Haydock to inspect ahead of next week’s fixture Haydock Park will hold an inspection at 1pm on Tuesday to determine the suitability of switching next weekend’s fixtures to the inner course. Action on the track’s outer course was curtailed after a hole was discovered following a false step taken by Friendly Soul in the opening Hedge Of Oak Stakes, with the feature sprint races switched, following a delay and inquiry, to the inner course that had been used on both Thursday and Friday of the three-day meeting. Haydock are due to host another two-day fixture this coming Friday and Saturday, but with the outer course currently undergoing further investigation into how the hole emerged, Tuesday’s inspection will assess the viability of a further switch. Daniel Cooper, clerk of the course at Haydock Park, said: “Following a hole opening up during our first race on Saturday, and the subsequent decision to abandon racing on the outer course, we will now work closely with external specialists to determine the likely cause. Once this has been established, we can begin the necessary remedial work on the impacted area. “Racing was initially scheduled to take place on the outer track on Friday 29 May and Saturday 30 May. We continue to work closely with the BHA and will provide an update regarding Tuesday’s inspection of the inner course as soon as possible.” The main event on Merseyside next weekend is the Betway Lester Piggott Fillies’ Stakes, a race won last year by David O’Meara’s Estrange who is a possible headline act once again in the Group Three contest.
