Following on from the abandonment of racing at Newcastle on Saturday and Sunday, a number of actions have been undertaken, or are planned to, ahead of the next scheduled flat fixture on Tuesday 20 December.
The Tapeta surface at Newcastle has been routinely worked throughout this period of cold weather, and will undergo further deep work in the coming days. We do not wish to open a debate as to the suitability of the surface last weekend, but will be doing this work alongside representatives of the team at Tapeta Footings, the manufacturer of the surface, and other surface experts.
Following any deep work, the track will be left ‘open’ with overnight frosts forecast. Temperatures in the region are forecast to improve from Sunday 18 December.
A Synthetic Surface Audit that was undertaken on Tuesday 6 December by PSD Agronomy found that the surface at Newcastle had no structural issues, and confirmed that drainage systems were all working properly, hence our surprise that the surface did not pass the requisite inspections.
Managing Director of ARC’s Racing Division, Mark Spincer, said, “Once again, we would like to apologise for the inconvenience to those involved in Saturday’s flat fixture at Newcastle and for the early abandonment of Sunday’s meeting. As we have previously stated, the team have followed all of the standard operating procedures in preparing the track in cold temperatures, but moving forward, we want to make sure that everyone involved has confidence in the surface.
“We are grateful for the ongoing support of our colleagues at Tapeta Footings, and look forward to working with them. We will benefit from their experience of working with the surface in various conditions. As we prepare for racing on Tuesday 20 December, we will welcome locally trained horses to gallop to confirm the preparation of the surface.”
