Inner track may be used if heavy rain hits Ascot

Adam Morgan
October 16, 2023 1:38 pm

Ground conditions for British Champions Day are giving cause for concern.

Officials at Ascot have raised the possibility of the inner track being used on Qipco British Champions Day if the expected rainfall later in the week hits the track.

Conditions are currently described as soft at the Berkshire venue, but following a dry weekend the track is bracing itself with estimates of 15-20mm total rainfall forecast from Wednesday onwards.

If that was to come to fruition, then conditions are envisaged to deteriorate to heavy on the round course, which would bring a switch to the inner hurdles track for races such as the Qipco Champion Stakes into the equation – something which happened in 2019 when sections of the course were waterlogged.

Racegoers may need their umbrellas on Qipco British Champions Day (Andrew Matthews/PA)

“At the moment, we are soft and we’ve got a couple of fine days forecast today and tomorrow up until Wednesday afternoon and then we’re due to get rain/showers from Wednesday afternoon all the way through to racing,” explained clerk of the course Chris Stickles.

“Around 15-20mm is kind of the predicted amount in total from Wednesday through to Saturday but that could change.

“That would be highly likely to prompt a change to the inner track. The race conditions at the moment state that if heavy features in the going description on the round course, then races will move to the inner track.”

Conditions could turn heavy on Ascot's round course — Conditions could turn heavy on Ascot’s round course (David Davies/PA)

Stickels went on: “So that is potentially on the cards and if we had that volume of rain then I would imagine we would be talking about some heavy ground on the round course and therefore those round course races could move to the inner track.

“Of course, we’re not there yet, we’re only soft ground and we haven’t had any rain since Friday. But if we did get that amount, there is the potential.”