Distances to be remeasured at new track
The distances at Britain’s newest racecourse will be remeasured following the fast times recorded at the first meeting on Newcastle’s all-weather Tapeta track.
The BHA’s timing expert Simon Rowlands said the times for some races including the feature seven-furlong (abt 1400m) race seemed too quick.
“All the races other than the first two look surprisingly quick, but the seven-furlong race was ludicrous,” Rowlands told the Racing Post.
“The biggest problem is with the seven furlong 69 yard race, which will have been run at a world record speed if it started from that distance from a standing start.
“It appears the time is wrong, because everyone who has timed it makes it about half a second slower, but even then it would be wrong.
“You cannot run seven furlongs and 69 yards in 85 seconds. Even Frankel wouldn’t.”
Susannah Gill, director of external affairs for track owners Arena Racing Company, said the company would have the course remeasured before the next meeting.
“The distances have been taken off historic information and measured by the construction team, but we will have it done by MK Survey, who are the ones that have measured other racecourses and are the standard company used,” she said.