Wincanton loses third successive fixture as drought persists
Wincanton has abandoned its 19 November meeting, its third consecutive fixture lost to firm ground, as the prolonged dry spell continues to disrupt British jump racing.
Wincanton has abandoned its meeting scheduled for 19 November, the third successive fixture lost at the Somerset racecourse because of ground conditions following the prolonged dry spell.
The decision follows the loss of its October meeting, which was transferred to Market Rasen, and the cancellation of the Badger Beer Chase fixture earlier this month. Although rain has fallen in the area, officials say it has not been sufficient to make the course safe for racing.
Clerk of the course Tom Ryall described the situation as deeply frustrating. He said the course had received 89 millimetres of rain during one week earlier in the autumn, but that had only improved the surface to firm or good to firm. Since the decision to abandon the Badger Beer meeting, a further eight millimetres had fallen, leaving conditions largely unchanged.
The racecourse has a reservoir for irrigation, but Ryall explained that it depends on rainfall to replenish supplies. It was emptied in April and only began to refill during August. Its present level is around 60 per cent of capacity, enough for approximately six or seven days of irrigation at ten millimetres per application.
That reserve cannot by itself restore a raceable surface. Ryall said the course would need substantial natural rainfall before using its remaining water, rather than depleting supplies when there was little prospect of staging a meeting. Rain is forecast for next week, but officials remain cautious after previous forecasts failed to deliver the expected amounts.
Wincanton's difficulties form part of a wider disruption to the early National Hunt season. Exeter and Kempton have also lost fixtures because of the unusually firm ground, while Ludlow announced on Thursday that it would not race again during the remainder of the 2026–27 jumps season. At Ludlow, damage to the turf and the time needed for recovery were central to the decision.
The loss of another Wincanton meeting is significant for local trainers and owners, particularly as the course traditionally provides opportunities for horses beginning their winter campaigns. Repeated cancellations also affect racecourse income, staff and spectators, even where important races can be transferred elsewhere.
Ryall noted that Wincanton had raced throughout January and February earlier this year when other courses were losing fixtures to waterlogging. The contrast illustrates the unusually difficult conditions confronting British jump racing this autumn.
The immediate priority is sufficient rainfall to restore safe ground. Until then, Wincanton's next scheduled fixtures will remain dependent on the weather rather than irrigation alone.
By TP Editorial
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