Ice baths and other measures to cool racehorses

Worcester Racecourse says it has tried and tested techniques to cool animals down

Officials at Worcester Racecourse are putting on extra provisions for horses running during the hot weather at Pitchcroft .

The racecourse said 78 runners had been declared for the seven-race card, with the first due off at 14:23 BST. Temperatures are set to peak at 28C (82.4F)

Ice baths, a secondary vet and additional team members are being made available to help cool the animals down.

"We do our very best for them during the warm weather," said general manager Michael Thomas.

Racecourse staff used tried and tested protocols to support the horses during periods of extreme heat, he added.

"We've got many water baths as we always have, we'll put ice into that.

"We'll bring extra team members in to help cool the horses down. We'll bring an additional vet in as well, if required," he said.

Mr Thomas added ground staff had been "aggressively watering" the course to ensure going remained good.

At the start of the season, a number of fixtures were forced to relocate to Hereford because of flooding.

Racing returned to Pitchcroft on 1 June in front of a sell-out crowd for Ladies Day, when a new weighing room facility was also unveiled.

"We're extremely proud of it," Mr Thomas said, adding feedback from jockeys and support staff had been "fantastic".

Another afternoon jump racing event is planned for Monday, with ground staff working throughout the weekend to prepare the track.