Frustrated Mark Johnston urges tracks to rein back on overwatering

Trainer Mark Johnston has urged more racecourses to aim for good to firm ground on the Flat after being left frustrated with what he believes has become an unnecessary and unhealthy tendency by racecourses to water.

Johnston took to Twitter over the weekend to voice concerns that tracks are all too often watering, despite BHA guidelines stating 'Flat courses should aim to provide good to firm ground'.

Those guidelines also state it is accepted that in some circumstances some tracks may wish to produce good ground, but Johnston is unequivocal that clerks of the course are overwatering.

Ripon was the latest course to provoke the trainer's ire after course officials watered good ground before Sunday's meeting run on going of the same description, but Johnston highlighted what he believes is a much wider issue across racing when contacted by the Racing Post on Monday.

"I could tweet about it every day," said Johnston. "Sandown is at it today. The going report says good, good to firm in places, watering. They are supposed to be aiming for good to firm. It's clearly softer than good to firm at the moment yet they're watering."

While not without sympathy for track officials, Johnston believes overwatering is detrimental to the ground and is concerned about the wider impact it may have on the industry.

"I have sympathy for them [officials] because I know as soon as they put that word firm in the going description, there's a risk of them getting more non-runners," he said.

"We've definitely got a problem that ground is overwatered and not what we're looking for, for Flat horses. It doesn't produce the best of racing and it's not doing the best for the breed in the long term.

"We're looking for good to firm so why are they watering to get it softer than that? We all know that you don't get such a sound surface with watered ground as you do with natural grass growth."

Johnston, who is also a qualified vet, added: "In the long term, horses are going to adapt, develop and evolve to suit the kind of ground we race them on. The only way to condition bone for running on fast ground is to run them on fast ground. Neither from a selection point of view or a conditioning point of view is this watered ground good for them."

According to statistics from the BHA, year-on-year Flat turf fixtures run between April 1 and May 17 show fixtures run on good to firm ground are above the previous four-year average at 46.3 per cent.

A BHA spokesman added: "The racecourse managing executive is responsible for the condition of the course. The BHA’s general instructions state that, where possible, jump courses should aim to provide good ground and Flat courses should aim to provide good to firm ground.

"However, these are guidelines rather than rules, and the guidelines also state it is accepted that some racecourses may wish to produce good ground depending upon their track topography, soil type, weather patterns and/or whether they are staging two or more consecutive days racing.

"The data shows that the proportion of Flat turf fixtures raced on good to firm or firmer this year is higher than the average over the last four years."

Rather than trying to prevent firm in the description of Sunday's meeting, Ripon clerk of the course James Hutchinson explained watering was strictly down to turf management and doing what he felt was best for the surface.

Ripon: officials watered ground in the lead up to Sunday's meeting

"We put 3mm of watering on the track on Wednesday night which followed two extremely warm days and the ground had been drying," said Hutchinson.

"Turf is a plant and requires water to grow, that's why we put water on in order to put moisture into the ground to keep the grass growing after two very warm days. It wasn't a large amount and was just to keep the grass growing, healthy and in good condition. I wasn't trying to produce a softer surface."

Despite putting 5mm of water on the track at Sandown on Monday, clerk of the course Andrew Cooper thinks the going will be predominantly good to firm for the Brigadier Gerard Stakes card on Thursday evening.

He added: "For a high-quality card like that we are aiming for the fast side of good. We've got almost four full days of what looks likely to be dry weather and you're going to lose 2-3mm of moisture a day.

"We took the decision to water today and that will almost certainly be it for the week. If you did nothing you'd be good to firm, firm. It's a judgement call what you do and when you do it. It's easy to be critical of something on Monday morning when what it all boils down to is what it's like at 6pm on Thursday night."

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