EPSOM are confident that the track will be raceable at the Derby meeting after a spate of abandonments
Trainers and jockeys have hit out at racecourses after FOUR meetings were abandoned in the last five days.
Rain showers have caused horses to slip on the bends at Chester, Haydock, Lingfield and Windsor.
And there are now concerns that the recent wet weather could make the famous bend at Tattenham Corner unsafe this weekend.
But Epsom clerk of the course Andrew Cooper moved to calm those fears.
He told the Racing Post: “I’m sure a lot of people are scratching their heads as to quite what has brought about this recent spate of incidents.
“No more so than the courses themselves, who are all very well-versed in how they prepare their bends, just as we are at both Epsom and Sandown.
“Sandown in particular has a very established routine in terms of aeration in the build up to a race meeting.
“Epsom is a bit more fragile and you can destabilise it if you do too much verti-drain and aeration.
“We’ve more often taken the attitude of getting a little bit more give in it, trying to make sure there’s some cut in the hill, which in theory should help.
“In terms of Epsom, I wouldn’t be suddenly thinking of doing anything different in terms of ground preparation here because we have quite an established process and cut-off time for watering.
“Experience over the years at both Sandown and Epsom has shown us what is the most sensible way we can prepare these bends and hopefully they will ride fine.”
The ground at Epsom with just three days to go before Oaks day is currently Good, Good to Soft in places.
The BHA announced on Monday night that they had launched an investigation into the abandonments at four meetings.
