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I imagine most will leave it to the trainer. Most owners admit to knowing nothing about horses and pay a trainer expecting them to make decisions about the horse’s care and welfare. A lawyer’s dream if it ever came to animal welfare prosecutions.
I too think trainers withdraw horses, not owners.
On these days of extreme heat, even Flat racing at shorter distances carries a risk, Jump races at 2m+ carries even more risk and Jump races at 3m+ carries the most risk of all.
The whole thing is a potentially fatal accident waiting to happen.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"A previous report of heat causing welfare issues and race abandonment at Cheltenham https://amp.theguardian.com/sport/2018/apr/19/horse-dies-cheltenham-race-abandoned-heat-racing
I think there’s a typo and it should say 24 degrees rather than 14, but then it is The Guardian!
What it actually say, Marlingford, is this:
“… as the temperature climbed to almost double the average for April of 14C.”
For once, the Grauniad didn’t make a typo. 😎
Yes you’re right Gladiateur. I read 24 degrees on another site and assumed the worst. My apologies to The Guardian!
Stratford on Sunday forecast to be 31C.
Southwell on Tuesday forecast to be 39C.
THIRTY-NINE.
Southwell has two races in excess of 3m on its Jumps card with no race less than circa 2m.
It’s possible, of course, that no horses will collapse and die, after being boxed up taken to the track, racing then, all being well, boxed up and being taken home again.
But I’d say it was a fortuitous turn of events if that occurred.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Even if there are no fatal incidents, I would still be concerned about heat stress.
Although connections have the first duty of care to their horses, I still think it is for the BHA to show some leadership on this.
They really ought to have some idea of what a sensible temperature threshold would be from the post-race veterinary reporting that happens every day. And if they don’t, they should start monitoring this more closely.
If a line can be drawn between Heavy and waterlogged ground, between unraceable frosty ground and safe ground, and between unraceably slippery and raceable bends, then surely there can be a line in the sand too regarding safe temperatures to race in?
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Well, if was an owner I would get on the “horn” to my “trainer” and tell them to withdraw any entries of mine.
I just don’t understand the human race at times.
The Met Office have upgraded their amber warning to red for much of southern and central England
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-62177458
Essentially ‘danger to life’ so if the BHA etc don’t appear to be overly concerned about the welfare of horses perhaps they might the welfare of racegoers
Cancellation of all fixtures – bar Ayr and Musselburgh perhaps – on Monday and Tuesday seems a no-brainer to me
Southwell plans a 10:00 a.m. start on Tuesday, which might be the 2nd best thing to abandoning the entire meeting. Horses would still have to travel home in their boxes, maybe for even 2-3 hours depending on the traffic. That’s no fun either…..
I wonder if they’ll get more than 20 declarations for their 7-race card. They have 73 entries so far.
Beverley Monday abandoned due to red weather warning.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Sanity prevails: https://www.racingpost.com/news/latest/five-meetings-in-britain-cancelled-as-record-temperatures-of-up-to-40c-forecast/568266
If racing can be abandoned for: waterlogging, frost and overwatered slippery bends, it can be called off for a couple of days when it’s going to be hotter than a jalapeño’s armpit.
We will never know for sure, but I reckon this decision just saved equine – and possibly even human – lives.
I’m now off to spend the next few days in the fridge freezer (but the bad news is I still have an internet connection in there).
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"“The weather forecast will probably be wrong now”
Since the Met Office was slammed for underplaying some storm or other a few years ago they really have turned into “the boy who cried wolf” haven’t they? A big festival was cancelled last month on the basis of a forecast for apocalyptic conditions when it was otherwise sunny but for a light shower. I know they’re damned if they do, damned if they don’t but the forecast does seem to have become even more unreliable since computers became involved. I imagine they plot every scenario which sends the more paranoid humans into panic mode.
That said, definitely the right decision to cancel these meetings. They wouldn’t have got any runners anyway.
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