Ludlow fear losing entire season following drought
Former jockey Simon Sherwood has been at Ludlow Racecourse since 2019, originally arriving as clerk to the course to succeed the long-serving Bob Davies
- Published
Ludlow Racecourse fear losing the entire 2026-27 season because of the damage to its track caused by this summer's hot weather.
After having to move the first scheduled meeting on 15 October to Worcester, 35 miles away, Ludlow have since had to cancel two further meetings.
Their next meeting is planned for Monday, 23 November but, before then, they face a visit from British Horseracing Authority inspectors on 12 November to determine whether they can race at all at the Shropshire course this season.
The issue is trying to replace dead grass and encourage new growth on approximately 25% of the quick-draining, gravel-based track.
Managing director Simon Sherwood is still hoping that the turf can recover - but he is also very much aware the course's almost unique capacity to stay in raceworthy condition throughout many a wet autumn and winter may now prove its undoing.
"I'm hopeful," Sherwood told BBC Midlands Today. "And I will remain hopeful right up until we have that meeting next week.
"When the grass came back in September, it was very noticeable that it only came limping back, rather than coming back in a flush.
"About 75% of the grass was coming back, but injured, while the other 25% of it had died.
"We are improving - but the days are getting shorter."
Ludlow cancels third meeting since summer drought
- Published28 October
Dry summer puts horse racing season under threat
- Published3 September
As the popular countryside venue is independent, it cannot move racing elsewhere like other big companies. Worcester, for example, now no longer stages racing from November onwards, due to the close proximity of its Pitchcroft track to the River Severn.
But Sherwood is braced to hear the worst.
"We have a certain amount of insurance," he added. "That is provided by our media rights company RMG, but that only covers a few meetings.
"After that you really do start digging into the reserves and it gets financially pretty scary."
Former jockey Sherwood, who most famously rode Desert Orchid to victory in the 1989 Cheltenham Gold Cup, took over as clerk of the course from long-serving former Grand National winner Bob Davies in 2019.