Perth installs cooling system

Blue skies and sunshine will hopefully be the order of the day at Perth’s midweek summer meeting on Thursday.

As Scotland continues to bask in glorious sunshine, staff at the course are turning their attention to the welfare of the horses.

Perth Racecourse’s executive has invested in a state-of-the-art on-site cooling system to provide horses and stable staff with shelter before and after running in the hot weather.

The system has already been used successfully at other courses such as Cartmel, and will be put in place ahead of the meeting.

This week also marks Racing Staff Week, celebrating the dedication and specialist skills of the industry’s workforce such as racecourse and stable staff, gallopmen, stalls handlers, valets, trainers and the many others who play a vital role in British racing.

Chief executive Hazel Peplinksi said: “It has been a remarkable run of hot weather which presents challenges for all UK courses, and it’s to the credit of our skilled staff here at Perth that the track has been kept in such good condition.

“Our ground staff have been working round the clock since our last meeting to keep the ground in tip-top shape in the face of the heatwave, and have been irrigating the track intensively ahead of our busy July.

“It’s fitting then that Perth is supporting Racing Staff Week. It’s so important we continue to acknowledge the skill and commitment of our workforce across all aspects of racing.

“Perth Racecourse is committed to the welfare of its people and the horses who provide our sport, which is why we have invested in our new horse cooling system.

“It’s crucial we treat horse welfare as a top priority and this is just another small step to ensure that horses recover from the rigours of racing.”