Dismay As Bath Racecourse Overflows With Sewage

Bath Racecourse had to cancel its final national fixture of the year yesterday after some of the building began flooding with sewage from the toilet drains.

Photo courtesy of Richard Hughes on © Twitter – @hughesiejockey

The weighing room, where jockeys change and relax between their matches, began to flood with the waste, which has been blamed on heavy rain downpours up on Lansdown.

Many jockeys took to Twitter to show their disgust at the situation, including champion Richard Hughes.

The jockey slammed the ARC group, which runs Bath Racecourse, after the race meetings were abandoned after just four of the races.

We apologise to everyone who lost out in bath today but enough is enough ARC

— Richard Hughes (@hughesiejockey) October 20, 2013

His colleague Shane Kelly said: “The drains were blocked at the bottom of the weighing room where the valets work. It wasn’t very pleasant and everyone decided you couldn’t possibly work in those conditions.

“Unfortunately for Bath’s stewards, there was no other alternative but to call the meeting off. More importantly than anything else, the valets couldn’t work in those conditions.”

Kate Hills, spokesperson for Bath Racecourse, said in a statement: “Unfortunately Bath had to abandon due to torrential rain causing localised flooding.

“Despite efforts made by the racecourse, as the downpours occurred , drains were unable to cope with the continuous heavy rain, which affected the weighing room area.

“Jockeys were offered alternative facilities but after discussion with the stewards it was decided that racing had to be abandoned. We will be looking into this and we are doing everything we can to ensure this situation does not reoccur next season.”