In the latest instalment of his Clerk’s Column, Bath Racecourse clerk of the course Ben Hicks writes exclusively for the Bath Echo.
Following on from our previous fixture, we returned last Friday evening, 17th April, for what proved to be a slightly different test underfoot, as the weather finally caught up with us.
It was a damp evening, with the forecast rain arriving right on cue just before the first race.
While never particularly heavy, the steady 6mm of rainfall was enough to ease conditions as we moved through the card, with the going ultimately changing to good to soft by the end of racing.
Despite the change in conditions, the evening’s racing went very smoothly and produced plenty of competitive action.
We again staged an eight-race card, following strong demand at the declaration stage which saw the one-mile handicap divide.
It’s always encouraging to see such healthy field sizes, and it made for a varied card, with a two-mile contest to start us off, down to five-furlong sprints during the evening.
Looking ahead, we now have a particularly busy spell coming up.
As many of you may have seen, we have taken on an additional fixture transferred from Brighton Racecourse.
This meeting will take place on the evening of Wednesday 29th April, just two days after our already-scheduled fixture on Monday 27th.
We are delighted to be able to assist one of our sister tracks by hosting this extra fixture while further works are undertaken there in preparation for their 2026 racing season.
It’s a good example of the collaboration within the racing industry and ensures continuity of opportunities for horses, trainers and jockeys.
With that in mind, preparations here at Bath are already well under way for what will be a quick turnaround between meetings.
The current forecast suggests a dry week ahead – and as a result, I would expect the ground to return to the faster side for our next fixture.
One positive from our early-season planning is the rail alignment we began with.
This has allowed us to preserve fresh ground on the inside line, particularly around the bottom bend and into the home straight.
That decision was made with exactly these conditions in mind, and it should now come into its own as we look to provide fresh ground for these conditions.
As ever, I’d like to thank the team for their continued hard work, particularly during what is shaping up to be a demanding period.
Their efforts behind the scenes ensure that we can adapt to changing conditions and maintain the high standards expected here at Lansdown.
We look forward to welcoming you back for what promises to be an exciting and busy few days of racing.
