Ascot: Champions Day may have been cancelled but for switch to hurdles track

Ascot on Sunday hailed the Champions Day switch to the hurdles track as a huge success with officials admitting the course had faced down its biggest challenge since the creation of the event in 2011.

A wet build-up may have put the grand finale to the British Flat season at risk during the early part of last week, with Ascot’s director of racing and communications Nick Smith admitting he felt more pressure surrounding Saturday's card than in any edition of the meeting since the inaugural running nine years ago – with the waterlogged round course presenting the biggest headache in the meeting's history.

Smith said: "It was the most important renewal of the raceday since the meeting began because we were using the inner track and doing something completely new, and on the straight track we were racing in conditions we've never seen before. It was the biggest test, ground-wise, the meeting's had and it came through with flying colours.

Nick Smith: delighted by the success of Champions DayCredit: Edward Whitaker

"It is no exaggeration to say without that track in place we may not have been racing on Saturday. It was waterlogged Friday, we had a dry night that night but it's not beyond the realms of possibility.

"Maybe we could have got away with it but Chris's [Stickels, clerk of the course] firm view was we'd have been in danger. That'd have been a horrendous position.

"Instead, because of the switch, we had a reasonably comfortable build-up and thanks must go to the BHA, and Richard Wayman specifically, for playing a pivotal part in getting to where we got on Wednesday and allowing us to make the decision to switch in time to give full clarity to connections before declarations.”

There was a concern the switch may have an impact on the racing, but Smith added: "By far and away the most important thing for us was the hurdles track exceeding expectations. By coming around the fences we were able to get the radius almost identical to the outer track. It was a moment we were very pleased with - when the stayers' race produced a perfectly normal looking race.

"With the camera angles you couldn't even tell it was a different track. It rode like Ascot, looked like Ascot and we now have a contingency in place if required. It's there and we can protect racing.

"We can now plan with as much surety as is possible the meeting will be completely credible. On the round course two favourites won and the other was beaten a short head by the second favourite, which is an endorsement of the credibility of the track."

The lack of star names and the testing weather did not have a material impact on attendances with the crowd of 29,029 similar to last year and Smith added: "The Flat season's been all about Enable and, as we know in Flat racing, it's very hard to market days in terms of which horses are going to be turning up because there are so many options.

"Stradivarius running was good for the day and a good endorsement of the quality, but when you don't have a vintage year, and taking Enable out – plus with Crystal Ocean very sadly getting injured earlier in the year – you would say this probably isn't one. But that gives you amazing fields and great betting races, so it's always swings and roundabouts.

"You'd always love horses like Enable to run, but the Sprint and Queen Elizabeth II were hugely competitive. As a day it's matured, it's a valuable part of the European pattern and an appropriate close for the season."

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