Racecourse covered in 'duvet' to stop frost

A team of eight covered the entire 1.25 mile (2km) course in fleecing to minimimise the impact of frost

The entire length and width of a horse racing track has been covered in a special kind of blanket to prevent frost.

The team at Market Rasen racecourse "fleeced" the 1.25 mile (2km) track last week to keep it warm ahead of a meeting on Friday.

If the ground is too hard on race-days it can cause injuries to horses and riders.

The racecourse's clerk described it as being "like a big duvet for the whole track".

Market Rasen Racecourse has not had to fleece its track for more than a year

The total area of track blanketed in the material is around 66,000 sq yd (55,000 sq m), roughly the size of six football pitches.

Alice Cosgrove, clerk of the course, said they "don't do it often". The last time was more than a year ago.

She explained: "It's essentially like a big duvet over the track and it just helps to trap the warm air in and help us minimise frost impact."

Frost can cause problems for horses because the animals need "a bit of give" in the ground to gallop and jump fences safely, Ms Cosgroves said.

Alice Cosgrove makes sure the course is safe for riders and horses

'Dry January'

After six months of regular rainfall, the racecourse has benefited from a lack of rain since the beginning of January.

Ms Cosgrove said: "We went through a wet period over the last six months but it's been dry since the beginning of January. So 2024 is a bit nicer in that regard."

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