Lingfield: Two races abandoned due to horse slipping on bend; fourth track in six days to have safety issues | Racing News
Racing’s abandonment issues have continued after two races on Lingfield’s Monday flat card did not go ahead following ground safety concerns on the final bend.
In the opening race of the afternoon, Cu Chulainn, ridden by William Buick, slipped when taking the final bend before being eased in the final two furlongs, finishing last of the seven runners.
This led to an inspection of the surface on the final bend, with jockeys and stewards deciding to abandon the two races to be run on the round track.
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Veteran jockey John Egan says horseracing is in ‘massive trouble’ after Chester became the third track in four days to abandon its card due to unsafe ground conditions.
The final four races, all on the straight course, were allowed to go ahead at the Surrey venue.
It is now the fourth time in six days that racing has been abandoned due to ground issues, with the latest coming at Chester on Saturday, following similar abandonments at Beverley on Wednesday and Haydock on Friday as tracks struggle with a combination of a long dry spell followed by periods of heavy rain.
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Thomas Evetts, chief steward at Chester, says they were left with no choice but to call racing off after a number of jockeys reported their horses to have slipped on the ground.
George Hill, Lingfield’s Clerk of the Course, spoke to Sky Sports Racing during the meeting, admitting he was at a loss to how the horse slipped in the race.
“It’s a difficult one – I haven’t prepared the track any differently than I would have done in the last few weeks,” he said.
“This is our fourth turf meeting this month and the track has been prepared the same way. It would’ve had more moisture on it today than for example three weeks ago.
“I’m scratching my head as to why that horse slipped in race one. It’s something we will review.
“Unfortunately, it’s just a situation where we have managed to lose race two and three as a result and I can only apologise to connections of those horses.”
