Storm Babet: Floods leave Worcester and Southwell racecourses under water as fixture list hit by abandonments

Southwell (Monday), Pontefract (Monday) and Worcester (Wednesday) all abandoned in the upcoming week following Storm Babet; Worcester and Southwell left under water with ARC waiting for water levels to drop before assessing potential damages

Sunday 22 October 2023 10:08, UK

Flooding from Storm Babet has left the racecourses at Worcester and Southwell completely under water and continued to have a significant effect on the fixture list.

Monday's all-weather card at Southwell has been abandoned as has Wednesday's jumps fixture at Worcester, while Pontefract's meeting on Monday has also been cancelled due to waterlogging.

Last Friday's meetings at Fakenham, Haydock and Uttoxeter were all called off along with Saturday's cards at Market Rasen and Stratford.

Worcester and Southwell are both waiting for water levels to drop before assessing the full extent of any damage to the track or other facilities.

Arena Racing Company (ARC), who run both Worcester and Southwell, say Storm Babet has had "a significant impact on our business".

Arc's managing director of the racing division Mark Spincer said: "We are not unused to flooding from the River Severn at Worcester but will wait to judge the impact on the ongoing build of the new weighing room.

"At Southwell, we will have to wait for the water levels to drop significantly before we can ascertain the full impact on both the Tapeta and turf tracks."

The next scheduled fixture at Southwell is due to take place on Thursday, October 26, while Worcester has just one meeting left this year on November 1.

Worcester was also left under water in January this year following heavy rainfall in the area.