Hot weather forces BHA to abandon four Wednesday meetings The extreme weather warning issued across southern England and parts of the Midlands has seen the British Horseracing Authority abandon four meetings. On Sunday, Worcester’s National Hunt fixture had already been brought forward to the morning in expectation of high temperatures but now will not go ahead. The Flat meetings at Salisbury and Kempton have been abandoned along with the jumps fixture at Ffos Las, which falls just outside the official red warning zone, however, it would require participants to travel through the high-risk area to reach the course. The BHA’s hot weather policy states that where racecourses fall within a red warning zone, the fixture will be abandoned. In addition, horses must not be travelled from or through areas that have red warnings in place. Carlisle’s meeting in Cumbria is still scheduled to take place, featuring the historic Carlisle Bell and Cumberland Plate. Enforcing the Red Warning Zone Policy A statement from the BHA read: “The decision to abandon the fixtures has been taken in conjunction with the racecourses with a view to mitigating any risk to the health and well-being of equine and human participants. “The BHA will continue to liaise with racecourses hosting fixtures in amber warning zones this week to consider any further mitigations that may be needed, in line with the BHA’s hot weather policy. “Each fixture will be managed on a case-by-case basis, with several factors considered according to the local weather forecast and environmental conditions. “Trainers are reminded that horses should not be moved from or through any areas where red heat warnings are in place.” Hales Backs Decisions for Horse Welfare Trainer Alex Hales, who had been due to have two runners at Worcester on Wednesday, supported the decision to call off the meetings insisting horse welfare comes first. “We just have to be sensible. We try to work the horses earlier and get the main bits of work done before the sun really comes up and, with travelling, the lorries have fans in them now to keep the temperatures down,” he said. “But if the temperatures are getting as high as predicted keeping the horses hydrated with plenty of electrolytes as well is very important. “We are constantly monitoring the horses and if they are showing signs of getting too hot we would pull them out and get them under the hosepipe and cool them off that way. “But I think the BHA have been very sensible and the whole industry is sensible with it.”
