Bath fixture relocated to Lingfield's all-weather track after 'five weeks with no meaningful rain'

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Officials at Bath are hopeful that switching one of its fixtures to another racecourse can help contribute to a successful end to the season following a prolonged dry period. 

The BHA announced that the track's meeting on August 15 will now be staged on the all-weather at Lingfield on the same day, as a result of the ongoing dry weather and condition of the ground at Bath.

The Somerset venue has only recorded 0.8mm of rainfall since the 6mm that fell on June 30, and clerk of the course Ben Hicks said there was no choice but to move the fixture elsewhere. 

He said: "It won't be a shock to anyone. It's well known Bath is a track that doesn't have a permanent watering system, so it's clear that this is the best decision to make.

"Each time rain appears on the horizon, it keeps missing us. It's no detriment to the efforts our team has been making in terms of watering with the bowser that's seen us through to this point of the season despite the dry conditions, but we're getting on to five weeks with no meaningful rain."

Bath was forced to relocate one of its fixtures to Chepstow last summer because of a prolonged dry spell, and Hicks is confident the extended break until the next fixture on August 26 will work in their favour.

He said: "We transferred one fixture last year, and it meant the track had more time to recover. 

"We aim to present the standard of surface we've done so before, and I just don't feel that with the current forecast we can guarantee delivering that for our next fixture. Hopefully, with this break and continued watering and possible rain, we can deliver that for the remainder of the season."

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