A race against the moon - Ffos Las card to start two hours early due to solar eclipse concerns

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Racing at Ffos Las next Wednesday will begin more than two hours earlier than planned due to a solar eclipse which could result in up to 90 per cent of the sun being obscured.

Next week’s eclipse is set to be the largest coverage of the sun by the moon visible in Britain since 1999, with the evening meeting at Ffos Las moved forward to start at 3.35pm instead of 5.40pm.

The final race at Ffos Las is scheduled to start at 6.10pm with the first contact of the solar eclipse, when the moon begins to block the sun, estimated in Cardiff for 6.17pm.

The moon will continue to move across the sun during the next two hours with maximum coverage estimated at 7.12pm for Cardiff and London before it finishes at 8.06pm.

While Ffos Las's start has been brought forward, racing at Kempton will continue to take place in the evening, under floodlights if necessary, with the first race beginning at 6.30pm.

Kempton: no changes to start time owing to track's floodlightsCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

A BHA spokesperson said: “An earlier start time at Ffos Las will allow the meeting to be concluded before the eclipse, ensuring the safety of participants will not be impacted by potential low visibility.

“The race programme will be staged as scheduled and there are no concerns for the other evening fixture at Kempton Park, which will be able to utilise floodlights as necessary.”

According to Royal Museums Greenwich, the solar eclipse is likely to lead to a noticeable change in temperature and light levels during maximum coverage. However, it will not result in darkness, but will be “more like a cloudy day or close to dusk or dawn”. 

In terms of when British racing might next be impacted by a solar eclipse, a 99 per cent solar eclipse is predicted for September 2081, with a total solar eclipse not forecast until 2090.

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