Yarmouth fixture on Friday switched to Wolverhampton

PA Sport Reporters
August 4, 2020 2:30 pm

Precautionary move while track is inspected following Monday abandonment.

Friday’s meeting at Yarmouth has been switched to Wolverhampton after Monday’s fixture at the seaside venue was cut short following three races.

Concerns were raised by jockeys over the racing surface after the third race on the card, which saw Lord Chapelfield suffer a fatal fall in the second division of the Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Handicap.

Jockey Gabriele Malune was treated for some time before being taken to hospital for further assessment – happily emerging relatively unscathed a couple of hours later – and following an inspection involving senior riders and officials, racing ended for the day.

The seaside venue was due to race again this week, but with further assessment of the relevant section of the track ongoing, the British Horseracing Authority has announced the meeting will instead be held at Dunstall Park as a precautionary measure, with entries to close on Wednesday and a 24-hour declaration stage on Thursday.

Jon Pullin, racing director at Arena Racing Company which owns both tracks, said: “Following yesterday’s mid-racing incident at Yarmouth, we have undertaken a thorough inspection of the whole track with senior racecourse officials and the BHA Inspectorate.

“Whilst nothing has come to light from this inspection, including any false ground, we will, in conjunction with BHA, move the fixture scheduled for Friday, August 7 to Wolverhampton, before we resume racing at Yarmouth on Tuesday, August 25.”