David Griffiths: watering to combat hot weather is producing misleading going

Frustrated trainer David Griffiths believes the sustained hot summer weather has resulted in some tracks being over-watered, providing punters with misleading information.

Although sympathetic to the many challenges of maintaining track soundness during such a prolonged rain-free period, Griffiths said conditions at Doncaster on Thursday – officially described as good to firm – were, in fact, nearer to good to soft, a view supported by race times.

Griffiths said on Friday: "Yesterday at Doncaster they watered so much the times were five and seven seconds slow, and PJ McDonald came in and said it was on the easy side of good.

"I understand they have to keep watering to keep the grass growing, but they say they're watering to maintain safe, good to firm ground when it's clearly not. I'd like to know why.

David Griffiths celebrates the victory of Take Cover in a Listed race at Dundalk in OctoberCredit: Patrick McCann

"It's going over the top. There was no 'firm' last night. Punters are backing horses based on form on good to firm when it's clearly not."

Griffiths believes Take Cover, the veteran sprinter he is preparing for a tilt at winning a third King George Stakes at Goodwood, was caught out by the ground at York last weekend when only fifth of eight in the City Walls Stakes.

"At York it walked like good to firm, but David Allan came in and said it was more like good," he continued.

"Ascot was perfect ground, and hopefully Goodwood will water to maintain good to firm. But clearly some tracks are putting too much on and I can't my head round it."

Griffiths said he plans to send Bath specialist Archimedes to the track on Wednesday at least confident the going will be as described.

Archimedes (second right) is, perhaps not surprisingly, fond of Bath, where he is pictured winningCredit: Alan Crowhurst

"Archimedes loves quick ground at Bath," he said. "He won there two starts ago and has been third twice. If some people don't like the surface there, then don't run them.

"At least everyone knows what they're going to get as they have no watering system and can do nothing about it."

There was no rain on Friday at Bath, where concerns about the firm surface were raised by champion jockey Silvestre de Sousa at Tuesday's fixture.

Six of the seven races at Wednesday's meeting were reopened until Friday, with the tally reaching 70 entries across the card.

Sam Cone, spokesman for Bath's owners Arena Racing Company, said: "We're pleased that more entries have come in through the reopening of the races, but 70 is still pretty low.

"We'll continue to monitor the ground with the BHA. We've been taking GoingStick readings regularly and they're not changing."

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