Sandown has abandoned Friday’s Grand Military Gold Cup meeting after the chase track failed an 8am inspection on Wednesday, with officials declaring the surface waterlogged and unraceable. The decision wipes out an all-chase card built around the three-mile Grand Military Gold Cup, a race now at risk of slipping off the calendar unless a workable alternative date emerges.
The abandonment lands after a week of escalating ground concerns. Sandown switched the fixture to an all-chase programme on Monday once the hurdles course turned unraceable, but the focus then snapped to the chase track on Tuesday as conditions deteriorated further. Around 20mm of rain has fallen since racing on Saturday, leaving standing water in places and turning the key take-offs and landings into a safety issue rather than a test of jumping.
Clerk of the course Andrew Cooper made it clear the call did not need dressing up. “It was a straightforward decision for us. While today is due to be largely dry, the damage has already been done and it’s realistically not going to improve before Friday. We really need a dry spell, but the outlook looks set to remain mild and unsettled,” he said. With more rain forecast for Thursday and Friday, Sandown judged the ground would not drain back to a raceable standard in time, particularly on a track that demands secure footing at speed over fences.
Sandown confirms decision comes after further rain expected
Sandown confirmed the position on its X account: “Racing on Friday 6th February for Grand Military Gold Cup day has been abandoned after this morning’s inspection due to a waterlogged track.” The track also noted: “20mm of rain has fallen on the track since racing on Saturday… Further rain is expected tomorrow and Friday so the opportunity for sufficient improvement in track conditions is not possible.”
The immediate complication now centres on the feature. Cooper said discussions will follow, but options look tight. “I’m sure there will be a discussion about saving the Grand Military Gold Cup for this year. The only possible day we could reschedule it for would be Imperial Cup day before Cheltenham. There’s nothing definite about that as it’s not an easy solution,” he said.