BHA cancel racing fixture with immediate effect and confirm it will not be replaced

THE British Horseracing Authority have confirmed a fixture has been cancelled with immediate effect – and will not be replaced. Scottish racecourse Musselburgh in East Lothian was set to host a meeting next Tuesday, July 21. Musselburgh’s meeting for next Tuesday has been abandoned and will not be replaced Credit: PA But the ground has been deemed unsafe and there is an issue with the watering system. Combined, it means officials cannot guarantee a safe surface for horses and jockeys. The issue comes as vast swathes of Britain bask in a summer heatwave, with many areas going days and days without rain. A BHA statement read: “The British Horseracing Authority can confirm that Musselburgh’s fixture on Tuesday 21 July has been abandoned. “The decision has been approved by the BHA Course Inspectorate due to an issue with the racecourse irrigation system which is limiting the amount of water that can be applied to the racing surface and will not be resolved before raceday. “With the Going already Good to Firm and no rain forecast ahead of Tuesday, Musselburgh will be unable to provide raceable ground. “The fixture has therefore been abandoned now, to give participants as much notice as possible, and will not be replaced.” June saw record-breaking temperatures and the rescheduling of racetimes to mean horses were not running in the hottest part of the day. Most read in Horse Racing Four of five planned fixtures for June 23 were abandoned entirely due to the extreme heat. Meetings at Kempton Park, Salisbury, Worcester and Ffos Las were called off amid the red weather warning. Comment now