Problems emerged after hot favourite Friendly Soul appeared to take a false step and was pulled up in the opening contest on the major meeting
14:25, 23 May 2026Updated 14:58, 23 May 2026
The track at Haydock was examined after a hole emerged(Image: David Davies/PA Wire)
Saturday’s headline ITV fixture at Haydock was significantly delayed after the discovery of a hole in the middle of the track. The meeting is set to feature two key Royal Ascot trials, the Temple and Sandy Lane Stakes, both Group races.
The meeting opened with the Listed Hedge Of Oak Stakes, which was shown live by ITV Racing, for which the John and Thady Gosden-trained Friendly Soul was a hot favourite despite being off the track since October 2024.
The mare was in contention under Oisin Murphy when she appeared to take a false step and she was immediately eased by the champion jockey.
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Friendly Soul dropped right away and was pulled up but was able to walk back without requiring immediate veterinary attention.
Officials walked down the track to inspect area where the incident occurred. They were joined by John Gosden and jockey Duran Fentiman who prodded the surface with a stick.
John Gosden went to examine the area of track(Image: David Davies/PA Wire)
It became immediately evident that the stick went into the ground much deeper in one spot than other parts of the track.
Further shots showed a groundsman able to push his arm into the hole up to his elbow. There was a simliar incident at Cheltenham in January.
BHA stewards posted: “Delay to Race 2 at Haydock due to inspection.”
A delegation of stewards and jockeys gathered around the area with clerk of the course to carry out a further examination when it was decided that the track was no longer raceable.
Clerk of the course Dan Cooper told ITV Racing: “In the first race Friendly Soul took a misstep so so straightaway we asked our team to go and look at the surface there. We would do it anytime.
Friendly Soul was pulled up during the opening race at Haydock(Image: David Davies/PA Wire)
“I suggested to the BHA stewards that straighaway this is formal inspection grounds, so we have just conducted that. We have looked at the track here and decided there is a significant drainage issue that has caused the misstep.
“Therefore this wouldn’t be safe to race on today was my advice to the BHA. They are going to conduct a formal inquiry now and decide what to do for the rest of the day.”
While a formal inquiry took place, staff began to prepare Haydock’s inner course to potentially be used for the rest of the meeting.
John Gosden (right) returns from checking the track(Image: David Davies/PA Wire)
Cooper later explained that an inspection of the inner track would be carried out to establish whether it would be fit for racing.
However it would only be able to stage races over the straight, such as the Temple and Sandy Lane Stakes. Races two, five and seven scheduled to be run around bends were abandoned.
He said: “The decision is to go and have a look at the inner course and give that a track inspection.
“On the basis of having 150 horses on it in the last two days, there is a potiential we run the straight races on that. We don’t think we have the resource to do sufficient bends at the correct race distances. The total hours it takes to do the work is 20 staff, three hours work. We haven’t got that.”
