BHA cancels four race meetings after UK extreme heat warning

The British Horseracing Authority has cancelled four race meetings on Wednesday after the Met Office issued a rare red extreme heat warning for parts of the UK.

Kempton Park, Salisbury, Worcester and Ffos Las were all called off, while Carlisle was still due to go ahead in the latest reporting.

The move was taken under the BHA’s hot weather policy and was framed as a welfare decision for horses, jockeys and racecourse staff.

Why the meetings were abandoned

The red warning covered parts of the Midlands, southern England and Wales, with temperatures forecast to reach about 38C in some places during the warning period.

According to the reporting, racecourses in a red warning zone should be abandoned and horses should not be moved from or through those areas.

Ffos Las was described as being just outside the red zone, but still affected because travel to the course would pass through high-risk areas.

What remains under watch

Carlisle was the only remaining Wednesday fixture mentioned as still scheduled in the latest reports.

The wider weather alert covered Wednesday and Thursday, so further changes to race schedules were still being monitored as the heat warning took effect.