Sussex tracks confident of continuing to race despite summer hosepipe ban

Racecourses on the south coast of England are ready to keep racing through the summer despite a drought that has triggered a hosepipe ban.

The ban, which comes into force in Sussex and Kent on August 12, will affect up to three million residents but courses are confident they will be able to continue watering due to their industry status.

The record dry weather continues to raise concerns around summer racing, with Bath racecourse and Newmarket's gallops already impacted following Britain's driest July since 1935.

Brighton, which hosts the conclusion of its three-day festival on Friday, underwent extensive watering to keep conditions at good to firm and will rely on its ability to water ahead of its upcoming fixtures on August 21 and 22.

Clerk of the course Stephanie Wethered said: "We've been very lucky. We had an overcast day on Tuesday and Wednesday so that helped hold some moisture in the ground.

"We haven't had any contact yet regarding the hosepipe ban and we will go with what we will be told we can do. If we are allowed to water we will continue to do so because it's to provide safe ground for horses. It's all about equine safety and welfare."

Another track hoping to escape water restrictions this summer is Fontwell, in West Sussex, which returns from a two-month break with a jumps meeting on August 18.

"I think generally racing is classed as industrial and this is a domestic hosepipe ban," Fontwell's clerk Philip Hide said. "That said, the onus is on everyone to try to do their bit at the moment.

"We last raced in the middle of June but obviously this isn't a new issue. Summers seem to be getting drier and hotter. We've got things in place to try to mitigate it but we don't have the luxury of boreholes or streams at the track; we're one of the few that are mains-fed.

Fontwell's clerk Philip Hide: 'The onus is on everyone to try to do their bit at the moment'Credit: Alan Crowhurst

"We've used wetting agents for the first time this year, which is just one of the avenues you explore because of the way things are right now and we're not just making a knee-jerk reaction. The whole thing has been brought into sharp focus over the past few years.

"Every track is having to look at its watering and try to figure out what to do to maximise what you're putting on. We've just got to keep going."

Plumpton clerk Marcus Waters is confident the dry weather in East Sussex will not affect its opening fixture of the season.

The jumps venue's next meeting is on September 18, with the track undergoing minor renovation and maintenance during its four-month hiatus.

"We should be able to irrigate as normal for the fixture," Waters said. "We've got a reservoir which we will be using, so everything will hopefully be running as normal.

"We've left the track alone but are keeping everything ticking along. We had a bit of rain in June, so while it's browned up a bit it's not horrendous. It was worse than this in 2018 but the dry weather has probably extended a bit longer this year.

"There are a couple of dry weeks ahead but it tends to level itself out eventually. I'm praying for a nice wet start to September."

Goodwood has a three-day meeting at the end of August but has its own boreholes from which to irrigate.

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