Southwell set for 10am start on Tuesday with temperatures forecast to hit 38C

Southwell has reacted to the threat of soaring temperatures by bringing the first race forward to 10am at its jumps meeting on Tuesday.

It is forecast to reach as high as 38C and the track has made the move in an attempt to avoid horses having to race in the worst of the heat.

"We're putting horse welfare at the forefront of our minds," said executive director Mark Clayton. "The first race will now be at 10am because the temperatures warm up through the daytime. It will be cooler in the morning than the afternoon. Finishing at 1pm gives us and the horses every opportunity to race safely.

"The BBC website forecasts 34C at 12pm and 36C at 1pm. If we'd stuck to our original times, we'd have been racing when it is forecast to be 38C."

The running order has also been amended on the grounds of horse welfare.

Clayton said: "We've altered the race programme, bringing the long-distance races forward and moving the bumper to the end of the card so no obstacles will be jumped at the hottest part of the raceday.

"We've spoken to Martin Keighley, Alex Hales and Fergal O'Brien and they were delighted. They said the earlier the better. We've spoken to the jockeys, doctors, vets and the BHA and they don't have a problem with a 10am start.

"Some may say that racing in those sort of temperatures is too much, whatever the time of day. But we're giving ourselves every opportunity to race on the day. If it's too hot we'll take medical advice and make a decision but that can only be done at that time."

Mark Clayton: 'We're doing everything we can'Credit: David Carr

Clayton added that Southwell has learned from the experience of racing in high temperatures previously.

"We're doing everything we can and setting up the site in a very similar fashion to how we did in 2019 when we raced during a heatwave," he said.

"We've got tents up to give horses shade in the pre-parade ring and the stable yard. We've got large fans in the pre-parade. We have the usual water troughs and we have extra staff and veterinary cover. And there will be a corral area on the track to make sure that we can look after any horse safely even when there is a race going on.

"We're making sure we dot the i's and cross the t's. We're doing everything we can with the racing surface and the facilities we offer."

Stratford has already changed race times for its meeting on Sunday, when Newton Abbot is confident it will cope with temperatures that are not forecast to rise above 26C. A total of 35 horses were declared for seven races at Stratford, while 38 are set to line up in seven races at Newton Abbot, continuing a worrying trend of small field sizes.

The heat is not expected to be as severe on Saturday, when Market Rasen will have an additional covered washdown area to go with its permanent equine cooling fans.

It is not forecast to get above 19C at Cartmel, which is also expecting to dodge the very worst of the heat on Monday.

Clerk of the course Anthea Leigh said: "We're in conversation with Sally Taylor from the veterinary department of the BHA and we've raced well in the temperatures the Met Office are showing during racing. We will continue to monitor the situation and see whether we have to do anything like bring race times earlier but at the moment we'll stick with arrangements as they are."

Extra measures have been brought in for Monday evening's Flat meeting at Beverley, including additional veterinary provision on site, dedicated horse cooling staff and the potential for using the shaded pre-parade ring instead of the main paddock.

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