Hurdle races at Sandown ABANDONED on Saturday with meeting switched to all-chase card causing a headache for team Goshen
SANDOWN have scrapped four hurdle races due to be staged on Saturday, with the meeting now an all-chase card.
Course officials inspected the hurdles track at 2pm on Wednesday after 5mm rain fell overnight.
The hurdles track, which is often more testing than the chase course, was described as ‘waterlogged in the home straight’ before the extra rain.
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And deteriorating conditions forced clerk of the course Andrew Cooper decided to abandon the four scheduled hurdles races.
That means Champion Hurdle hopeful Goshen, who was due to run in the Contenders’ Hurdle, will have to find another race to complete his prep for the Cheltenham Festival.
The valuable Grade 3 Heroes Handicap Hurdle, worth £75k and run over three miles, has also been lost.
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Sandown said via Twitter: “Following this afternoon’s inspection, the Hurdles course is not raceable due to waterlogging and false ground.
“All hurdles races will be abandoned and @VirginBet Day this Saturday will be an all-chase card beginning at 1.15pm.
“No further inspection is planned at this stage.”
The chase card features the Grade 2 Cotswold Chase, rearranged after last week’s Trials Day at Cheltenham was washed out.
Santini, Native River and Bristol De Mai could tackle the race which is a key trial for the Gold Cup.
The feature race is the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase, with exciting prospects Shan Blue, Messire Des Obeaux and Hitman set to clash.
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