A MAJOR ITV race meeting has been cancelled with immediate effect – due to the track being left ‘unraceable’.
Ayr was all set to host the Sky Bet Sunday Series this week – their first big Flat fixture of the year.
The track hosted the Scottish Grand National – won by 20-1 outsider Kap Vert – just last weekend.
Bosses have been forced to pull the plug with the turf sodden and given no chance of recovering in time.
The meeting had more than £200,000 in prize money up for grabs and was sure to attract big fields.
The decision to abandon was made before the entry stage.
A statement posted on Ayr’s website read: “It’s with considerable disappointment that we’ve had to announce the early abandonment of our much awaited Sky Bet Sunday Series fixture, scheduled to be run here at Ayr on Sunday, April 26.
“Unfortunately, due to a prolonged spell of wet weather, our Flat track remains unraceable at the present time and, after close consultation with the BHA, the decision was taken to act before the entry stage for the meeting and give everyone as much notice as possible of the fixture’s abandonment.”
This is not the first time Ayr racecourse has lost a big fixture.
In 2017 the Gold Cup card – one of the biggest betting days of the season outside the major festivals – was cancelled.
‘Mystery’ waterlogging had hit the track.
Officials even flew in a helicopter and hovered it over the boggy area around two furlongs from home in an attempt to dry out the ground.
Brighton was forced to cancel its first Flat fixture of the season last weekend with the track also having suffered damage.
While Cheltenham racecourse cancelled the final three meetings of its season so urgent work could take place on the home straight.
More recently, Epsom was forced to delay their opening raceday of the season by a week.
A fault with the track’s watering system meant they couldn’t douse the course.
The meeting due for Tuesday, April 21, will be held on the 28th and the feature is the Blue Riband trial – often used as a stepping stone to the Derby.
FREE BETS – GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chases their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org
Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
