Sean Bowen: horse welfare must come first during extreme conditions

Jockeys, who have to keep a constant eye on their weight, can obviously be affected by the extreme heat but their principal concern during such conditions is horse welfare.

Sean Bowen’s father Peter, who trains in Pembrokeshire, made the long-distance trip from Wales to Southwell on Wednesday with his two runners, Alf ‘N’ Dor and Buckeye Shan, for Thursday's meeting, the start time of which has been brought forward as a precaution against soaring mid-afternoon temperatures in the current heatwave.

The jockey said: "Dad's going up to Southwell today with the horses – he’s thinking ahead a bit. Southwell did a great job at last night’s meeting in terms of plenty of water and extra staff, and I’m sure it will be the same tomorrow.

Southwell: start racing at 11.25 due to the heatwaveCredit: Alex Livesey (Getty Images)

"It's a great idea to bring the start time forward. It shows that people are thinking ahead and, most importantly, putting horse welfare first."

Former champion jockey Jim Crowley, who has a double stint planned for Sandown and Newbury on Thursday, said: “It's a plus and a negative really as you sweat more, but you've got to keep taking fluids.

“I quite like the hot weather, I'm used to it from riding in Dubai. You'd think sweating more means you lose weight, but you've just got to keep drinking. We do go through mesh tops every race and the gloves can be saturated too by the end.”

While horse welfare is priority, racecourses will also make provisions to ensure the jockeys are as comfortable as possible.

Keith Ottesen, clerk of the course at Newbury, said: "We always have plenty of frozen drinks, ice, and ice lollies available for the jockeys in the weighing room and rest area.

"There will also be some air conditioning units in there to blow out cold air."

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