Haydock’s two-day fixture scheduled for later this week has been cancelled after the track failed Tuesday’s 1pm inspection on the suitability of the inner course for racing.
Officials had been assessing whether the inner track could stage Friday and Saturday’s meetings after a significant drainage issue led to the discovery of a hole on the outer course, forcing three races to be abandoned at Saturday’s fixture.
Hole Discovered on Outer Course
The problem came to light after Friendly Soul took a misstep in the Hedge of Oak Stakes, with officials later identifying an issue with the surface. Friendly Soul’s trainer John Gosden reported his filly to be unharmed by the incident with what he described as “a well-camouflaged trap.”
The remaining sprint races, including the Sandy Lane Stakes and the Temple Stakes, were switched to the inner track.
Inner Track Condition Concerns
Clerk of the course Dan Cooper said the decision to cancel this weekend’s fixtures was due to the condition of the inner track after it had staged three days of racing in recent days, rather than any further issues being discovered with the drainage problem on the outer course.
He said: “We had hoped to stage this weekend’s fixtures on the inner track. They were previously programmed to be on the outer track, which is where the hole appeared on Saturday.”
Cooper added: “Ultimately, the decision came down to the fact that there’s been three days of racing on it already and the standards aren’t anywhere near what we would usually present as acceptable. With the BHA here today, both parties agreed that there’s more recovery to do.”
Investigation into Drainage Issue Ongoing
Cooper added that external drainage specialists and agronomists remained on site at Haydock, with investigations ongoing into the cause of the hole, as well as excavations, although no conclusion has yet been reached.
Five races from Saturday’s card had been due to be shown live on ITV, including the Listed Achilles Stakes and the Group 3 Lester Piggott Stakes.
Haydock and the BHA are now working on rescheduling the affected races, with an update expected later this afternoon.
Cooper said: “It’s complicated with what venue can take this at short notice, but it’s in the interests of British horseracing to continue those races.”