Sandown’s Feature Meeting in Doubt as Rain Looms

The highly anticipated feature meeting at Sandown is hanging by a thread as it faces an uncertain fate. An 8am precautionary inspection on Friday will determine whether the event can go ahead.

The current condition of the Esher venue already poses a challenge, with the going being described as very testing. However, matters are further complicated by a new band of rain expected to arrive on Thursday evening. In response, the Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for this region.

Clerk of the course Andrew Cooper addressed concerns at 2:30pm on Thursday and emphasized the necessity for caution:

“Given the uncertainty surrounding potential rainfall throughout today, it seems sensible to conduct an inspection tomorrow morning,” stated Cooper.

Considering radar reports indicating that rain is imminent and could exceed 20 millimeters, he added:

“While we would have been able to race here today or any day earlier this week, there are certain areas on both courses that have almost reached their limits in terms of soaking up more precipitation.”

Due to logistical constraints during racing events, these saturated areas cannot be avoided or rectified easily:

“We can’t simply move or eliminate these sections; they primarily lie within our home straight,” explained Cooper.

In light of predictions suggesting that rain should cease by early Friday morning, another assessment will be conducted at dawn:

“After assessing conditions first thing tomorrow, we will determine the next course of action. If necessary, we may conduct further inspections later in the day to ensure safety for all competitors.”

Despite these concerns, Cooper remains optimistic about the weather after Friday:

“Looking ahead, once this system passes through, it appears that dry conditions will prevail not only on Saturday but also beyond. However, everything hinges on the magnitude of rainfall witnessed.”

Wincanton Fixture at Risk Too

In a similar predicament is Wincanton’s scheduled fixture for Saturday. Their clerk of the course Daniel Cooper has announced an inspection set for 8am on race day due to a yellow warning issued specifically for rain.