Rain set to hit Epsom overnight as track reports positive attendance figures for Oaks day

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The ground could soften at Epsom overnight as rain is forecast from the early hours according to clerk of the course Andrew Cooper.

After racing on Friday, the going was described as good on the five-furlong course and good to soft, good in places on the Derby course, and that could deteriorate depending on how much rain hits the course overnight.

Cooper said: "I think we're going to be dry until about midnight and from then to 6am we'll see some spits and spots of rain, very light drizzle, as this next approaching weather front comes to us from the southwest. 

"The information I'm getting is that between 6-8am there could be a sharper spell of rain, which then clears to a day of occasional showers, with it being quite breezy for much of the day. 

"In terms of quantity, even that first burst, we're probably talking in the up to 5 millimetre territory. It's enough in the context of where we are ground-wise, but not a deluge."

Some jockeys reported the ground to be riding soft on Friday, but Cooper maintains belief in his official description. 

"From my view, looking at race times, it's ridden as good to soft ground on the round track," he said. "Race times tell you just about everything and even then, people have to remember with today's configuration, horses are running a bit further by coming over to the stands' rail and the bend is pushed out anyway.

"It's clearly ridden on the slow side, but I don't think anything too dramatic."

Oaks day attracted a crowd of 19,704 compared to 14,812 last year, with a 45 per cent increase in the number of 18 to 24 year olds and a 17 per cent increase in those who had travelled to Epsom from within five miles of the course.

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