been due to have two runners at Worcester on Wednesday, supported the decision to call off the meeting insisting horse welfare comes first.
“We just have to be sensible. We try to work the horses earlier and get the main bits of work done before the sun really comes up and, with travelling, the lorries have fans in them now to keep the temperatures down,” he said.
“But if the temperatures are getting as high as predicted keeping the horses hydrated with plenty of electrolytes as well is very important.
“We are constantly monitoring the horses and if they are showing signs of getting too hot we would pull them out and get them under the hosepipe and cool them off that way.
“But I think the BHA have been very sensible and the whole industry is sensible with it.”
