Ascot Ground

[apracing]

Ascot have abandoned any race scheduled to use part of the round course this weekend, including the £40,000 Heritage Handicap over 2M on Saturday – happy days for staying horses yet again, given that Newmarket have also dropped the 2M handicap from the July meeting.

So the ground at Ascot, two weeks before the King George, is ‘good’ in the straight and ‘soft with heavy and waterlogged patches’ on the round course.

Regardless of the problems with the stands and the attendances, it seems to me that Ascot have much bigger worries with the course. I hope there’s a contingency plan for the big race in two weeks time.

AP

[Venusian]

Yes, this ongoing and significant difference in going between the straight and round courses gives a lot of cause for concern.

This sort of ground is just the ticket for causing horses to break down.

[Wallace]

I’m sure the executive at Ascot are for more concerned with the attendances and sale of food and drink than the state of the track. The commercialism of our sport is killing it for real enthusiasts.

[graysonscolumn]

Jesus Suzanne Christ. This is the sort of disparity one would expect of a "riverside" track such as Worcester or Bangor, not Ascot. Yes you’re right, Alan, another suitable track should get the call to deputise asap, assuming nothing is already in place behind the scenes. Presumably Sandown would best fit the bill on location and topography of the course?

And Charles Barnett thought Aintree was a bugger to maintain….

Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)

Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.

[Mounty]

Given Southwell’s (R.I.P) well documented problems surely the answer is for Ascot to lay down a Fibresand surface?

[Author]

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