Derby countdown: ground good to soft as Epsom misses thunderstorms

The pyrotechnics will have to wait until raceday at Epsom at the end of the week after the track missed the thunder and lightning that erupted over London on Saturday night.

Only 2mm fell at the home of the Investec Derby, leaving the going good to soft. The hit and miss forecast means it is difficult for clerk of the course Andrew Cooper to know with any certainty what the week has in store.

Nevertheless, Cooper was pleased with the state of the course on Sunday and has no plans to water before assessing the impact of the next scheduled spate of rain due on Tuesday morning.

"We had a lot less rain than there was in the London area," said Cooper. "Epsom had about 2mm but the most potent stuff went through central London.

"Today is a hot day [27C] but a couple of days ago we were forecast showers on and off. It's not a forecast you can have any great confidence in.

"I walked the course at 10am and had little hesitation in leaving it as good to soft. You could possibly stretch to good in places, particularly in parts of the back straight, but overall it is on the slower side of good.

Perfect Clarity (bay) had a spin around Epsom at the Breakfast with the Stars eventCredit: Edward Whitaker

"It will have dried a bit so if we were racing tomorrow we could be calling it good to soft, good in places, and it is in very good nick. There is a rain threat Monday into Tuesday but this time yesterday so did today.

"There is a small risk of a shower tomorrow and then a spell of rain on Tuesday morning and thereafter the week looks mainly dry and slightly cooler.

"I can't see us even thinking about what we might do irrigation wise until we at least get Tuesday out of the way. We will keep monitoring the forecast on a daily basis."

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