Track wise

The increasing fluctuations in weather patterns present plenty of challenges for groundspersons in all sports, but on the racecourse the decision to cancel a fixture or press ahead with the day can be an especially complex one.

Newton Abbot’s busy summer racing programme means that scarifying is not an option, but keeping thatch to a minimum by harrowing and using a blower when mowing has paid dividends.

Depending on the underlying drainage and situation of the course – next to a river, on free draining soils etc – periods of intense rain can threaten the meeting. But even if there is no obvious waterlogging, ‘false ground’ can cause an abandonment as it may risk injury to horses and jockeys.

STRI turf consultant Steve Gingell works closely with a number of racecourses, and he explains: “False ground is an area of deep unstable ground on the running line. It can be obvious if there is no grass cover, in which the grounds team can easily spot the area and address it. However, where there is grass cover, it only becomes apparent when walking or riding over it. The hoof goes into the ground to depth as there is no support offered by the surface.”

Jason Loosemore, Clerk of the Course at Exeter, comments: “The horse’s hoof will go into false ground deeper than in the previous stride - when they are travelling at 30mph they need consistent footing to be confident when galloping and jumping.”

False ground can lead to horses becoming unbalanced and stumbling, which is why when a patch of it is discovered during a race – usually after a sudden deterioration in weather conditions - it can lead to the abandonment of the remainder of the meeting.

Above and below: Deep tining keeps the surface open to sand columns and drainage below and can help with restructuring. © Fairways Group.

“It’s important to distinguish false ground from heavy ground,” comments Steve. “This will have resistance which makes it more difficult for the horse to travel through it, but will still offer support.”

He emphasises that it should also not be confused with waterlogged ground.

“Groundsmen will know if a waterlogged course will drain before the track inspection; on tight soils the top may be wet but it will drain through. It can be a tough call, but the aim is always to get the race meeting on.”

In soil terms, ‘false ground’ is a function of the soil being over filled with water, he points out, so the soil loses structure and has no strength.

Where is false ground likely to occur?

Steve identifies dips and low points as the most likely sites for false ground, where water can sit on the surface.

It can be seen on areas that are over-trafficked, such as crossing points and grass canter downs, chutes and loops.

© Fairways Group.

“It’s most common on National Hunt tracks as they get more wear in the winter. False ground tends to affect small areas unless there is a severe flood event.”

Jason agrees, adding: “Areas getting the most wear react differently to rain or irrigation water compared to freer draining parts of the track.”

Spring lines are another common site, Steve says: “Bubbles of water from springs separate out the soil layers so you get a carpet of ground with water lying under it.”

“A rare cause is salinity from salt water which enters the soil after coastal flooding; few courses would be affected by this in the UK.”

Jason adds that large volumes of irrigation water in one place can also have a detrimental effect on consistency – comparing 1/2in of irrigation water to 4in of rain in an hour.

At Newton Abbott, where racing takes place in the summer months, wet conditions exacerbate spongy ground from thatch, explains Clerk of the Course Ben Robarts.

“It’s inconsistent ground so the horse moves over it in a different way. It was especially problematic after the wet spring in 2024.”

The interaction between the horse’s hoof and the racing surface has a significant effect on the result of the race, as the surface needs to support the hoof and give the horse confidence to gallop or jump. © Exeter Racecourse/Francesca Altoft 

He points out as there are eighteen racedays across the summer at Newton Abbot, it’s not possible to address the thatch by scarifying.

“We vertidrain and slit to get air in and use a harrow to pull thatch out. Fortunately, this year the dry conditions have worked in our favour and there are very few suspect patches on the running line. We’ll avoid watering in these areas, rake and aerate. We’ve also purchased a blower for the mower tractor to minimise the debris going back into the surface.”

Immediate action is to take the area out of use so that the problem can be addressed, and where suspect patches are observed by ground staff during their daily routine, they can be railed off or jumps moved to avoid travelling over them.

“The objective is to return the ground to good grass with a sound rooting structure and, ideally, plenty of worm activity to recreate the structure,” explains Steve. “Decompaction is important and on clay soils, adding gypsum can be helpful.”

Heavy or poached ground should not be confused with false ground, but National Hunt tracks are more prone as they get most wear in winter. 

More intensive remedial action can be taken when the racecourse has its closed season.

“It’s obviously important to keep off the ground until conditions improve, but vertidraining through summer can benefit restructuring; we probably still don’t use the vertidrain enough on racecourses.”

Jason comments that a programme of aeration, spiking and sanding, plus the application of grass seed helps to remedy the issue.

Prevention includes assessing the areas at risk and considering how the running lines are affected, Steve adds: “Can the rail be used to protect vulnerable areas? How often is a particular patch of ground used? Bends tend to get bulk of the attention, but crossings are also at risk.”

Planned renovations can also target these areas, he explains: “The aim is to get the land dry and stable, so installation of sand columns and using the vertidrain to keep the surface open to the drainage is effective, but ensure that conditions are suitable; it can sometimes be several months before you can get onto the worst affected areas.”

Slitting is another useful treatment.

“A more robust vertidraining regime is used on any areas that hold water, and we’ve also looked at drainage,” comments Jason. “Exeter has undergone significant drainage projects in the last ten years to address standing water in areas that have the potential for false ground. This would include pinch points and bends; a typical meeting would have forty runners on the hurdle course, concentrated in 8-9ft of ground on the bends.”

Rail movements are used pro-actively to protect ground from excess wear, he adds, with six ‘man days’ needed to move all the rail as little as 1m. This is a process which takes place for every meeting unless the ground is firm.

Where there is a spring line, it’s worth looking at whether it can be tapped, Steve suggests.

He also recommends that grounds teams also work closely with their agronomist and BHA track inspector to help address problem areas.