Fakenham forced to call off Friday fixture due to 'quickest ground in 25 years'

Fakenham's meeting on Friday has been cancelled on welfare grounds with the going described as the quickest it has been in February for at least a quarter of a century.

A BHA course inspector joined Fakenham officials on Monday morning in assessing the state of ground, and the congregation was left with no alternative other than abandoning, with the course having received just 6mm of rain in the last four weeks.

The track is unable to water as its irrigation licence does not start until March, and no rain is forecast in the build up to the fixture.

Clerk of the course David Hunter said: "We've had to call the meeting off. I walked the course with BHA course inspector Nick Carlisle, my head groundsman and one of our directors and because of the prolonged dry period, we have ground that is now good to firm, and possibly even firm in places, and it's only going to get drier.

"In 25 years, I've not seen the ground this quick in February. It's very quick and we can't irrigate until March 1. It's very dry with no rain forecast this week, apart from possibly 2-4mm on Thursday evening, but that will be too little too late.

"It's frustrating for everybody and disappointing after all the hard work and effort, but we had no choice as safety and horse welfare is top of the list.

"It's been an extraordinary dry patch. The high pressure we've had over the country for some considerable time is creating a very dry period, particularly here in East Anglia, and the sub-zero temperatures haven't helped."

Fakenham, which lost two recent fixtures due to frost, is not alone in suffering a prolonged dry spell as Catterick's meeting on Monday had firm in the ground description, and it is a similar situation for Hereford on Wednesday and Leicester on Thursday.

The ground at Hereford was described as good, good to firm in places, on Monday and although the course has the ability to water, officials have decided not to.

Clerk of the course Libby O'Flaherty said: "There are no plans to water. We could if we wanted to, but we think it would be best not to because at this time of year with a narrow track we are quite worn in areas and we'd prefer to have consistent ground.

"The forecast is set to stay dry with a bit of mist and fog around on raceday morning. Like everywhere else we're desperate for rain, but there isn't a lot around in the long-range forecast, so after this meeting we'll start to look at watering for our next fixture on February 26."

Leicester officials changed the going description to good to firm, good in places (from good, good to firm in places), on Monday morning for Thursday's all-chase card.

Clerk of the course Jimmy Stevenson said: "I don't think it'll go any quicker than that, which is where I expected to be without rain. It's safe ground, it's obviously on the quicker side but I'm quite happy as we've had it a lot quicker on the chase course. There's no rain forecast until raceday, when there's a chance of 3-5mm."

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