Epsom's first meeting of the season rearranged after a burst irrigation system prevented watering at track

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Epsom's opening raceday of the season has been delayed by a week after a fault with the track’s irrigation system left officials unable to water the course.

The fixture originally scheduled for Tuesday, April 21, will now take place on Tuesday, April 28, with the Listed Blue Riband Trial, a key trial for the Derby, set to remain the feature race.

A fault in the irrigation system, discovered on April 13, has prevented watering, and a planned fix has been delayed by further technical issues. Watering is not expected to resume until April 21 at the earliest.

With current ground and weather conditions, and given Epsom’s unique track layout, officials deemed watering essential to provide a suitable racing surface for an early-season trials meeting.

The decision to postpone the fixture was made in conjunction with the BHA, with an updated going report to be issued once watering resumes ahead of the rescheduled meeting and in the build-up to the Derby festival in June.

Epsom general manager Jim Allen said: “We are as disappointed as anyone that we cannot begin our season in its usual slot, but providing the best racing conditions is paramount.

“We hope staging the fixture a week later should not impact too much on horses’ and connections’ plans for early-season targets, while allowing an opportunity to gain vital experience of Epsom’s unique track."

All tickets will be transferred to the new date, with refunds available for those unable to attend.

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