Continued damage to limited areas of the racing surface at Chepstow caused by nematode activity has forced the abandonment of the 6 August fixture, which has been transferred to Lingfield Park.
Yesterday (30 July) Senior Inspector of Courses Richard Linley inspected the track at Chepstow ahead of their 6 August meeting. Due to the need for continued remedial work to address the damage caused by the nematodes, the fixture has been transferred to Lingfield Park. This transfer was agreed in the interests of the safety of horses and riders.
BHA will continue to work with the racecourse to address the issue affecting the track and decisions will be made in due course about further forthcoming fixtures at Chepstow.
Jim Allen, Racing Director at Arena Racing Company, said:
“The issue was identified in its early stages and our ground staff team have been carrying out extensive remedial work to create a safe racing surface. We apologise for the ongoing inconvenience to horsemen and are doing all we can to resume racing on Thursday 14 August. Anyone with questions about the rearranged fixture should contact Lingfield Park’s Clerk of the Course, Neil Mackenzie Ross.”
The original races at Chepstow have been abandoned and full race details and conditions for the new races can be found on the BHA Racing admin site: www.racingadmin.co.uk
Entries for the races at Lingfield Park will close at noon on Friday 1 August.
For further details please contact:
Richard Russell, Race Planning Executive
020 7152 0054
Kate Hills, Director of Public Relations, Arena Racing Company (ARC)
07813 947 201
Neil Mackenzie Ross, Clerk of the Course at Lingfield Park
07917 326 977
Notes to editors:
1. Nematodes are microscopic organisms that feed on the roots of plants. They are present in a range of environments and can cause an issue to racing surfaces due to the instability they cause through their activity.
Nematodes were last present at Chepstow in 2010. Since then the racecourse has sprayed once a month with a turf conditioner to promote healthy, strong roots, which along with regular fertilising, aims to provide a healthy sward.
Despite these efforts unusual nematode activity was identified this week and now remedial action is underway to renovate the affected areas. This includes mowing, harrowing and re-seeding.
2. Chepstow’s 25 July fixture was transferred to Lingfield Park due to the racing surface problems. The full press release can be seen here:
