TAUNTON Racecourse have abandoned their opening meeting of the 2026-7 season on Thursday, 12 November, due to the ground being too firm.

Following a course inspection with the BHA Course Inspector, Clerk of the Course and Head Groundsman, the decision has been made early in the interests of allowing wider contingency plans to be actioned by the BHA.

As with several racecourses in the South West, the extremely hot and dry summer has taken its toll.

Despite receiving 75mm of rain in a week on top of the 65mm irrigation applied since mid-September, there has not been sufficient ease in the ground to make racing possible. There is no chance of the situation improving in time for the 12 November fixture. As always, horse welfare is at the forefront of the thinking of the BHA and racecourses.

The course will continue to be vertidrained and irrigated between now and the next race meeting and together with the application of wetting agents and hopefully some decent rain, this should be sufficient to ensure Taunton’s new season can get underway on 26 November.

Patrick Davis, Taunton’s CEO, said: “The course is looking magnificent and was heading in the right direction at the end of last week. However the prolonged dry forecast over the coming weeks is the issue for us. We’ve simply run out of time for our popular opening meeting. Whie our reservoirs are full and we will continue to irrigate the course, this alone is not going to be enough to save the 12 November meeting.

“Looking beyond that, we will need some help from above alongside all our other initiatives to get the season underway belatedly on 26 November.

The CEO added: “It’s hugely disappointing for us all as the meeting was sold out hospitality wise and the grounds team had worked tirelessly to get the meeting on.”