'The horses were floating' - Paul Nicholls forced into late-night stable evacuation after flooding at Ditcheat yard

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls described an evacuation of a number of his horses on Thursday night as a "short-term drama" after flooding near his yard in Somerset resulted in members of his team being surrounded by water.

Nicholls and his staff were forced to move six horses from their stables in Highbridge after a nearby river burst its banks. This led to the yard in Ditcheat being flooded, with water reaching as high as the horses' knees.

Nicholls, assistant Charlie Davies and long-serving head lad Clifford Baker led the operation at around 10.30pm on Thursday night and took the six horses involved to another yard. The water had disappeared by the morning and the incident did not alter the 14-time champion's routine on Friday morning.

Heavy rain at Ditcheat led to the evacuation of six horsesCredit: Charlie Davies (X: @charliedavies31)

Horses are led out of the flooded Highbridge yard in DitcheatCredit: Charlie Davies (X: @charliedavies31)

Paul Nicholls: "It's happened once before but not for about ten or 15 years"Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Nicholls said: "I'd never seen rain like it on Thursday and the river burst its banks and backed up all the drainage. It's happened once before but not for about ten or 15 years.

"We got to the horses and they were floating, with the water and shavings up to their knees. We just got them out and safe, dried them off and moved them for the night and you wouldn't know any different.

"First thing this morning the water had gone and the gallops and everything was back to normal. It was a bit of a short-term drama but everyone's okay."

Storm Henk has battered Britain this week, with the south-west experiencing torrential rain described as the wettest spell the clerk of the course at Chepstow – notorious for its gruelling conditions – had seen after abandoning Sunday's meeting.

Heavy rain has also forced Sandown's Premier fixture on Saturday to be abandoned while Wincanton, the closest track to Nicholls' Ditcheat beat, is subject to an 8am inspection ahead of its Saturday card.

Racecourses such as Huntingdon, Worcester and Stratford have also been completely flooded after the rain caused nearby rivers to burst their banks.

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