RACING is set to resume at Haydock Park on Friday, August 7th following extensive work to find the cause of a hole in the ground which appeared at the track in May. While the Temple Stakes meeting continued on May 23rd, five fixtures scheduled for July were cancelled or moved as investigations were carried out.
Having found what they believe to be the reason for the hole appearing on the outer track, officials are confident they will be in a position to welcome racegoers back for the two-day meeting in early August, when racing will take place on the inner course.
Clerk of the course Daniel Cooper said: “Our investigations have narrowed down the cause of the issue to a fissure associated with historic mining activity in the area and that elements of a previous repair deteriorated, which created a pocket of instability beneath the turf, which led to the hole that appeared in May.
“Working with independent structural engineers and experts in this field, we have traced the fissure and will replace the previous repair with a more robust and durable solution. This will involve using a membrane and repair technique utilising modern materials and layers of material found in the natural makeup of the land.
“We also conducted a Ground Penetration Radar Survey across the entire course. As you would expect, the survey identified some anomalies which we have checked. The results will enable us to produce an up-to-date map of the racecourse to support our enhanced maintenance programme which will now be put in place.”
He added: “We have always been of the view that, in the interests of safety, it would not be appropriate to race on the inner course while the excavated area remained exposed on the adjacent outer course. However, having spent considerable time investigating and analysing the results we are now confident that once we have repaired and filled in the excavated areas of the outer course, we will be able to race on the inner course.”
IHRB director takes redundancy
CLIODHNA Guy is leaving the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board next week following a management restructure.
A lawyer, Guy was appointed as the IHRB’s Head of Governance and Legal in February 2017. She stepped in to the role of interim chief executive for a brief period in 2021 and 2022, following the departure of Denis Egan and prior to the appointment of current CEO Darragh O’Loughlin.
Dettori recovering from injuries
FRANKIE Dettori sustained several broken ribs and a broken thumb after being involved in a car accident in Newmarket on Wednesday evening. Another vehicle struck the rear passenger side of the car the 55-year-old was driving, causing it to spin and flip.
Dettori has not ridden in Britain since October 2023 when he won the Champion Stakes on King Of Steel at Ascot but he was due to return to the saddle in the Leger Legends race at Doncaster during the St Leger Festival in September.
CHRISTOPHE Soumillon has been partially successful in his appeal against the eight-day suspension handed out by the stewards at Royal Ascot following his ride on the Aidan O’Brien-trained Puerto Rico in the St James’s Palace Stakes. The ban is now reduced to five days.
The disciplinary panel said the lack of any clear intent from Soumillon to ride in a way to aid a stablemate was the key factor in reducing the ban, though his ride did assist Gstaad’s efforts in the race, with the penalty instead being one of ‘interference’ rather than ‘team tactics’.
SHANE Foley has had a nine-day improper riding ban reduced to a six-day careless riding suspension on appeal. Foley picked up the penalty for his ride on Moonlit Sun, winner of a three-year-old maiden at Naas on June 26th.
TALENTED young rider Josh Halford has turned professional. The 20-year-old has ridden 20 winners on the track and five in point-to-points.
“I’m based with Gordon Elliott and doing one day a week with Enda Bolger, who has given me great support. I have another free day to go to another yard but I have yet to finalise anything. I can claim 7lb off minimum weight of 10st and Garry Cribbin has agreed to be my agent.”
Bobby McGee sold to Hong Kong
TRAINER Noel Meade has confirmed that his progressive three-year-old handicapper Bobby McGee has been sold to continue his racing career in Hong Kong.
Winner of all three of his starts this season, the Mayson gelding was a 48,000gns yearling and was unsold at £575,000 at the recent Goffs London Sale.
Meade said: “There’s a deal done, basically, but the horse is still here. There’s been plenty of interest in him. He’s not ground dependent. He went well on easy ground and we think he will handle fast ground. His owner Anthony Gorman has only been with me for two years, so hopefully he’ll have more again.”